Hotel La Bussola, Amalfi

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money	Good
Quality of Rooms	Excellent
Standard of Service	Excellent
Quality of Facilities	Good

Advantages:	The view !  Worth a million pounds, but you get it at a reasonable price
Disadvantages:	Some find rather old fashioned, but it has a certain charm

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

THE HOTEL ITSELF

From the outside the building may actually look rather ugly, or so I thought. This steams from the fact that the Hotel La Bussola was once a mill and pasta factory, a fact I find which further adds to its charms. The building is one of great character; for centuries the building has been used, and it has stories to tell of Southern Italian culture. On the main coast road leading to Amalfi the hotel has pride of place along the seafront. Sitting on top of a cliff face means optimum views are afforded, and every room offers stunning sea views.
I last visited the Hotel La Bussola in 2005 and it was just as good as I remembered it from the previous year. We booked two standard double bedrooms, which were a million miles away from standard. The beds were comfy and in large airy rooms , air condition actually worked, which in Southern Italy at the height of summer is a must, and the bathrooms were well maintained. What I found most stunning however was the Italian tiles they used throughout the hotel. It was actually a pleasure to get out of the bath or the pool and walk barefoot across the tiles. With 120 beds it may be thought that this is run like a commercial hotel, but in fact I found it to be entirely the opposite, a family run feeling surrounds the hotel, and anything they can do to make your trip brilliant is literally their pleasure.
The hotel has great facilities such as a swimming pool 100m down the cliff, which can be reached via a lift. The La Bussola also owns a private stretch of beach, again reached with the use of the lift. Though a very good idea, and cheap at only 10Euros for the hire of a sun-lounger and umbrella, I was not the biggest fan of the beach. It is great for just sunbathing, but not good to walk on. The sand is not smooth but harsh and gritty, plus a dark colour due to the spread of volcanic material from the eruptions of Vesuvius nearby at Naples. However, this does not detract from the fabulous surroundings and views out into the Mediterranean Sea that the beach allows. In addition to this the hotel also has an 'American Bar' and solarium. Again these were brilliant to use, and the drinks were reasonably priced.

THE SURROUNDING AREA

Being in a prime location on the Amalfi coast road means many famous and beautiful locations are easily accessible. The town of Amalfi is literally five minutes down the road, and is a beautiful sight. A must see is the cathedral of St. Andrew and its magnificent 12th century church tower. Thought a small and confined place, due to the cliff face, Amalfi has a lot to offer, I found that simply walking around the narrow streets of houses was a wonderful experience. Plus, when off the main square and on little side streets more restaurants can be found. As in many places, we found that as a rule, 'eat where the locals eat' is a good motto to stick too when finding a restaurant. All the food is cooked in Amalfi itself, and due to its seaside location I would highly advise a fish dish…which I felt were brilliant!!
The hotel also organises day trips to Naples, Pompeii, Vesuvius, Herculaneum and the fantastic Capri. The town of Positano further along the coast road was my personal favourite however. To get there costs 3 Euros on the Sita bus, and takes approximately 45minutes, depending on how daring the driver is along the hairpin bends of the coast road. When there you are met with a steep walk down to the sea front, where shop after shop sells kaftans! It is where the richer Italian likes to shop- plus the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Franco Zeferelli. Overall, added with the joyous experience of eating real Italian pasta in a restaurant on the sea front, I would rate this trip highly.

PRICE

Ah, for the all important price of a holiday staying at the hotel La Bussola. To be honest, for what you get and the spectacular views I didn't find it too bad.
At low season a double room costs £94, and at high season this price is raised to £126. High season is basically the entire summer, when the temperature is in the high twenties every day (ah it was a joy!)
For this price breakfast is included, but the cost of an evening meal is payable separately. However, I would suggest not going to the hotel restaurant, but venturing out to Amalfi to get a meal. Though the hotel food is very nice, I much preferred going out and exploring what the locals had to offer. I also found by doing this you seemed to get a little more for your money.

CONTACT DETAILS

Hotel La Bussola
Lungomare Dei Cavalieri,16
84011 - AMALFI - Italy
Tel: +39-089-871533
Fax: +39-089-871369
Email: info@labussolahotel.it

Overall, I had one of the most memorable holidays of my life while staying at the Hotel La Bussola, and would recommend it highly to anyone else thinking of taking a trip to this wonderful part of Europe.