Julie (Australia) - Aequa Hotel
Just returned from a stay at this hotel and I agree with the other comments. We didn't have a view of the bay but did have a balconey. The room was spacious and we even had a bath, not all rooms do. The staff are helpful and friendly and the food was satisfactory. In terms of breakfast it was above standards for European breakfasts and different from English breakfasts.
It is close to the trains and the shopping is not to bad, however a trip to Sorrento to shop is a great way to spend the late afternoon and night.
Hope you enjoy the hotel as much as we did.
Sandra (New Zeland) - Aequa Hotel
We stayed at the Hotel Aequa a few years ago and enjoyed it a great deal for its location, its big pool and its view. The key to this hotel is to get a room with a view of the bay/pool. It was a good place to stay with kids because of the pool, and because of the easy access to beach and town. Our room looked out on Mt. Vesuvius and had a small balcony. The location was ideal. A quick bus ride took you down to a lovely beach. There was small fee to sit on the beach, but you got a deck chair and there were peddle boats to rent. It was an idyllic -- and not crowded beach. The hotel is in town, so you can just walk out and stroll around. There was a great, inexpensive pizza place next door. You could easily walk to the Circumvesuviano, a small commuter train that takes you to Pompei, Sorrento, or Naples. The trains ran regularly, and were cheap, so transportation was not an issue. The staff was friendly. The downside, as another reviewer said, was the food, but we only ate there once. We found fun little restaurants and ice cream stores that were easy to walk to. I found it relaxing because there was nothing you simply had to see in the town, nothing you had to buy but the village was friendly and charming. Very low key.
Giorgie (UK) - Aequa Hotel
Just had a weeks stay here as acomodation for a Naples Villas Package. Well sitauted for all sites in the Bay of Naples with easy communications by Road, Rail, Bus. Excellent facilities comfortable rooms good food & wliing profesional staff who looked after us well.
Highly recommended.
My wife and I have just returned from a Naples Villas tour of the Bay of Naples area and we were based for a week at the Hotel Aequa in Vico Equense. Vico was a good base, full of life (and, of course, noise, this being Italy) and, in September at least, there were few tourists around, giving a very authentic Italian experience, especially in the narrow back streets and squares near the cathedral overlooking the sea. Most tours seem to be based in Sorrento which I am sure has its delights but is almost certainly full of tourists.
The Hotel is well placed - turn right for 200 yards to the main square, Piazza Umberto 1 with several delightful cafes from which to watch the world (and the inevitable traffic!) go by, or turn left downhill for 5 minutes to the Circumvesuviana railway station from which for 1 euro 30 you can reach Naples, Sorrento or the Pompeii station (200 yards from the site entrance). The hotel has a lovely pool, gardens and a charming, spacious and shaded terrace overlooking the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius. The staff are friendly, willing and speak English. The hotel does seem popular for weddings - there were two when we were there and for the second on our day of departure a chef prepared amazing sculptures and displays out of carved pumpkins, melons, and other fruits that were really works of art; fortunately the wedding we experienced fully finished by early evening so noise was not a problem.
Mr and Ms Britt (UK) - Aequa Hotel
Firstly, Alfonso, thank you very much we had a wonderful time!
Secondly, I have been very honest in this response and this is to do with our connection. If you were someone that I did not know I probably would have just given a bland response, so please forgive me if this is not acceptable to you.
Vico Equense is a lovely place and the hotel was excellent. The staff were friendly, kind and helpful, the rooms clean and well presented. We had the magnificent sea view that I had requested and transportation was easy as the station was only down the road.Our only criticism would be about the lunch.Breakfast was good and offered a variety of different dishes to cater for the international preferences. However we chose to have lunch there one day and were very disappointed. The pasta was under-cooked and the salmon and vegetables were over-cooked. Maybe the chef was having a bad day! Everywhere else that we had eaten in Vico the food had been excellent.
However the travelling to and from Pozzuoli from here took four hours each time and as it was the purpose of our visit we felt that we were a long way from our destination.Pozzuoli was very different from Vico Equense, much to do and see here and boat trips from the harbour to various islands. It felt more authentically Italian as less locals spoke English and although there were many visitors passing through, it still didn't feel geared up to the tourist trade quite as much as Sorrento or the places on the other side of the bay. We certainly would suggest finding a hotel here for you to recommend. The historic sites and volcanoes are all here within walking distance, albeit a long walk, but not so much recourse to travelling on public transport on a daily basis.
If we returned to the Amalfi coast, it would be where we would choose. That is our own take on what we want from a holiday, more Italy less English speaking,easy access to the places we wish to visit and very importantly for me....access to the sea. It was lovely to see the sea in Vico but everything was a long climb down and back up to get to it. Pozzuoli is at sea level so it was accessible all the time.
Having said this I would not have missed the experience for the world, but rather too much travelling and not enough being at the destination.
We appreciate that it is very difficult to choose holidays for others as everyone has a different take on what they want from a holiday. I am being honest with you as I feel that it may be of more benefit to you than me saying ' Oh it was all lovely thank you very much '.
We are both most grateful for your help with this holiday, as I am sure that if we had tried to do this on our own it would not have worked out very well.We have had the most wonderful experiences and seen the most beautiful places that we will remember for a life time....and you can quote me on that.
So thank you, thank you, thank you, Annie
Lucy and Ian (UK) - Aequa Hotel
Thankyou for arranging such a wonderful end to our travels, it was lovely to be on top of such a perfect beach to relax on and so helpful of you to look into our flights and transfers... and the train strike too! Invaluable!
Francesca (UK) - Aequa Hotel
Hi Alfonso
Excellent company and beautiful locations. Alfonso and Diana are the best!
Jason Tipler (UK)- Aequa Hotel
Hi Alfonso
I just wanted to say a very big thank you for sorting out the room at Hotel Aequa last month, for our honeymoon!
We had a really lovely time and were very impressed with the Hotel. All the staff were so lovely and really helpful and the room and view were also excellent!
We really liked Vico Equense and much preferred it to Sorrento, where we thought there were too many tourists!
Once again thanks very much, Jason.
Tim Button (UK) - Aequa Hotel
Hi, just emailing to thank you both for a wonderful holiday. The hotel was fantastic and the Almalfi coastline was just perfect. Also all of your help with trying to retrieve my bag was greatly appreciated. I have still not had it returned yet and BA do not seem to know where it is but i am hassling them regulaly.
Unfortunately Ben's bag did not turn up at Gatwick and all the clothes i bought in Sorrento were in there. So now mine and Ben's wardrobes are very bare.
Thanks again, Tim