This used to be one of the grand hotels in Italy ... when all the wealthy people's tours of Europe…read morewould pass through Naples, this was one of the places that they stayed. It has since become more of a rough around the edges faulty towers-style hotel than a luxury hotel ... but the location is fantastic for drivers. While the Spanish Quarter is grittier and cooler ... good luck driving through the narrow, packed streets with Vespas whizzing by. If you have a car, do yourself a favor and stay here.
You won't be without traffic stress here ... to get in, there is a section where 3 lanes merge into one and then bend around a corner. There are Africans selling packages of tissues or squeegy guys trying to clean your windshield who will not take no for an answer and can be annoying and scary. But, once you get in front of the hotel ... there is no valet, or person to assist with bags. You pull up in front of the hotel and drag your bags up the steps ... only then will someone run over and take your bag.
They do not have a garage but there is a person in the lobby who takes your keys to their nearby garage. They give you an estimate of how much your car will cost per day to park. (Ours was $30.) Of course, upon picking up the car they insisted on $40. Welcome to Naples where tourists are marks to be fleeced repeatedly and taken advantage of. My advice is to get in writing how much the car will cost to park. Also, be prepared for the garage attendant to demand a top on top of the fee. It is still worth it not to have to drive in the actual city, though.
The front desk staff were abrupt and to the point. Not very friendly, or warm. However, they were efficient. We asked for a room upgrade because it was a special occasion but they said that they don't do that. We were given the keys to our room and escorted up by a bellman with our bags, even though we said we could manage our single suitcase by ourselves. More tips.
The room was small and spartan and old fashioned looking ... if you were filming a movie set in the 1950's or 1960's, you wouldn't have to do much set dressing. We had the standard room ... which meant the window faced an inner tunnel with no view and very little natural light. I imagine those with balcony rooms, or rooms which face the water, would be less dreary.
The bathroom was nicer than we expected and, though not luxurious by any means, the shower pressure and hot water was good. The bathroom was all marble, so any sounds made could easily be heard in the room, even with a closed door. The bath products were terrible and cheap. There was plenty of storage space in the closets ... more than most hotel rooms of this size and a well-organized shelving system.
The bed was not incredibly comfortable because it was two twin beds pushed together. We could feel the crack while we slept. Also, only two flat pillows were given and the towels were old and rough. The maroon wallpaper and lack of natural light added to the dreariness of the room ... but I will say that, although the room was small, it was laid out decently.
The location is great! There are less scary people in this area ... and a lot of the nearby restaurants and shops are upscale. We felt like if we had a family with kids, this would be an ideal and safe location. You can easily walk to the downtown areas ... it is a 20 - 30 minute walk, but on a weekend, we felt safe-ish and in the morning, I walked to the Spanish Quarter for photography with no issues.
There is a beautiful roof deck, which was unfortunately closed for a wedding while we were there. This is the only feature of the hotel which felt like a luxury ... amazing views of Vesuvius and the water. I am not sure what this is used for when not being used for weddings ... but we would certainly have a few drinks there, if it was a bar. Overall, the grand has faded from this hotel ... but it is still a solid option for an overnight stay in Naples, or if you want to be close to the waterfront/cruise docks.