Grand Hotel Excelsior Amalfi

"We had read some worrying reviews about this hotel so we’re a little apprehensive before our visit. However, we found the hotel to be charming. It has many original features, which add to the overall feel and it was clean and welcoming. Admittedly there are parts that are in need of an update but on the whole it was better than expected. We had room 116 which had been refurbished so had a stand alone roll top bath in the bathroom as well as a shower. The balcony overlooking the sea was huge! There are rooms on the first floor that still require refurbishment on the but ours was a fabulous room. The only suggestion I have, would be to put a mirror in the bedroom, as there is only one in the bathroom which meant getting ready in there which was a challenge when trying to dry my hair and put make up on! We didn’t have hair conditioner in the bathroom but when we asked it was provided. The staff at the hotel were friendly and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble. Brenda, Sara, Almen, and Camilla (apologies if I have got your names wrong) always had a smile and went over and above to ensure we had everything we needed. The breakfast was okay. There was less on offer than we have had at other hotels but what was there was adequate and fresh. We also ate at the restaurant in the evening a couple of times and the food was fine in our opinion. Sometimes we went out for lunch because we only wanted a small snack and the lunchtime menu didn’t cater for this. On our departure day we were given a breakfast in a bag which had loads in it and the receptionist organised our private transfer to the airport which arrived on time. It cost €160. Sadly the lagoon pool bar was not open when we went but we could order drinks around the pool which were brought from the bar inside the hotel. The shuttle service to the town was brilliant but not for you if you get travel sickness as the roads are so twisty. The views are spectacular though! Sometimes we walked up the hill to Pogerola where there are a couple of nice restaurants. We did not visit Capri or positano on this visit because we just wanted to relax but we will be back to venture out a little more. In my opinion this hotel which stands higher than all the other hotels and overlooks Amalfi does not do enough to promote itself. It is not of 5star quality it’s true but then it did not cost 5 star prices either. We will definitely return and had a fabulous, relaxed experience."

"Grand hotel excelsior - Amalfi A very comfortable hotel with modern rooms and outstanding views of Amalfi. The main problem is, it is not walking distance to Amalfi and so you are completely reliant on the shuttle bus to take you to and from the hotel. It is possible to walk down to Amalfi on a narrow footpath, which takes around 30 minutes, but it is very steep. I would not attempt walking up to the hotel unless you want a huge workout. The bus only runs every hour or so and it only holds 8 people, so it gets booked out quickly. For this reason alone I cannot recommend this hotel"

"We booked the Grand Hotel Excelsior to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary — our first trip without our three young children. Unfortunately, due to back-to-back medical emergencies (a serious spinal injury requiring treatment for me and a car accident leaving my wife with a broken toe), we needed to discuss our options with the hotel. Over a three-week period, I called multiple times and sent over 10 messages through email and Hotels.com. The hotel never responded to a single one. When I managed to get someone on the phone, I was told they could not speak with me and to send an email — emails they never answered. Hotels.com also attempted to contact them on our behalf for 14 consecutive days with no response. I was not demanding a refund. I was simply asking to have a conversation — to discuss a possible date change, to understand accessibility and accommodation options given our injuries, and to explore any flexibility. They refused to engage at all. I understand that non-refundable policies exist. What I do not understand is a hotel that will not communicate with its paying guests under any circumstances. No acknowledgment. No response. No effort whatsoever. We lost over $1,000 on a reservation at a hotel that could not be bothered to return a single message in three weeks. For a property that markets itself as a luxury experience, the complete lack of customer service was shocking. I would strongly encourage anyone considering booking here to understand that if anything goes wrong — medical emergency, travel disruption, or even a simple question — you will not be able to reach anyone at all. If you need something as simple as a crib you will not receive that assistance."