The owners have clearly tried to preserve the baroque feel with many antiques. The downside to this is furniture that feels a bit too lived-in and is rather uncomfortable to sit on. The beds are fine though, which is hugely important. The dining table has a major wobble which makes for a very uncomfortable and nervous dining experience. But overall, putting up with the furniture foibles in exchange for the period vibe is worth it. HW floors throughout, 24 ft ceilings, 11 ft doors, old world candelabra & wall sconces, decorated with a wide variety of knick-knacks. Clean, tiled bathrooms. The walls have a large collection of fine paintings—many of excellent quality—which is simply astounding in a rental accommodation. The huge frescoe that covers almost the whole of one wall is astonishing—a one-of-a-kind experience among the hundreds of places we’ve stayed in.
Don’t be put off by the dodgy common courtyard or the long climb up the dingy stairs. This is the old district of Naples and that’s how people here live. There’s an absolutely tiny elevator for porting up luggage, but we climbed the four flights of stairs for the exercise. The suite itself is far more rewarding: surprisingly quiet for a place overlooking a major street, really close to everything, huge by Italian standards. We were two couples who found the layout more than sufficient for our needs.
The heating system was adequate to our winter season stay. The kitchen had everything needed and food vendors dot the street outside. You will not go hungry. No clothes washer though. If you are prepared to wash by hand, there’s a clothes line strung across the inner courtyard.
This is not a hotel-like stay. It is an entirely different experience: like stepping back in time to an absentee owner’s lived-in home. Perhaps a dowager who has seen better times and better fortunes, but is now hanging on to her memories, the detritus of a lifetime, and what’s left of once comfortable wealth. We found the place fascinating, atmospheric and rewarding.
We were greeted warmly by Luigi who was waiting for us by the street entrance, but the replies to e-mails could have been more timely. However, this was similar to our experience throughout Italy: Italians seem to prefer a more laid back style without a lot of preparatory planning and scheduling. But things worked out well enough in the end and we were met and greeted properly, with adequate guides and explanations. Overall, good hosts.