Palazzo
Sasso promises great things, and it delivers. We stayed here for 2 nights in
August 2005 and although the website and reviews say how nice it was we were not
prepared for just how amazing it really is.First of all, it would quite difficult to find if you didn’t have a navigation system (we used TomTom) as it takes through Ravello (which is a grotty looking place), at funny angles and up more and more windy roads. Eventually you reach the top of a hill and drive to an arch where the navigation system says you’ve reached the destination. As you’re wondering what next, this bellboy suddenly appears (as if by magic – ‘Ping!’) and opens the car door. He knows your name, how long your staying and which room you’re in. Impressive! He takes the car from you, promises your luggage will be dealt with and points out the doorway.
Even the door way is impressive – just a single green arched door with a polite, tasteful “Plazzo Sasso” written on the top. No “Vacancies”, “5 star”, “Visa accepted”, “look at us, we’ve won awards” – nothing, just completely tasteful. Through the door was another story; a breathtakingly stunning view of the other side of the hotel and down onto Ravello. Incredible! Once you’ve finished gawping at the view, you turn around and to the side there is the checkin desk. With the documents prefilled, you’re shown to your room, which already contains your bags, plus a bottle of chilled champagne. The view from the room was as expected – looking down the mountain and across into the sea. The room had wide, tall glass windows with a door that could be opened, allowing you to maximise on appreciating the view! The rest of the room had a table & chair, decent sized bed and wardrobe & chest of drawers. The bathroom had a shower in a strange plastic surround that had multiple jets. One of those things that look great in shops, but after a while it’s tired and a bit rubbish (we were going to get one until we saw / used this).
Also in the (lovely) room in this incredible hotel was a stereo… a really, REALLY naff stereo that I recognised. When I was a student (back in 1991) I bought one of these for £35 and I thought back then, even as a poor penniless student, how absolutely awful it sounded. My thoughts were that if they weren’t going to make the effort (£100 would get you something nice guys!), then remove it altogether. Oh well, I thought it came free with the bedside clock or something…. until I saw the bedside clock and realised that we had not yet been to the lowest levels of naffness and it probably came free with the cheap stereo. Bizarre!
The hotel was originally a mansion that lay empty for 40 years, before someone bought it and spent a vast amount of money to turn it into a hotel. The building’s very grand and on about 5 levels as it’s built into / at the top of a hill. Below that are many other levels outside. From the bottom there is (from memory) the road secure car park, up to a garden, up again to a gym (VERY impressive gym!), up to outdoor swimming pool and sun lounging area, up to another sunlounging area and then higher up is paved where there is a café. Walking up and down between these levels is very pleasant through cute stairways. Walking up another level (I take it you get the impression now about how many levels there are?!) you reach the outside dining area which leads inside to the lounge or the reception.
We had lunch when we first arrived in the café area and it was more like a gourmet prepared meal than simply “lunch”. Great service fantastic food and views to die for. Looking around the hotel some more we found 2 more lounges equally as impressive. The lounges had the same wonderful views, comfortable furniture and were well decorated. One of them had a grand piano but, returning to the levels of naffness, they had that object of stress-inducing irritation, the “The Daily Mail”!! And on the front page, screaming straight out at us was the anger stirring, pointless headline “NOW IT’S 24-HOUR DRINKING FOR KIDS”. Oh dear. Clearly noone had told them people who read the Daily Mail would never come to a place like this! Anyway… about that new Jag?
So we had a swim, then a sunbathe. As we thought that we might perhaps want a drink, Ping! Some staff appeared from nowhere to take our order! Impressive. Later we ventured onto the roof terrace to use one of the two hot tubs. I must say it’s the most exotic location I’ve ever used such a spa! Deciding a Gin & Tonic would be nice, we used the telephone to call, where the voice answered “Yes, Mr. Pike” – how did they know that? Anyway, some drinks and nibbles arrived, placed by the side of the hottub of course, Sir wouldn’t want to get out! A little while later after finishing the drinks, a little man came up with some more – somehow knowing that yes, I did enjoy that one and would really like another, magically delivered to me from no-where! Nice
Later
on (or the next day, am not sure), we were in the Spa and off to another part of
it when we thought it might be closing soon and asked the assistant what time it
closed. 7:15 was the answer. But it’s 7:30 now? Not a problem Sir. Please stay
as long as you wish. Nothing seemed to be a problem here.We took a walk into Ravello and it seemed to be a bit out of a film set. All too clean, too perfect, all lovely… apart from a purposely left set of orginal buildings. Typically the Pharmacy, with it’s typical plaster falling off the walls and typical old bench and typical old couple sitting outside. The subject of a million pictures I bet! Walking around a bit more is a gorgeous old church and some stunning gardens – with *that* tree! Any pictures you’ll have seen of Ravello will include a solitary tree in a view over the bay. Somehow you’d rather not know it’s there than be expecting it.
Booked
into the Michelin starred restaurant for an evening meal we were really looking
forward to it. The weather was good so the tables were outside. This is where I
regret not paying sufficient attention in my English classes at school to be
able to accurately describe just how incredible this meal was. Not only the
setting, the service, the food, the presentation, the ambiance, the wine
absolutely perfect, it was utterly delightful and immensely relaxing. So many
courses – even the desert came in 6 dishes (lined up at the same time of
course!).Next morning and breakfast… we were impressed further. I’ve had breakfast in a lot of nice hotels, but Palazzo Sasso blew them all away. The weather was poor, so it was all indoors, but the tables were all spaced out so you had your own space. The choice of food seemed unlimited. You could eat as a buffet or they would gladly get food for you
