Marriott Capri Tiberio Palace Resort & Spa in Capri, Italy

On a vacation to Italy in the Summer of 2007, I got the chance to see some of the more famous sites around the beautiful country. One stop on my trip which I will never forget is the island of Capri. While there, I chose to stay at the Marriott Capri Tiberio Palace Resort & Spa just a few minutes walk from the town square of Capri.

Capri is an island located in the Gulf of Naples off the West Coast of Southern Italy. It can only be reached by ferries departing from Naples or Sorrento and the towns on the Amalfi Coast. The ferries generally take between .5 - 1 hour to arrive on the island. Naples is a short 1.5 - 2 hours train ride from Rome. Altogether, the island can be reached from Rome in between 2.5 - 4 hours when factoring in travel time from the train station in Naples to the marina from where the ferries depart. This makes Capri a convenient weekend trip for those staying an extended time in Rome.

We arrived at the island around 1:30 in the afternoon with just one incident. The taxi driver overcharged us for the ride from the train station to the marina in Naples. It would be a good idea to agree on a price before leaving, since the taxis generally do not use their meters in Naples. A reasonable price would be 10 euros, since it is a short trip. Upon arriving at the island, I was worried about what I should do with my luggage. Having been to Capri before, I knew that the town is located high in the mountains of the island. I planned on taking a taxi, but was pleasantly surprised while stepping off the boat. I noticed that surrounding the docks where many men wearing hats with what looked like the names of hotels on them. I looked around and sure enough found a man wearing a hat for the Marriott. I told him my name and he checked a list he had with him. He verified that I was checking in that day, so he loaded my luggage on a cart he had with him. He then led me to the street where they had a shuttle waiting to drive us to the hotel. This was a nice service, and one that all visitors to this hotel should take advantage of.

The shuttle takes you up into the town square. From there you must walk the rest of the way to the hotel, since no cars are allowed past that point. We followed the signs to the hotel and checked in. Our room was not quite ready, since it was still early (around 2 in the afternoon at this point) so we were invited for a complimentary welcome drink in the breakfast area upstairs. I was not quite prepared for the view and was stunned when I reached the breakfast area. It's located in an open patio on the second floor, and has a terrific view of the surroundings. I could see that the hotel was located high on the cliffside, and could look all the way down to the marina where I had arrived earlier. When the room was ready we were informed and taken there. A few minutes later our bags were brought to our room.

The room we had was quite small, but space is at a premium on the tiny island. There was room for little else more besides the king sized bed. There was a nice balcony attached to our room, but unfortunately we did not get a sea view. It would be quite incredible for those that did, though. The room was large enough because we honestly did not spend much time in it on this beautiful island, and neither will you. The bathroom was white marble. It had a large shower and tub, a large mirror and sink countertop, a regular toilet and a bidet. The room had a minibar fridge which can also be used to keep your own things cool, and a small flat screen TV.

The amenities offered by the hotel were quite nice. There was a pool on the second level, next to the breakfast area and sharing the same spectacular view. There was a tanning area on the top floor which lacked any real character. It was like sunning on any other rooftop, but there was a nice view. The hotel had little to offer in way of spa-like activities besides massages. The restaurant on the first floor was quite expensive. There are many of places to eat on the island, and in fact one great activity is just wondering around looking for a restaurant that interests you. I would not recommend eating at the hotel restaurant. However, we did pay to have breakfast included with our room. The breakfast was spectacular. It was buffet style, with many different foods and drinks available. Waiters are also available to bring your choice of coffee. I would recommend getting the breakfast, because it will be a great way to start your days there.

Overall, I would recommend this hotel for anyone looking to stay in Capri with a larger budget. Rooms can range from $300 - $1500 a night. The hotel has a great central location for seeing the various sites around the island, and encourages relaxation while enjoying Capri.