Via Monte Tabor 28, Close to Thermal Park Castiglione, Casamicciola Terme, Italy
Spacious rooms with some gorgeous outdoor views
Wellness center with hot tub, sauna, and steam room
Free daily breakfast buffet
On-site restaurant with half-board packages
Gorgeous outdoor swimming pool
Free shuttle service to the port and Castiglione and Bagnitiello spa parks
Modern decor in the lobby and beautiful views
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Location isn't central
Complaints about food quality
Boring room decor
Early check-out time
Grifo Hotel Charme & Spa is a mid-range, 30-room property in Casamicciola, a spa town in the island of Ischia, in the Gulf of Naples -- though it's built closer to a pine forest and private homes than the sea. The hotel provides a free shuttle service to Castiglione and Bagnitiello spa parks and has a sophisticated outdoor pool with stunning views of the nearby hillsides. Many guests take advantage of the wellness spa in the basement. An on-site restaurant serves free breakfast buffet, a la carte lunch, and a dinner buffet with Mediterranean ingredients. Rooms are clean and unforgettable in decor, but many have beautiful views from private terraces or balconies. An early check-out time can put a damper on romantic and relaxing holidays.
Scene
Chic property with excellent ocean views
Grifo Hotel Charme & SPA looks and feels like a friend's modern and chic home. Guests access the property through a private whitewashed gate flanked by rock formations and pretty floral landscaping. The parking lot is on the smaller side. Indoors, the lobby has bold blue tile floors and white furniture with clean lines. Beige pottery is displayed, along with tourist brochures. The entrance, the lobby, and the restaurant face the external pool where cocktails are served in the evenings. Outside, there are gorgeous views of the ocean and neighboring hillsides. Kids are welcome here, but most of the guests are couples on a romantic vacation.
Location
On a hillside overlooking the ocean
The hotel is on a hill in Casamicciola Terme, one of the six main villages in the Ischia, known as a spa town and one of the ports of the island. Grifo Hotel is not directly on the sea, but on a hill, next to a pine forest and in a residential and upscale neighborhood. Walking down to the center of the village can take 10 to 20 minutes, while the main Ischia center and port is ten minutes' drive. The hotel has a free shuttle service and a small parking lot for people who dare to deal with the island's extremely narrow streets.
Rooms
Simple rooms with wonderful outdoor spaces
Rooms in the main building have white and blue as dominant colors. Decor is extremely simple, but new and pleasant with light wood furniture or floors made up of monochromatic blue tiles. Beds are covered with spartan bedspreads. Bathrooms have a modern look and design, with light blue or red tiles. Some rooms have a balcony with a distant sea view, while Junior Suites have a cozy garden. Lower category rooms -- the Annex Rooms -- are in a separate building next to the entrance: these are reportedly noisy and have spartan and outdated decor.
Features
Wellness spa and shuttle service
The hotel has a free shuttle service to Casamicciola and to Ischia port. The spa in the basement is small, with soft lights and a dark atmosphere: colored LED lights give a cool effect to the indoor pool. A sauna, a whirlpool, and beauty treatments are among the spa features. The external pool is on the small side but has excellent views, and drink service on comfy lounge chairs. Breakfast buffet is provided with all room rates and half-board options are available for a dinner buffet. Mediterranean-style a la carte lunches are served for lunch. Past guests have complained about the quality and variety of food. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.