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. 

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 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-- the Annex Rooms -- are in a separate building next to the entrance: these are reportedly noisy and have spartan and outdated decor.

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.