Hotel la Palma Capri, an Oetker Collection Hotel

As soon as we arrived to the hotel we were told we would have to pay one extra hour for the private boat transfer, which we did not think was very polite the instant you arrive to a nice hotel, the welcome drink they offered us never appeared. We did call the hotel 3 times to tell them all the trains from Rome had been delayed so hence us too. Just tacky. Suite was fine. Small with one sink. New and clean. You could hear people walking on your head back and forth. There was also a leak in the hallway so men working there on two mornings and it was by the elevator and gym too. We were also told you needed reservations for the beach club and you had to pay for it, with a bill of at least 3 k a night you would think it’s included. The swimming pool is tiny, it looks much larger in the picture. The hotel is really in the mid of the town so any cruise ship tourist will go walking in a large group past it and it’s very crowded. One plus point Florentino our breakfast waitress was outstanding., Such a lovely lady. The breakfast was also lovely.

Esperienza terribile. Pagare 2.350 euro per una camera con l’aria condizionata che non funziona, uomini della manutenzione continuamente in camera per cercare di farla funzionare e insistendo di aspettare che avrebbe fatto freddo nella camera: Alle 02:00 dopo forte insistenza ho ottenuto una camera provvisoria per dormire. Il giorno dopo solita storia cercando di fare funzionare l’aria . Alla fine dopo molto insistenza ci hanno dato una nuova camera ma sul dietro con vista sul deposito di immondizia della città e inferiore a quella pagata. Per finire, ricevendo le valigie al porto, uns é arrivata con una ruota in meno. Ho dovuto pure ascoltare dalla reception che la ruota già mancava al mio arrivo . Peccato un albergo così bello avere una direzione che non sa curare i dettagli per far diventare una vacanza a Capri un ricordo indimenticabile.

In brief, do NOT stay at La Palma unless you want to not sleep and feel scammed the entire time. It felt like a candid camera joke was on us. BEWARE. The good: The hotel upon entering is beautiful, art deco type design, and aesthetically pleasing rooms with a large bathroom. Breakfast is great and so is the breakfast staff. However, it was the most uncomfortable bed either of us had ever experienced in our lives. We've both traveled extensively and I even stayed in hostels in college and no bed has ever compared to the discomfort of the bed at La Palma. Shocking considering we were paying $2.5k per night, the bare minimum should be a comfortable bed. It felt like sleeping on a concrete bench, resulting in sore shoulders, sore backs, and no sleep. Adding to the discomfort and prevention of sleep, the room (as many rooms do) faced the front of the hotel and the pedestrian street. There is NO sound proofing to the street. At night there was very loud disco / nightclub music blasting until at least 3am. Double down on the lack of sleep. If we had a comfortable bed to fall asleep on once the music stopped, we may have left in a better mood and with a better review. To add insult to injury, at the beach club, Da Gioa, they blatantly scammed us on lunch making our lunch more expensive than any Michelin starred multi-course dinner we had in Italy. We asked for the fish of the day and the pasta of the day with fresh catch. The manager (?) said he would make it special for the two of us. The pasta they brought out could have served 6 people at least. They never mentioned they would bring such a ridiculous amount or the cost. The fish of the day could have served 3 people. Again, no mention. They just laughed (literally in our faces) when they brought it out and slapped us with a $1,000 bill. Again, we had been to very nice seaside restaurants in Capri and along Amalfi and ordered similar items the entire trip and nothing compares to this. They must have known we would not raise a fuss about it. It was insulting and ridiculous. We said nothing to them at the time, because frankly we were relying on the hotel to get us off Capri, and we didn't trust them to not steal our luggage or other belongings or scam us in some other way. I will add context, my boyfriend and I stayed at 5 different 5* hotels on our trip to Italy and have literally nothing bad to say about the other 4 hotels along the Amalfi Coast and Tuscany. La Palma was the worst experience and the most expensive. There are better places to stay in Capri. Happy to share those recommendations if anyone would like.

Perhaps my favourite brand on earth , above everyone else on service , style , sheer thoughtfulness and etiquette. Have visited most of their properties on earth without ever being disappointed. However , I must say their newest offering has left me a little confused. All the usual touches are there , a flawless staff and impeccable interiors as expect of the perhaps the most discerning brand on earth. Why then do I have a “prestige” room of a very tiny size with perhaps 20 balconies outside peering into my window. It is almost eerie and distasteful, and most certainly claustrophobic. The sound pollution from top to bottom doesn’t help either. Doesn’t seem like the same brand the conceived of the lanesborough , Brenners park and Eden roc. Somewhat disappointed, I’m afraid.

From the time we arrived to when we left everything was amazing! Hotel was beautiful and staff exceptional! Thanks to Petra, Lucas and Fredrico for making our stay and honeymoon wonderful and exceeding our expectations! We will definitely return!