"I genuinely do not understand the hype around this hotel.
We booked two rooms for a weekend stay and left feeling incredibly disappointed. The rooms themselves were small, underwhelming, and nowhere near as luxurious as the price tag would suggest. The Queen Mountainside Room was so small it literally just fit a bed, and it’s design resembled a hostel. We had to switch rooms for one night because it was entirely inaccessible. Unless you’re paying for one of the top-tier suites, I found the accommodations underwhelming, outdated, and ordinary for a hotel charging over €1,300 per night. The photos online primarily showcase the suites, which did not accurately reflect the experience of our room categories.
What pushed the experience from disappointing to unacceptable was the complete lack of transparency and communication.
During our stay, the hotel’s signature beach club was closed on Saturday to guests for a private influencer brand event. This was a key selling point in choosing this hotel when we were booking our stay. The main Michelin restaurant was also closed Friday evening due to a private influencer event. We were never notified before arrival of these closures.
The most frustrating part was the attitude from ownership when we brought this to her attention. Antonio, the front office manager, was completely understanding and acknowledged that the situation appeared to be a communication oversight. However, rather than acknowledging that failing to disclose major amenity closures before arrival was a mistake, ownership seemed more interested in defending the hotel’s position, saying I was notified of the beach closure, questioning why the restaurant closure was an issue, and explaining why the compensation offered was sufficient.
The hotel comped a small lunch for two people and converted a $100 spa credit we received through Virtuoso into a resort credit. While the gesture was appreciated, it was simply not proportionate to the impact on our stay, and given the conversation with Antonio, I had expected something more substantial. I am also six months pregnant, and the hotel did not have any prenatal massage options available, making the original spa credit of limited value to begin with.
I specifically attempted to speak with the hotel’s manager/owner about the issue of the closed amenities and the overall disruption of the influencer/ brand trip and was told she was not on property either day I was there. This was particularly confusing, as I had been told she was not on property during my stay, yet she was certain I had been notified of the closures. Regardless, no one communicated these closures to me before arrival, and even if they had done so at check-in, that would not have been sufficient. I had attempted to go to the beach club on Saturday morning and asked for a shuttle, only to be shocked and incredibly disappointed when I was informed I was not allowed to go. Had we been informed in advance, we would have had the opportunity to plan our time differently, perhaps visiting on Friday or choosing another property altogether.
Given the circumstances, I believe a partial room rate adjustment would have been the appropriate resolution.
To make matters worse, the service at the pool was surprisingly poor and incredibly slow. We were even charged for the complimentary paper carton waters provided by the hotel, despite specifically asking for the regular glass bottle. At a property positioning itself as ultra-luxury, I would have expected better service and attention to detail.
For a hotel that markets itself as a luxury experience, the guest experience felt secondary to accommodating private events. The message was clear: the influencer brand trip mattered more than the paying guests who had booked the hotel months in advance. It’s clear they prioritized the brand, as they could clearly use the money to invest in a decent renovation for the rooms and property.
The views are beautiful, but it’s the Amalfi Coast. Beautiful views exist at many hotels in the area. What separates truly exceptional luxury hotels is transparency, service, and how they treat their guests when things go wrong. Unfortunately, Palazzo Avino fell well short of that standard.
I would not return, and next time I would choose Caruso or another luxury property that places greater value on guest experience and transparency."
