B&B Villa San Gennariello

Location: Via Madonnelle 5, Portici, it

Star Rating: 9.4 Stars

Property Type: Bed and breakfasts

About this Property

Important Information

Policies

Check-in: 11:00 AM - 09:30 PM

Check-out: 10:00 AM

Amenities & Facilities

• Guest education on local ecosystems and culture
• Parking
• Non-smoking rooms
• Air conditioning
• Terrace
• Family rooms
• Pets allowed
• BBQ facilities
• Luggage storage
• Safety deposit box
• Fax/photocopying
• Tour desk
• Soundproof rooms
• Car hire
• Packed lunches
• Solarium
• Shared lounge/TV area
• Shuttle service (additional charge)
• Public transport tickets
• Outdoor furniture
• Fruits
• Pet bowls
• Staff adhere to local safety protocols
• Guest rooms disinfected between stays
• Cleaning standards that are effective against Coronavirus
• Hand sanitizer in guest room and key areas
• Cashless payment available
• Fire extinguishers
• Sanitized tableware & silverware
• Guests can opt-out any cleaning services during stay
• Shared stationery like menus, pens are removed
• Guest room sealed after cleaning
• Face masks for guests available
• Pub crawls
• Happy hour
• Cooking class
• Free wired internet
• Self parking (surcharge)
• Pool sun loungers
• Internet access
• Housekeeping on request
• Private picnics
• Art gallery on site
• Wine release events
• Reception hall
• Japanese garden
• Hosted evening meal (reserve)
• Guest education on local ecosystems and culture
• Accessible shuttle
• No accessible shuttle
• Accessible train station shuttle
• No accessible train station shuttle

Rooms Available

• Apartment, 1 Bedroom

  1 Double Bed and 1 Double Sofa Bed OR 2 Twin Beds and 1 Double Sofa Bed

  Furnished balcony/patio with garden views

  
  

  Layout - Bedroom

  Internet - Free WiFi

  Food & Drink - Kitchen with refrigerator, oven, cookware/dishware, and microwave (on request)

  Sleep - Blackout drapes/curtains and bed sheets

  Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, a hair dryer, and a bidet

  Practical - Desk, double sofa bed, and wardrobe or closet; cribs (surcharge) available on request

  Comfort - Air conditioning, daily housekeeping, and heating

  Need to Know - No housekeeping

  Non-Smoking, pet friendly

  Room is accessed via exterior corridors

  Max Occupancy: 4 (4 Adults)

  • Shower
  • Air conditioning
  • Hair dryer
  • Desk
  • Private bathroom
  • Heating
  • Kitchen
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Oven
  • Bidet
  • Sofa bed
  • Bottle of water
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Access via exterior corridors
  • Blackout drapes/curtains
  • Free WiFi
  • Furnished balcony or patio
  • Bedsheets provided
  • No housekeeping

• Double Room

  This room offers a sea-view balcony and is fitted with antique furnishings and parquet floors. It has free Wi-Fi, air conditioning and a private bathroom.

  Max Occupancy: 3 (2 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Shower
  • Air conditioning
  • Hair dryer
  • Desk
  • Toilet
  • Private bathroom
  • Heating
  • Hardwood or parquet floors
  • Mosquito net
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Bidet
  • Toilet paper
  • Bottle of water
  • Trash cans
  • Socket near the bed
  • Adapter
  • Hypoallergenic pillow
  • Single-room air conditioning for guest accommodation
  • Hand sanitiser

• Twin Room

  Fitted with antique furnishings and parquet floors, this room offers free Wi-Fi, air conditioning and a private bathroom.

  Max Occupancy: 3 (2 Adults)

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Shower
  • Air conditioning
  • Hair dryer
  • Desk
  • Toilet
  • Private bathroom
  • Heating
  • Hardwood or parquet floors
  • Mosquito net
  • Wardrobe or closet
  • Bidet
  • Toilet paper
  • Bottle of water
  • Trash cans
  • Socket near the bed
  • Adapter
  • Hypoallergenic pillow
  • Single-room air conditioning for guest accommodation
  • Hand sanitiser

Guest Reviews

• Malwina (10/5): - Przepiękne miejsce, które śmiało mogłoby być muzeum prowadzone przez bardzo miłą rodzinę, każde pomieszczenie robi niesamowite wrażenie i samo przebywanie w tym pałacyku jest wyjątkowym doświadczeniem :) Dziękujemy za ciepłe przyjęcie 😍
• Katm Heath (10/5): Beautiful villa - Helpful owners Delicious food. Beautiful gardens and stately villa. Comfortable and private. There was nothing to not like! One of the best places I've ever stayed
• Andrea (10/5): A very stylish elegant old hunting lodge with lovely gardens and courtyard to sit staff very friendly and very helpful c - Beautiful historic property, lots of style and character. A peaceful oasis away from busy Portici . Nothing to dislike
• PeterM7113 (10/5): Excellent atmosphere - This villa have a delightful atmosphere and nice location very close to Herculaneum and the station Portici Via Liberte, the circumvesuvian line to Pompeji and Villa Poppea. You get a feeling of a timelapse back to the 19th century in this former aristocratic residence for hunters. My apartment was with 2 room and kitchen. Direct entry to the yard and the beautiful garden with tall old trees and a lot of singing birds. Everywhere clean and a kind family serving a very good breakfast. Highly recommend able!
• Thomas (10/5): a wonderful stay - We felt very comfortable. Emma's breakfast every morning was also excellent. everything OK
• Melville (10/5): Exceptional - A delight to stay in this elegant place with its beautiful furnishings and historical associations. The family are courteous and extremely helpful and Emma is a jewel.
• Geoff (10/5): A perfect, relaxing, calm and beautiful location. - This beautiful Villa is spacious and perfect for relaxing in. A short walk to catch a train makes the location great for getting in and out of Napoli centre. The breakfast was great and arranging a home cooked evening meal is an absolute must.
• shannon (10/5): - This property is owned by the sweetest family. The house is gorgeous with a long history. Make sure to have dinner there. Best pricing for dinner services and food was delicious. Owners were super accommodating and so kind. We will absolutely be back!
• JoePolitix (10/5): Authentic and beautiful B&B experience - Staying in this clean and spacious villa with beautiful furnishings and decorations is an affordable experience of true Napolitan villa lifestyle. Mamma Emma and her family who own and run this huge property are wonderful hosts. Each morning they serve a simple and nourishing breakfast between 8 and 9.30, consisting of a standard offering of tasty Italian pre-packaged cakes or croissants, with bread, jam, butter, other spreads, cornflakes, yoghurts and fruits, coffee, juice and water, combined with items that change daily and are prepared in the kitchen (cucumber croissants, homemade cakes, bruschettas or similar). The villa bedrooms are spacious, with high ceilings, airy and clean, with antique furniture. The villa and its outside space and garden are beautiful and calm, with a few cats roaming around. There is parking on site for a fee and the property can only be accessed by ringing the buzzer (you do not get your own keys), although the owners do not mind if you return late. Emma’s son Francesco (who pops around most days) speaks English well, while his mother and father use Italian, so this property is not for snotty guests who expect English to be spoken wherever they are but are willing to put in some effort into using the local language. There is an option to have dinner at the villa. You should not miss out on the opportunity to sample mamma Emma’s excellent cooking which only adds to the complete experience of authentic Italian family life, an experience to which we would gladly return.
• Meharg (9/5): The house was stunning and felt very luxurious. The host and hostess were very welcoming - A delicious choice of Italian and british breakfast items. The choice varied each day
• Alexandra (10/5): Perfect - Beautiful villa and beautiful family that lives here! We are very thankful for making us feel so welcomed. It was the highlight of our trip! The place is well kept and full of history. It's at a short distance by train to Pompeii so that the location is perfect for making trips. We had booked a cooking lesson and had so much fun and loved it so much that we booked another one the next day. Grazie Signora Emma and Francesco! Tanti baci dalla Romania!
• Thomas (6/5): Nicht zu empfehlen - Im Zimmer mit den beiden Einzelbetten - diese sind sehr klein (Breite 80 cm) und sehr hart und unbequem. Nur ein Minikissen. Schlafen ist da sehr schwierig. Die Ausstattung ist sehr alt und abgenutzt. Verständigung mit den Vermietern ist schwierig, zumindest so lange der Sohn nicht da ist. Das Frühstück ist sehr einfach mit vielen abgepackten Fertigartikeln. Wir sind vorzeitig abgereist und in eine andere Unterkunft.
• Darren (8/5): - Beautiful house with a lovely courtyard, run by a nice family , the son can speak some English, so he was helpful . Secure parking for car and motorcycle. The owners let you in and out of gates. Breakfast was nice with a fairly good choice . No toiletries supplied but did have a hairdryer. No iron at this house at all . We personally found the bed very uncomfortable. For evening meals a bit of a walk ( hilly ) to any restaurants .
• Joana (9/5): Amazing house and lovely hosts. -
• Lisa (10/5): Exceptional - Hiking to Volcano Vesuvius was an amazing experience and a perfect way to end my vacation. I definitely would come again. Villa San Gennariello stays in my heart with the most lovely owners. My warmest thank you! Volcano Vesuvius and architecture in the photograph.
• Iurii (10/5): - Absolutely lovely experience staying at this wonderful villa! Hosts (Francesco and his parents) were very nice and welcoming, they gave us very useful recommendations what to visit in the area and made our stay absolutely unforgettable. We also took a cooking lesson! 10/10 - we will be back :)
• Jeannine (10/5): - Unser Zimmer war sehr schön, vor allem mit der verglasten Veranda. Ganz imposant waren aber der untere Bereich, sowie der Garten der Villa. Ein Ruhepol in dieser recht quirligen Stadt. Die Gastgeber waren sehr freundlich und hilfsbereit.
• Johanna (8/5): Goed adres voor vernlijf in de buurt van Napels. - Een mooie villa in Portici, een buitenwijk van Napels. Heel groot en ruim. Een ouder echtpaar dat samen met zoon deze B&B bestiert. Kamer is prima, ruim. We hebben de kookworkshop gedaan die heel leuk en leerzaam was, zeker voor die prijs (35 euro pp). Het ontbijt was matig. Lauwe koffie, sap uit pak, verpakt brood en vleeswaren. Niet verse yoghurt, verhoog de prijs met een tientje en dat ontbijt kan veel beter. Je krijgt geen sleutel van het toegangshek, dus steeds bellen als je er in of er uit wilt. Dichtbij OV.
• Livia (10/5): - The entire family was incredible towards us (4 female students). Accommodations were lovely, the house is beautiful. They were above and beyond bringing us plates and glasses when we brought dinner back to eat on their terrace, making sure we had enough beds in our room and the breakfast was delicious. He also gave a fantastic dinner recommendation and a day in Portici exploring the local culture. Would easily go back!
• Mark (10/5): Exceptional - Breakfast was good and convenient
• Carmelina (6/5): Loved the history but stay did not meet expectations - Amazing history as a former royal hunting lodge with lots of interesting artifacts. Could be a museum. Facility has a lot of history and potential but is in need of refurbishing. Grounds need more upkeep. Bathrooms need to be updated. No air conditioning unless requested for extra price. Location is far from anything. Circumvesuviana is a 20 minute walk and requires a transfer to get to Sorrento. Breakfast is very simple. Towels were like sandpaper.
• Sh (5/5): Hygiene concerns - The host was welcoming and friendly. The property was nice and historic, great to visit. Hygiene is a big concern. Unfortunately already after the first night we ended up with bed bug rashes. The bathroom was not clean, and there was dust in all the kitchen cupboards. The painful bed nug rashes ruined the hole experience.
• Kaan (10/5): Exceptional - The staff is extremely friendly. The house is amazing. Such great value for money, I would visit again definitely. Thank you for everything!
• george (10/5): Best B&B I've ever seen! - This is the best accommodation I've ever had. The room and premises overall were amazing, the hosts are incredibly kind and attentive, and the location is a lovely little town with connections to everything you need nearby. I even had a cooking lesson from the hosts which was fantastic! Thank you to Francesco and the family for having me!
• Cecilia (10/5): Exceptional -
• Verified traveler (8/5): - Alte Villa mit schöner Inneneinrichtung in wunderschönem gepflegtemn Garten. Großes Zimmer mit kleiner Küche und schönem eigenem Wintergarten/Terrasse, eher einfache Einrichtung aber urig. Frühstück mit wenig Käse, Wurst und Hörnchen in Plastik verpackt, aber viel Obst und leckere Kuchen/Kekse, etc. Insgesamt sehr ok aber wenig Abwechslung. Sehr liebevoll und hilfsbereit geführt von älterem Ehepaar. Lage: Obwohl Autostrade direkt hinterm Haus verläuft sehr (!) ruhig. Gute Parkmöglichkeit im Hof (5 Euro/Tag, sehr sicher und empfehlenswert), Bahn nach Pompeji oder Neapel in 15 Min. Fußweg, Ausgrabung Herculaneum in ca 25 Min Fußweg, mehrere Restaurants in ca 10 Min zu Fuß erreichbar. Insgesamt sehr urige und empfehlenswerte Unterkunft, auch für mehrere Tage geeignet.
• Rosendo (10/5): - Die Besitzer sind einfach toll und immer hilfsbereit. Die Villa ist sehr schön, ruhig und gut gelegen.
• Eckardt (10/5): - Uns hat die Unterkunft sehr gut gefallen. Die Wirtin und die anderen Familienmitglieder waren alle sehr nett. Wir bekamen Tipps zu Ausflugsmöglichkeiten. Es war alles Super.
• Giovanni (10/5): - Trovato bene
• Thomas (10/5): Exceptional -
• Giancarlo (10/5): - .
• CHRISTINE (10/5): - Quelle gentillesse, un bel accueil, la chambre est très spacieuse. C'est un palace très bien situé près de la gare pour se rendre soit à Naples ou à Pompeï. Nous y avons déjà séjourné il y a quelques années, et c'est avec plaisir que nous sommes revenu. Grazie ancora per tutti, speriamo a presto
• Caio (10/5): Exceptional - magic ambient
• Vittoria (9/5): Superb - Comfortable room, good breakfast, very kind hosts. I suggest it.
• Alenka (10/5): We had an amazing time in Napoli ! - The house was absolutely stunning, the location was great, very easy access to the centre. Breakfast was superb. The owners were super kind and helpful. We higly recommend it !! We loved absolutely everything.
• Lord (8/5): A lodge with character - The place was huge, the owners were very helpful, good breakfast, and the lady (owner) is a great cook!!! Free spring water too! Shower was a bit too enclosed
• Martha (10/5): Will visit again! - We got the room that opened it to the garden. It was absolutely wonderful. The family that ran the B&B were very gracious and welcoming.
• Ellen (10/5): - Very unique gorgeous property. Breakfast is great and tasty. Would stay again
• ROSEnMICH (8/5): Step into the past and experience another world while having modernity within reach - A grand family home, almost like a museum, with wonderful paintings and antiques abound to study at leisure, many labelled to explain their dates and artists. The grounds are wonderful and all secure behind electric gates - we parked our car inside, though there was space on the street. Our bedroom was spacious and comfortable and our bathroom just outside the room. Other then air-conditioning, double glazing and new mattresses, the villa has had no obvious modernisation that we noticed, which is its charm! The villa has been in the same family for generations. The senior owners were constantly at hand to open the gates or fetch us a bottle of water etc. Madam prepares a modest breakfast with homemade local dishes for self service - they speak Italian with a smattering of English. Their son speaks perfect English but is not present full time. The location is within a 5 minute walk to the metro which will take you into Naples in 15 minutes (must visit the archeological museum). A 20 minute walk from the villa will take you to the ancient site of Herculanum. The streets are pleasant to walk through, if rough pavements, without stress, observing the local colour. We found people were very helpful when we asked for directions, going out of their way to assist. Note: though the villa is grand, Portici is far from a sophisticated area, though is cleaner and quieter than Naples. Each evening we walked to 'La Traditionne' restaurant where we ate and were treated like kings. We had booked 2 nights but changed this to 3, preferring to stay in a quiet area with a great restaurant rather than move into Naples. There are plenty of modern charmless hotels which all seem the same, there is isn't another like this!
• stanf732 (10/5): Couldn't have asked for more - Staying here with my wife over four days was a cherished memory beyond what I could have expected. Most important for me were our warm and wonderful hosts, Emma ('Mama'), Nemo (the Dad) and Francesco (the son). In addition to being available for all our questions and concerns, being willing to translate for any travel arrangements, cooking for, eating with and virtually taking my wife into the family when she wrenched her back and could not go out for a day, volunteering to drive us to and from nearby restaurants in the area when she couldn't walk very far (to spare us the expense and trouble of a taxi), they were warm and gracious and took great pride in their Villa and wanting us to have a good experience. I can't imagine they could do that for all their guests, but these are the kind of people they are. One time we arranged a(n eight hour) day trip with Francesco to the Amalfi Coast for an extremely reasonable fee but ended up spending over eleven hours at no extra fee to accommodate our interests and so that we could savor things at our own pace. The Villa is unique; at one time it was the hunting lodge for the king of Naples. We had a spacious suite of rooms, the grounds are lovely and extensive, the interior is homey and yet grand. Cost: under 100 Euros per day. Highly recommended!
• Stan (10/5): - Staying here with my wife over four days was a cherished memory beyond what I could have expected. Most important for me were our warm and wonderful hosts, Emma ('Mama'), Nemo (the Dad) and Francesco (the son). In addition to being available for all our questions and concerns, being willing to translate for any travel arrangements, cooking for, eating with and virtually taking my wife into the family when she wrenched her back and could not go out for a day, volunteering to drive us to and from nearby restaurants in the area when she couldn't walk very far (to spare us the expense and trouble of a taxi), they were warm and gracious and took great pride in their Villa and wanting us to have a good experience. I can't imagine they could do that for all their guests, but these are the kind of people they are. One time we arranged a(n eight hour) day trip with Francesco to the Amalfi Coast for an extremely reasonable fee but ended up spending over eleven hours at no extra fee to accommodate our interests and so that we could savor things at our own pace. The Villa is unique; at one time it was the hunting lodge for the king of Naples. We had a spacious suite of rooms, the grounds are lovely and extensive, the interior is homey and yet grand. Cost: under 100 Euros per day. Highly recommended!
• Verified traveler (10/5): - The house is beautiful and Emma’s hospitality is second to none, we stayed on s ground floor room with doors opening onto the lovely courtyard, there were fish and turtles in the small fountain and pond. If you are expecting all the mod-cons you get from a hotel, this may not be the place for you, what it does have is a wealth of charm and tradition, even down to the towells which are a kind of waffle cotton! I loved it, snd the views from the roof top terrace are amazing. A few things that would make it perfect would be a mirror in the bedroom near a power point for using s hairdryer and a small rug in the kitchen area as the tiled floor can be s bit slippery when you come out of the bathroom. Would definitely visit here again.
• sararZ2081RT (8/5): So you know. . . - The hosts, Emma and husband are charming. But I might no longer be B&B material. No Ubers in the area :-( and need to be buzzed in and buzzed out of the gate. Place itself is charming, elegant, like staying in a museum. Everything is super clean :-) breakfast choices are numerous oh, and the hosts are gracious :-) it's a 10 minute or so walk to the train station, and restaurants. You can walk to Herculaneum. Or just a couple stops on the train to Pompeii. Just be careful when you come back that the train is not an Express train! Those skip your stop in both directions :-(
• Bruno (6/5): Surprisingly horrible stay - This is not a hotel, but a stay in a old and aged villa together with the elderly owners. They won’t give you a key of the villa and if you have a car they have to open the gate for you. If you’d like to come to the villa late or just after dinner (11:30pm) you have to message the son of the owners so he can open the doors for you (so I had to get a Skype subscription because Francesco does not have social media or WhatsApp). The beds are tremendously uncomfortable, old school springs mattresses and bases. The breakfast is non existent. Overall, there is no reception (so you’re not free to come in and out), it is uncomfortable, and they make you feel like it is almost a favor they make you to stay there. Maybe they are targeting a different type of traveler, but I’m 35, I’m a professional and married, I will not go back.
• VioletteG27 (10/5): Bellissimo B&B - The family run B&B was just magical very very nice old Villa full of great memories of the family ,we had fantastic room with kitchen bathroom and out door Conservatory which had our evening drinks and Mama would cook great Italian food Francisco was great at being tour Guide took us every were we wanted to go, Grate Value for money Highly recommended and no disappointment, Violette Gauthier British Michel Gauthier Belguim
• Verified traveler (10/5): - Convenient location for the Herculaneum excavations and a trip to mount Vesuvius, easy to get to and from Naples. Excellent hosts, nice garden. The villa itself is like a museum, yet it has everything we needed for a memorable stay.
• pnc87 (10/5): Regal Villa - Spent four nights in this gorgeous Villa which enjoyed a previous life as a hunting lodge for the Royal family. Our lovely hostess Emma has limited english and as our Italian was even more limited her son, Francesco, was able to translate as he spoke perfect english. The Villa is walking distance to the ruins of Ercolano and a short train ride to Naples in one direction and to Pompeii in the other. We also took the train for a day's visit to Sorrento which was under an hours journey. The train station was a short walk from the Villa. We also did the walk up Vesuvius which we would highly recommend. We used the shuttle bus service Vesuvio Express. Our room was separate from the main building and came with a little kitchen, ensuite and lovely raised patio with which to take in the views. It was a large comfortable room, good bed and very clean. The WiFi didn't work in the room and we found the best reception to be in the main house in the upstairs sitting room. Breakfast was delicious and plentiful. On a final note, Emma cooked us a wonderful meal on our last night. Wished we had realised earlier that she was happy to cook for us in the evenings as she is an excellent cook - traditional Italian fare! Can't remember the cost for the dinner but we do remember thinking it was extremely reasonable.
• PauloK648 (10/5): Very nice place - Lovely hosts especially Emma the owner and Francesco her son. The local is very near Ercolano the historical city and not far from Naples where we can go by train. The house is the ancient hunting house of the Italian royal Family.
• RobertH8049 (10/5): Bellissima! - Naples is infuriating and enchanting, inexcusable and irresistible; a concentration of Italy’s extremes. Watch your money and the traffic. Luxuriate in the history, art, food, wine, landscape and sunshine; sublime even by Italy’s breath-taking standards. Villa San Gennariello is a renovated 18thC hunting lodge conveniently located in Portici, about 20 minutes from Naples on the rattling Circumvesuviana train line to Herculaneum (also about an hour’s walk from the villa), Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. (Don’t forget the world’s best preserved Ancient Greek ruins dating back to the 6thC BC at Paestum, about 1½ hours south of Naples by train on the Salerno line.) Portici is a crucible of the Naples proletariat and bourgeoisie. Colourful, as they say, and even rugged in places, yet we always felt safe. Good restaurants too. (Ask at the villa for recommendations.) The villa has an arrangement with a local taxi company who can pick you up from the train station. Just ring for the telephone number. You can walk, but be warned it is uphill to the villa. A tough 30 minutes or more with baggage. A pleasant 20 minutes without. San Gennariello is a stately mansion decorated in yesteryear’s taste for the baroque and the bizarre: chandeliers, antiques and religious icons against a large painting of fighting dogs and even a glass case with a human skull. (Is it real?) The gardens are soothing. The sea view from our large bedroom was barely a glimpse, yet the Bay of Naples winked beckoningly. The bed was comfortable. The bathroom was better than most of those in the hotels we stayed in during our European tour. The internet is best accessed from the upstairs living room. The family and staff are friendly and helpful. The maid washed and ironed our clothes for no extra charge. The above would be enough on its own. Yet Emma Cozzi will make you an offer you can’t refuse. Her cooking! Breakfast is a buffet of the best of Italian along with Emma’s home-made pastries and other finicky tidbits. Her talent is on full display at her four course dinners in the evening for only fifteen Euros per head. Quality local wine is a modest 10 Euros per bottle. And then there is the liquorice liqueur sourced from a nearby cooperative. Order dinner while enjoying breakfast and you will be offered a choice from two main ingredients; say, fish (very local!) or veal, or chicken or pork. Emma champions the cooking of Campania as the soul of Italian cuisine and her proof really is in the eating. She has a deft hand with San Marzano tomatoes and Mozzarella di Bufala (unpasteurised of course), respectively classified as prestigious DOP and DOC. No wonder the Neapolitans claim these are the best of their type. After a day’s tramping around ancient ruins and some of the world’s finest art, it is a taste of luxury to dine like a lord in your “own” villa. This is how San Gennariello made us feel. Molto grazie, Emma, Francesco and Domenico.
• Travelover2003 (10/5): Outstanding Home Cooking, Wonderful Stay - The multi-course dinners cooked for us each of four evenings by Emma Cozzi, the warm, wonderful matriarch of the lovely Italian family that owns this gracious 1740 mansion at the foot of Vesuvius, were a dining high point during our month long trip in Italy. In quality, diversity -- and value -- her cooking far surpassed ninety percent of the restaurant meals we had sought out (choosing highly-rated restaurants after diligent research) in Siena, Assisi, the Tuscan and Umbrian hill towns, and Rome. At the end of our first meal, on a Saturday evening, the ten or so guests applauded. Signora Cozzi cooked different pasta, mains and desserts each evening with consummate skill - delicious, complex, layered cooking. After the second night she asked for our preferences. We said fish, please. She accommodated, providing flat fish rolled and stuffed (involtini) one night, orato with tomatoes the next. As well as swordfish pasta on one occasion. Tiramisu for dessert one evening, pastry stuffed with chocolate another - each prepared just for the two of us as on those nights we were the only guests dining in. Signora Cozzi loves to cook- request a meal by breakfast that morning. (The breakfast buffets were also excellent). There was something wonderfully luxuriant about eating in after a day of sightseeing (Herculaneum, in walking distance, Pompeii and the wonderful archeological museum in Naples each a short train ride away). No restaurant decisions. No google maps. No menu decisions. Just a descent from the rooftop (sunset over the Bay of Naples) to the high-ceilinged dining room, a bottle of Falanghina (or equally good local red), great food, and up to bed. (For those who want to eat out, there is supposed to be a very good restaurant within a ten-minute walk). We found Portici, in which Villa San Gennariello is located, to be a perfectly acceptable little southern town (outlying suburb of Naples, really), very similar in feeling to tourist-frequented parts of Naples. The streets one walks to access the Circumvesuviana train (or the further away metro) are clean, alive and felt perfectly safe. Although I was traveling with my husband, I would not hesitate to visit Villa San Gennariello alone. Next time I would be tempted to try Emma's cooking lessons (and would, undoubtedly learn some Italian as an added bonus!)
• Sueoneall (8/5): Beautiful home.. - This is a wonderful property, the town maybe not so much. However, we were two women traveling alone, and never had any problems or concerns. Family was helpful and accommodating. They picked us up and dropped us. We simply called on our arrival at the station. Emma is a great cook and very personable-we had dinner there two nights. She is easy to fall in love with!
• JohnEric2 (10/5): The Little Palace - Emma and Domonic (Mimo) did their best to ensure our stay was perfect, and it was. What fantastic people. This building has been the grandest of "Little Palaces" in its day. A little faded now but non the less enchanting. Eat dinner in the beautiful walled courtyard with turtles swimming in the ornate pool. Front the rooftop terrace there are unbroken views up to Vesuvius and down to the beautiful Bay of Naples. Originally built in the seventeenth century I presume the must have sited the building in the perfect position. I can't recommend this B&B highly enough. Fantastic.
• F5902ZIdang (10/5): The only place I will stay in Napoli - From the first time I ever came to Portici/Napoli in 2009 I was recommended to stay here by a dear friend of mine. I fell in love with Portici after staying here and the staff here are honestly like family to me these days. The location is really great to get around to places but really peaceful to sleep at night and the atmosphere is really beautiful. It is the only place I will stay at when I visit Napoli and I have such great memories here over the years. I highly recommend staying here if you are visiting Portici.
• bijgc (10/5): 5 days in Naples - Absolutely phenomenal. We heard about this B&B from a friend's recommendation, and it turned out to be everything and more than we could ever have hoped for! It is more like staying in a museum than a hotel, a beautifully restored 18C country house. Guests can sit in the different rooms in the house and gardens reading and relaxing and are not just confined to one's room which makes you feel at home immediately (our own bedroom, incidently, was lovely and very big!). Breakfast was excellent - so much choice available, we wanted for nothing, and we were given excellent advice as to where to go for good dinners nearby in the evening. This place is walking distance to Herculaneum and the Circumvesuviana metro stop for access to the rest of the bay of Naples. We were made to feel so very welcome here during our stay by everyone - they were so hospitable and wellcoming! We will most definitely come back here to stay again. Great value for money - thank you so much!
• 517suew (10/5): An exquisite place to stay with five star friendly service - I booked Villa San Gennariello because I found it in the Rough Guide to Naples and the Amalfi Coast, the review was very good and the price was excellent. We wanted a spot from which we could walk to Herculaneum and that was close to a station so that we could travel onto Amalfi. Our host told us via email that he would pick us up from the station but we were determined to do it ourself and, despite the fact it was hot and we were pulling suitcases. We were misdirected many times and by the time we arrived, sweaty (it was July and 33 degrees), frustrated, and exhausted (it was all up hill) we were ready to be grumpy about the Villa San Gennariello. Our mood was turned around immediately. Villa San Gennariello is an oasis of calm, elegant comfort. The common rooms are exquisitely decorated and the gardens are a treat. The view from the roof is a breathtaking panorama of sea and Vesuvius. All this is a backdrop to the exceptional service. We had not booked before we arrived to have dinner at the Villa, but when we asked they accommodated us and we ate with a charming French family outside in the garden. The conversation over dinner was a mixture of Italian, French and English with those who could translating to those who couldn't! Next day we visited Herculaneum and went on our way to Amalfi only wishing we had more time to stay at Villa San Gennariello. This is truly a wonderful place to stay. You could use it as a base to visit Herculaneum, Pompeii and even Sorrento. Naples isn't far by train and even though I would never recommend Naples itself (think of an older, Italian Gotham City - yes I was robbed) it is an easy hub for all the good stuff that comes after. We are seasoned travellers and honestly this spot is one of the best places we've ever stayed. The value is outstanding.
• seo111 (10/5): Absolutely tops! - As we were delighted to write in the Visitors' Comments volume at the Villa San Gennariello at the end of our (too short!) three-day stay: We (my wife and I) have lived for some ten years in Italy, over the past fifty years, and so we've experienced LOTS of varying living arrangements (school settings, our own rental apartments, etc.): We have never been so much impressed with a place, with the quality of meals, and -- above all -- with a degree of warm hospitality that we found at the S.G.: an utterly breathtakingly beautiful setting (lovingly revived and refurbished 18th cent. royal "hunting lodge" ["pheasant house," in fact], filled but not crowded with art works, artifacts, historical documents; utterly comfortable furnishings (bed, chairs, sofas, desks...); perfectly functioning "utilities" (from the air conditioning to the large, spotless, modern private bathroom, abundant hot water; royal, varying breakfasts -- and the same, for the evening meals that we opted at last minute to enjoy (after being so impressed with the first of them); but above all, the genuine sense of family hospitality (not in the least intrusive, but "ready-at-hand" when one wished): we enjoyed conversation (in Italian and/or English and/or French!) with other guests but also with our wonderful hosts (Signora Cozzi [Emma], and her wonderful son and husband (Francesco, Domenico -- Di Fraia, by family name). We cannot wait until our next stay, and have already shared our enthusiasm with many other family and friends.
• r0winz (10/5): Beautiful place to sleep. Looks like a museum - Very nice place to stay. Nice people, wonderful house and rooms. Lovely mother making breakfast and dinner. On walking distance to Herculaneum. 20 minutes from Pompeï. Very good place to explore the neighboorhood.

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