Hotels in Italy's Campania region

Here are recommendations from a November ’07 trip to the Campania area of ITALY.

• Hostel Hotel Bella Capri (Via Melisurgo, 4, Gate B, 6th Floor, Naples, Italy; phone/fax +39 081 552 92 65, www.bellacapri.it).

This combination hostel/hotel (there were a few private rooms with bath) is just off the waterfront, convenient to boats to and from Capri and also the bus to Pompeii.

Rooms, each with a small bathroom, were minimal but decent. Some rooms faced the bay and busy street so were relatively noisy, added to the sound from the reception area adjacent. Number 7 was much quieter, with a smaller but nicer bathroom (quieter plumbing, too) than No. 5.

A very good price for Naples — €65 euros ($99) double, Continental breakfast included.

The staff was friendly and helpful. Free Internet was available.

• Trattoria Pizzeria Castel Nuovo (Piazza Francese, 42, Naples; phone 081 551 55 24), just off the waterfront near Castel Nuovo and behind Hotel Bella Capri, offered delicious vegetable soup whose contents changed daily. I especially liked their “chef” pizza, which included cream over the mozzarella and small pieces of ham. In fact, we liked everything the three or four times we ate there.

Fabric napkins and tablecloths. Moderate prices. Dinner for two with wine, €35-€50 ($53-$76). Lunch, €20-€30 ($30-$46). The red house wine was good.

Although it was November, the place overflowed to its outdoor area (heaters added) one Sunday midday; seems that’s when Italians all go out to eat. We got one of the last remaining tables without waiting.

• Hotel & Ristorante Garden (Via Bocaccio, 4, Ravello; phone [39] 089 857 226). This cozy hotel sits atop the cliffs that overlook the sea far below, offering a dazzling view from the reception area and our balcony (not all rooms face the cliff). If you’re arriving by train via Salerno, they will send a taxi to pick you up. It cost us €70 (near $106) for the half-hour trip.

Our quiet double room was nicely decorated in blue rattan with a decent-size bathroom. €95 ($144), Continental breakfast included. To ensure a quiet room, request one, since some rooms are beneath reception and the restaurant.

Food at the restaurant was moderately priced (prices similar to those of Trattoria Castel Nuovo) and tasty. One chilly evening we wanted soup, which was not on the menu, but they brought us a good minestrone.

By the way, if you want to eat a full 4-course Italian meal, I recommend sharing it. In most restaurants we tried on our trip, the portions were big enough for two.

PATRICIA MINAMI

Rockville, MD