Canasta Hotel, Capri, Italy

The best hotel we stayed at during our 3-week trip to ITALY in October-November ’07 (also see May ’08, pg. 34 & July ’08, pg. 56) was the Canasta Hotel (Via Campo di Teste 6, 80073 Capri, Italy; phone +39 81 837 0561, fax 837 6675, www.hotel-canasta.com).

The Canasta is one of the lower-price hotels in the high-price tourist area of Capri town. It’s also in a pedestrian zone, which means schlepping your luggage several blocks whether you arrive from the wharf by taxi or via the funicular.

We had a nice-size, attractive, quiet room with bath plus a good breakfast. €100 ($152). No elevator. Free Internet on the one available PC.

The staff was friendly to the point of giving us an umbrella (one had been lost) as we left for Naples in the rain.

• On Capri, we ate at Ristorante Buca di Bacco (Via Longano, 35, Capri; phone +39 81 837 0723, www.capri.com/en/c/buca-di-bacco-3) — off the main pedestrian area.

Largely patronized by locals. For a terrific view, arrive early to be seated at the one table by the window that overlooks the harbor below the cliffs.

Very good food, including pizza. Moderately priced, especially for expensive Capri. We paid €27 ($41) for two pizzas, a beer, mineral water and cover charge.

• Hotel Priori (Via dei Priori, 40, Perugia, Italy; phone +39 75 572 3378, fax 572 9155, www.hotelpriori.it) — in the hilly central part of the city, with paid parking nearby at €20 ($30) a day!

We thought our quiet, nice-size room was a bargain at €65 ($99), which was the least we paid for any hotel during our three weeks in Italy. Large, comfortable bed and good-size new bathroom.

In the glass-enclosed breakfast room, the included breakfast had the usual breads, cereal, yogurt and drinks but also a treat of bacon and scrambled eggs. Breakfast is served outside on the terrace in warm weather.

•Stella Polare Bar (Piazza Napoleone at Vittorio Veneto N 21/23, Lucca, Italy ; phone 0583 496332). We had a very tasty supper here. Lasagna and vegetables, roast beef with potatoes, two glasses of house wine, mineral water and cover charge came to €31 ($47) for the two of us.

PATRICIA MINAMI

Rockville, MD