When we arrived at the hotel, we were so excited to be in Positano. You cannot imagine the disappointment we felt when the front desk never once smiled upon greeting us. It was almost businesslike. Once we left the darkness of the lobby area and ascended to the second floor sitting and pool area, the view was so pretty, that we overlooked the snobbiness of the front desk. But then again, you could be anywhere and be happy with the fabulous view of the water and town.

The rooms were OK. Very sparse. Our bathroom was a good size, but some of the others in our party had very small bathrooms and had booked rooms of equal price. So not all bathrooms and rooms are the same size.

Breakfast was passable. At least it wasn’t just pastries and coffee. On the contrary. The wait staff at the restaurant were so nice and Livia especially always had a smile on her face.

The spa was almost claustrophobic. The rooms were very, very small and it was very hot. Almost stifling. For a hotel that advertised as their source of pride their wellness and spa, I was a bit surprised that it was so skimpy.

I think what really topped it off for all of us was that while we don’t expect the royal treatment, at least a smile from Alessandra and the owner would have been nice, especially since we stayed almost a week and booked several rooms. I saw the owner and Alessandra mixing and mingling with other guests, but never once did they stop and speak. Our entire party noticed that and it became a joke as to who “made them mad.” As we were leaving, we did see both the owner and Alessandra in the lobby. Yet not one time did they acknowledge us or thank us for being their guests, etc. It was so odd. And actually many of the staff just looked like they were constantly walking on eggshells. There was a friction there that you couldn’t quite place your finger on, but it was not a jovial place to be, I can assure you. It was such a let down from the fabulous time we had in Rome where that hotel treated us like family—and it was a much nicer 5 star hotel.

Go figure. Oh yes—one person at the front desk did stand out. Paulo was so sweet. He was the only one who really went out of his way to help and he was always very happy and that was contagious. They hotel needs about 10 more of him.

We spent our honeymoon in Positano and had a lovely suite at the Poseidon with a balcony overlooking the water and the winding town nestled in the cliffs. It was a wonderful visit and as others boasted, an extremely warm and accommodating staff. The food was very good, water hot and beds comfortable. You do have a hike to your room, as well as to town, but that's the way it is there and it helped balance the weight gain! I highly recommend it to anyone.

We stayed at the Hotel Poseidon for 3 nights in May 2008. We arrived in the afternoon on a Sunday. The reception we received was pleasant and polite. The bell hop took our luggage immediately up to our room while we checked in. The man checking us in was polite and gave us a couple of dinner recommendations.

We stayed in room 27. I would not recommend this room for one reason only - it is very close to the street and therefore it gets a lot of the noise from the passing traffic below. Other than that, the room was lovely. Very large room (by European standards) with a nice closet. The bathroom was fine - not too big and the shower was much smaller than American standards but still, the water was hot every morning and that's really what counts! The bed was a king size bed, which I think may have been two twins pushed together but it was not uncomfortable. There was TV in the room and we were able to get World CNN and get some English-language news.

The breakfast buffet was better than I expected. I figured it might be a few pastries and coffee. It was scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, assorted cereals, chocolate and plain croissants and other pastries, prosciutto, and assorted cheeses. Also, they made you a cappuccino on request. My husband especially liked the carrot/orange/lemon juice they served with Pellegrino. The waitstaff was friendly and helpful.

Our first morning there, Alessandra from the hotel management, stopped by our table. She chatted with us about our plans and helped us with ferry info to take a ferry to Capri. She also asked me if I'd like to take a cooking class with the chef of the restaurant the next day. I signed up at the front desk and the next afternoon I went into the hotel kitchen with 5 other guests and we made a pasta dish with the Chef. He was friendly (didn't speak English so Alessandra translated) and we had a lovely time.

The walk from the hotel into the little main street area of Positano was a short walk and lovely. I had gotten a recommendation to eat at La Tagliata in Montepertruso so I asked the front desk if they could make us reservations. They did and the restaurant sent a car for us and drove us up the mountain for dinner.

On the morning we checked out to head to Rome, Alessandra came to say goodbye and gave me a little "diploma" for having completed the Chef's class and also presented me with a Hotel Poseidon apron and also a list of great restaurants in Rome. I thought this was extra sweet and Alessandra definitely made us feel special.

Overall, a lovely experience.

A very charming hotel located in beautiful Positano. The rooms are OK (4 star) and the terrace and lounging areas are quaint and lovely. It is quite a climb from the downtown area, but can be done in about 15 minutes uphill. Downhill is obviously much faster. But all in all, a nice hotel.

I was sadly very disappointed in the hotel service. The front desk was rather rude and in some cases, barely acknowledge our presence even though we booked 2 rooms for 6 days. Angelo at the front desk was wonderful and kind. A true gentleman. The rest of the front staff could have cared less if we were there and on one instance I wished them a good morning and after looking up at me, they never responded.

Lunch is served from 1-3 promptly. That is rather odd since most places open for lunch around 11:30. The breakfast buffet --which is OK--is from 7:30-10:30. So there really is no reason why lunch can't be served sooner. Around 6 or 7 pm, they close the pool and pool area to begin setting up for dinner. It doesn't matter if you are swimming or just relaxing trying to enjoy the view, they tell you to leave.

The Beauty Salon is ok. I had two services there. The place was very, very hot. And when I asked for a fan, the girls gave me a magazine to fan myself. I was to say the least a bit stunned. The gym is not open early in the morning or late at night.

The food at the restaurant is below average. I could have prepared a better risotto (which tasted like rice) and spaghetti bolognese much better. The fried pizza for lunch (only) is great though.

It is these quirky little rules that have spoiled our stay here. We have stayed in larger, 5 star hotels for years and after a day, they at least acknowledge our name--at the very least a hello would suffice. So while perhaps I would recommend it, understand that you will not get the personalized service you want. You might try the Palazzo Murat--which after staying at Hotel Poseidon, I wish I had kept my reservation there.