We had a great stay in the Aurora. We were a bit last-minute and so most places were booked up and remaining choices on booking.com etc were expensive or ropey-looking. Found Aurora through Google and took a chance which turned out to be a great one!
Simone made good contact via email so booking was straightforward.
Price was superb - 80 euros per night for a double room with a cot and sea-view balcony, including breakfast, parking and beach service (umbrella and beds). There was an extra charge for many of these things elsewhere so I was very pleased that they were included here.
The hotel is modern and purpose-built. Immaculately clean. Simone or his mother always seemed to be available and ready to help with any problems. There was a nice family atmosphere, very relaxed but still a hotel rather than a B&B - not sure why it's classed as such here.
Room was a good size. TV worked though as usual in Italy, not much available in English. Air-con worked fine. Bathroom nice and modern though not lots of hot water - not a problem when it's in the 30s outside.
Breakfast was a good choice - cereals, fruits, yoghurt, croissants, bread, hams and cheese etc. Coffee was from a sort of vending machine and fairly poor but great coffee was available on request - we remembered to ask once and didn't seem to be charged for it, not sure if this was normal or not. Breakfast was on the terrace overlooking the sea - lovely.
The Aurora is one building back from the beach so it's not a full panoramic, but the sound of the waves can be heard everywhere. Second-floor rooms probably have the best views.
It's a nice wee area with plenty of hotels and restaurants. It is a decent trek into town, but we just drove any time we wanted to go in. San Vincenzo is lovely, but we didn't feel like we were cut off at all - Google Maps will show you the lay of the land. Lack of swimming pool was not an issue given that the beach is so close - steps away!
Our room did not have coat hangers or an iron, but these were produced when we asked - nothing seemed to be a problem. Simone also managed to produce a baby bottle-warmer for us, which was impressive, but we'd been after a kettle unfortunately! Anyway, with our non-existent Italian and his not-bad English, we managed to work out a way for us to get hot water for baby bottles every day.
All in all, this is a splendid hotel, simple and correct, perfect for a beach holiday or as a relaxing base from which to explore the area. For all the excellent facilities, it is super value for money but doesn't feel like an inferior option. We were the only tourists from the UK for the duration of our stay and this was our first trip with our 5-month-old baby. We would never usually return to an area but we think we would like to go back to San Vincenzo when our daughter is a bit older, and we will stay at the Aurora again, no question. Great for couples or families, young and old. First class.