Hotel San Francesco

We went with low expectations considering the price we had paid and some of the previous reviews. But we were blown away when we arrived. The hotel was beautifully clean, everywhere, and the staff went out of their way to make sure we had a great stay. We arrived near midnight and a light supper had been prepared for us - which was warmly welcomed. 'Nibbles' were provided free of charge with lunchtime drinks and we didn't mind ordering our evening meal in the morning - what a great way to reduce food waste. The food was fresh and reflected Italian cuisine and we found the breakfast buffet to be more than adequate with eggs and bacon being cooked to order. The outdoor space was very welcoming with adequate seating and loungers, framed by beautiful flowers, and again sparklingly clean. We had the included massage, which was a great part of an afternoon of relaxing by the pool. We had a two room apartment in the next door annex, and yes it was slightly dated compared to a 4 star English hotel but again spotlessly clean and the air conditioning was superb - it was 35 degrees outside and almost too cold indoors! Everything we needed was within walking distance, especially a friendly little bar just down the road - which was great for a post dinner limoncello! We would definitely stay here again if we are back in Ischia. Thank you Hotel San Francesco for a wonderful and memorable holiday.

This hotel has very nice and friendly employees. That seems fairly typical for Ischia though because all the locals I encountered were friendly. The rooms are clean too. The rooms are very basic. My room did not have any type of chair, so you had to sit on the bed. The hangers in the armoire were a mishmash of freebies from old clothes, with various brand names which made it seem very haphazard and cheap. Air conditioning worked well. The pool was nice. Breakfast was very limited. The breakfast here was several types of cakes and some cornettos and hard boiled eggs. Italian breakfasts tend to be mostly sweets, but the breakfast here seemed of a lower quality than other Italian hotel breakfasts I’ve had. I was disappointed that they did not have any fruit except for apples, bananas, and oranges and canned pineapple. It was especially disappointing because beautiful Italian peaches and nectarines and apricots are sold all over the island. It seemed like they were being very miserly. A beach is nearby, but the hotel is not directly on the water.

The hotel’s location is in a quiet bay area at the one end of Forio, where there are a few restaurants and bars. Forio’s main streets and shopping area is about a 15-minute stride away, walking along the lovely beach and sea front heading to the harbour. Hotel San Francesco is a lovely family run hotel in a good location just a few minutes’ walk from the beach at Forio. It is a very clean and tidy hotel with a good-sized outdoor swimming pool surrounded by a wonderfully maintained garden area. There is a sun lounge area and a lovely separate area to chill out in the shade under parasols. It was fresh clean and brightly decorated with great artwork in the reception / bar area. We had a room in the villas to the side of the hotel, which suited us. Although older than the hotel the room and bathroom good sized, and typically Italian, which we liked. They were perfectly clean. We stayed on the second floor which had a good view of a local’s garden, and the smell of jasmine filled the air. We had a large balcony, unfortunately we didn’t have a table and chairs to sit out, but I am sure that had we have asked for one the hotel would have obliged. Like others, we did stumble on finding the other pools so perhaps more signage could be used within the hotel? Breakfast was plentiful, with lots of choice, hot or cold. Freshly cooked eggs and bacon were wonderful. The evening meal consisted of Antipasti which was plentiful, lots of salads and vegetables grown in the local allotments. There was a different homemade soup each evening, each cooked simply and yet tasted wonderful (I’ve since realised that I over season my homemade soups). Main meal choices were limited but great with lots of fresh fish. Some folks did moan about the large, cooked prawns served whole but each to their own! I’m Coeliac and follow a Gluten Free Diet, I normally don’t have any issues with finding a GF alternative pasta in Italy and therefore I hadn’t pre-booked a GF menu and unfortunately the hotel didn’t have a GF pasta alternative. However, the restaurant staff did go out of their way to provide me with breads and cakes that I was able to eat. If you do have a dietary requirement – double check when booking the hotel. The staff at the hotel were outstanding, attentive, polite and all very helpful, nothing was too much trouble. When we left at 5am we were each provided with a hot drink and a breakfast bag as we had a long trip back home. This was very much appreciated and summed up the care and attention to detail that the hotel staff put in to ensuring that we enjoyed our holiday. The botanical gardens of Giardini la Mortella, which has lovely views of Forio are about 20 minutes to walk from the Hotel. It has beautiful gardens which have lots of handy toilets and a wonderful restaurant selling fresh food and drinks. It’s an uphill walk to the gardens from the hotel, but well worth the effort. The town of Forio had some delightful shops and coffee shops run by more friendly people. We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday and would love to return.