Hotel Zara

Absolutely terrible place. We had indulged along the Amalfi Coast and wanted a cheaper base for the last stint of our holiday to use to get to Pompeii, Vesuvius e.t.c in that respect it was ideal. Unless you don’t care about quality and cleanliness then this place is best avoided. Mould everywhere. Breakfast was disgusting. Coffee was not what you would expect being in the home of coffee and food. The continental was not continental. It was more like sugar and chocolate. Milk had bits floating in it. Not fresh. The pie was stale. Not worth waking up for. We ventured out everyday for brunch/coffee. The one star is for the staff as they were lovely and friendly. Just a shame they can’t run a successful, clean quality hotel! I expected more. The neighbourhood is dodgy. Immigrants and locals loitering. Naples is a horrid city. Dog poo everywhere, litter everywhere. It stinks. The local government obviously has no care. The hotel needs to be avoided. I was so disappointed with it but because we didn’t have the funds to find somewhere else for a 5 night stay we stuck it out as we only used the room at night for shower and sleep. The air conditioning didn’t work. They gave us a remote control for it but it didn’t even have a from panel display or any buttons. Mould everywhere. Have they heard of mould and mildew remover? Works 100% all they need to do is apply it once a week! We were room 14 on the first floor. There are only 3 tables (each fits 2 people) in the entire breakfast room...... they can fit atleast 20 people or so here so how on Earth they cope at full capacity goes over my head. This is not a hotel. It’s more like youth hostel. AVOID

Went to Naples for one night during trip to Italy. Had read previous reviews for Hotel Zara. Here is our review for our experience. Location: - Close to Naples station which is why we picked it. Only took 5 Mins to walk to - Neighbourhood feels unsettling and not safe. (We did know this from previous reviews though) - Streets are really dirty - graffiti and rubbish The Room: - Budget hotel and a budget room - as expected. - Bed was fine, showed was fine, room was fine. - Wifi worked fine - Towels are a bit thinner than what we are used to at home or elsewhere but not an issue - Ended up staying in our room all afternoon/evening because it was a bit too uncomfortable and scary to go out and explore. - Breakfast was included which was a nice croissant and coffee/tea. - Soy milk was available - Did not ask about gluten free option, but pretty sure not available. - Staff we’re fine and could speak English, were polite. We wouldn’t ever go back to Naples and don’t recommend it. Have spoken to friends and family about not liking staying there and those who have been agreed and said they didn’t like Naples. Make your own judgement but hope the review helps anyone deciding.

In an OK location, nearby train station, very friendly staff and helpful. I was offered a bigger room due to availability reasons, and though the sheets were not super clean it made sense since they did not expect to book that room. Pillows can be improved though, they were a bit hard to sleep on. Overall comfortable stay.

Our room was very small (2 single beds small wardrobe and a table with a hand basin in the corner. The downside was the shared bathroom which was like a public toilet (and not very clean)despite the hotel saying there were only 3 rooms sharing. Walls were very thin so when someone used the toilet you thought they were in your room as the flush was that noisy .Rooms 1/2 and I think 3 shared the bathroom and another downside was that you had to come out of your room to use the bathroom in full view of people having their breakfast (maybe dressing gowns should be provided).The breakfast was ok ,basic continental with a croissant thrown in although the coffee was not very nice and luke warm ,we asked for cappuccino and after a long face from one of the women we eventually got that every day. The staff were pleasant enough although the 2 women were a bit hit and miss. The main downside was the shared bathroom and i have never known that in a hotel maybe a hostel or boarding house. I found Naples to be the dirtiest city I have visited ,litter everywhere and dog muck on the pavements made walking about hazardous. The hotel was close to the train station and the street is full of people selling their wares on the pavement which does look a bit daunting most don't pressure you into buying but beware as there are teams of pickpockets travelling the tourist routes. I witnessed a team of 6 move in on a tourist on the Naples to Sorrento line .Also trying to cross the roads was more hazardous than trying to avoid the dog muck on the pavements. Plenty of decent eateries close by but beware as they add a cover charge and a 15% service charge and even if you go for a coffee and sit outside you will be charged for sitting down.

Like other reviewers here the surroudings are a bit didgy but you dont get any hassle from the imigrants on the street corners. 8 guys stayed for the CL game and we were very concious of how we travelled around the city especially at night. The hotel once inside is very friendly, comforatble but basic but at the price charged it is more than adequate. The paper thin towels as mentuioned by another reviewer are in fact bedet towels with proper towels supplied . Overall the staff and rooms can be recommended but after going to Naples for a Champions League game I was glad to come home and wont be returning any time soon.

Positives: internet - not bad Pizza restaurant close by called donatos (fantastic pizzas) The chocolate croissant in the morning. Negatives: Everything else. The highlights/ or lowlights being ... The area - this is the most unsafe I’ve ever felt, rude suggestive comments from passersby. Questionable individuals lurking outside the hotels main entrance. Noise until around 2am which could be heard clear as a bell from the room. The room itself was unclean in most aspects right next to the reception so very noisy and even when windows closed all noise could be heard from outside. Towels were thin and shabby (dreadful) along with bedding. No comfortable nights sleep here. Rooms generally dated, and the toilets flush sounded like a freight train passing by. Despite obviously being a cheap option you would expect it to be better and the area alone would stop me from returning and I would highly recommend that you do not make this choice also due to this.

We stayed at Hotel Zara for one night between arriving on an evening flight and leaving first thing the next day for a private transfer to Positano. We chose this hotel as it was centrally located, had good reviews and was only AUD$60 for the night. This area of Naples appeared to be quite dodgy and looks unsafe. When we arrived we were alarmed by the large number of African hawkers loitering on the street outside the hotel. However they didn't bother us once we got out of our cab or when we left to go to dinner. You enter the hotel by pressing the intercom button and entering the building. The hotel reception is located on level 2. There is a lift but we didn't use it as it seemed a bit dodgy. The staff at reception weren't overly friendly but weren't rude either. Our room was pretty good for the price - basic but clean and quite spacious. Breakfast was included with our room which had bread, spreads, juice and coffee as well as delicious fresh crossaints with Nutella. Overall a good stay for the price.

Second visit to this hotel. It's central location but is key for us. Like many city hotels it is reached via a stairway but for ten cents you can use the lift. The street and the entrance are not too appealing but once inside it's very clean. The staff are helpful and friendly. The basket of fruit in the room was a bonus and they refill it daily. It may not be the smartest hotel but that is reflected in the price.

Hotel Zara is close to the main central railway station, which makes it a great base for exploring Naples and surrounding areas. Very handy for visiting Mt. Vesuvius, Herculaneum (Ercolano) and Pompeii, and also Sorrento and beyond; plus rail fares are quite cheap. The Alibus stop for the airport is on Corso Novara, between the hotel and the railway station. The hotel shares a building with other residents, and though from the outside the building looks a bit shabby, the hotel (on two floors) is modern and clean. The staff are very friendly and helpful and speak good English; nothing was too much trouble. There’s someone in reception 24 hours a day. My room (12) had a double and a single bed and was still quite spacious. The bathroom was clean, though the shower cubicle had seen some repairs. Soap and shampoo were provided. There were no tea/coffee-making facilities in the room, but there was a TV, phone, air conditioning and a small balcony overlooking the road, which was quite busy till late at night, but didn’t disturb me. Housekeeping comes daily. The breakfast area is small and cosy, and for breakfast there’s a large warm croissant, slices of freshly baked cake, other packaged cakes and croissants, bread, cereals, coffee and tea, and a choice of fruit juices. There are plenty of places to eat nearby, and the old town is only about 15 minutes' walk from the hotel. There’s a metro station next to the railway station and the ferry port for Sorrento and the islands is only two stops away. The area outside of the hotel might seem a bit scary, but I felt perfectly safe. The people (immigrants?) along the pavement selling their goods were more intent on talking amongst themselves, and though I was occasionally approached to buy something, once I’d said ‘No thank you’ I wasn’t bothered further. All in all I found Hotel Zara had everything I wanted from a hotel and at a good price. I would happily stay here again.