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4.5
#27 of 38 hotels in Positano
Location
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Perfectly situated on a hill between the craggy cliff tops and the glinting Mediterranean Sea, Hotel Villa Franca is romantic Italy at its most ravishing. With the picturesque cobbled piazzas of Positano and two blissful beaches just steps away, this stylish hilltop retreat offers the chance to check out from reality and absorb the glamor and gorgeousness of the ever-enchanting Amalfi Coast. A cool calm envelops this Italian idyll where bewitching coastal beauty dominates the window views and pines and citrus scent the air.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Residential Neighbourhood
Languages Spoken
English, French, Russian, Spanish and 3 more
Location
Via Pasitea 318, 84017, Positano Italy
Name/address in local language
HVF Villa Franca Positano
1,013 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This is a long overdue review. HVF is the place to stay in Positano. Nestled atop the main part of town, you’ll be stunned by the views.
Hands down, this is the best hotel staff we have ever encountered. Nadia is the greatest concierge we have ever met and should win every hospitality award. She’s incredible, anticipates needs with a warm and generous touch. She takes an exceptional amount of pride in her work. I missed the hotel upon arrival and drove too far on Positano’s one-way street, and she had porters chase me down and recover the car and bags to spare me a 15 minute loop. She can arrange cab service to dinner and bill through hotel, and when the drivers were running late she’d proactively contact the driver and restaurant to ensure all are aware of our arrival time. We had not a care in the world throughout our trip.
Halfway through our trip, after a long, boozy dinner I tried to have a conversation with her to strategize our departure time and car pickup. She insisted I arrive for breakfast later than I thought would be appropriate to give them notice to bring the car around. I said no, I’m going to show up early as a courtesy to you to give you notice. Well, a couple days passed by and I forgot we even had that conversation and I strolled in later than planned on our final morning. Nadia remembered our conversation and had the car standing by on that narrow street, water bottles in the cup holders, and breakfast staff ready to serve us fast and get us out on time. She had the bags picked up from our room and loaded into the car before I could manage to inhale breakfast as fast as possible to make our flight on time. And “of course,” a nice little farewell gift to remember our stay. Would be nice to have her in our daily life back home!
The rooftop pool has once in a lifetime views with a top class staff and fun, social, sophisticated scene for all (adult) ages. These are the pool photos that will make your friends hate you with envy.
The base level rooms are tight as one would expect but every balcony view is stunning. We preferred a city view with partial ocean to a sea view. We had the option of the included breakfast as room service on the balcony, a must. The breakfast spread is among the mount bountiful and delicious you could ever have. Every little detail here is class - the house water comes in branded HVF wine bottles.
The hotel smells amazing. The toiletries and bathroom is stunning.
We stayed with Hyatt points as Explorist members through the SLH partnership. We are happy with the status recognition and perks (hit and miss with other SLH) and would not hesitate to do it again or pay the full cash rate. One of our best hotel experiences ever.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:It is, in fact, a steep hike from the beach. Be prepared. Dunk in the pool to cool off.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This hotel is unique of itself located on the cliffside. The hotel is a combination where the old world meets modern amenities. The views from the hotel are picturesque and the bar and rooftop pool is absolutely fantastic.
However, with so many excellent places to dine, I would not recommend their in house restaurant on the roof top. Although it’s a wonderful place to enjoy a drink at night, the food was not worth the price. We ordered steak (dying for some real protein after weeks of travel) it was cold upon serving and they provided a butter knife to cut it🤔. We asked for something sharper to cut the steak and they seemed puzzled by the request - we did the best without embarrassing ourselves.
Breakfast was served at the lobby level restaurant with beautiful views of Positano’s town and sea. The service is excellent but a bit confusing on day 1. At first glance, it appears to be self-service but they quickly inform you to sit - although some things you can get on your own and other items you have to ask for 🤔. Breakfast was awesome overall with mimosas.
As I mentioned, the property is on the hillside and quite a climb down (lots of stairs) and a workout coming back to the hotel. They do offer transportation on a golf cart, but we enjoyed our walks/workout.
I should mention the hotel has a Annex building next door, so be aware which property or room your booking. The Annex has newer rooms. We stayed at main hotel and loved its.
Upon our departure, they gave us a special gift to remember the hotel. We love this hotel.
This is our second vacation to Positano and this property.
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Date of stay: October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I can’t figure out why anyone complained about the service at this hotel, it was wonderful. All of the service people were kind, attentive and responsive. Especially those at the front desk. We did not select one of the top priced rooms, so as other reviews stated - the rooms are small. No room for two of us in the bathroom or on either side of the bed. If you have a lot of luggage this could be tough in the space. That said, great shower and comfortable bed. The free breakfast was delicious and plentiful. Pool is beautiful but was not heated so we did not go in.
My one complaint about the restaurant during breakfast is that it seemed as if a few employees lack some of the skills for speaking to Americans. I asked for a cappuccino with two shots, also said double and extra expresso and the woman did not understand. She also did not understand my request for butter - which I realize is not as popular in Italy but the confusion on her face was very obvious. My other complaint is with housekeeping. Our bathroom smelled like sulfur after being freshly cleaned for our first days arrival. Housekeeping staff should be trained to be aware of this and able to report it - the smell was impossible to miss. However once we complained to the front desk it was resolved immediately and never happened again. Overall I would recommend this hotel.
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Lots of stairs to get here but a great view
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Max Moscatiello, Altro at HVF Villa Franca Positano
Responded 9 Jun 2022
Dear StLevine, thank you so much for taking the time to leave your review. We are really glad you appreciate our staff and its overall service. We strive to do our best in order to go above an beyond the expectations of our valued guests like you. We are sorry about the misunderstanding at the brakfast lounge and we shared your experience with our Restaurant Manager just to figure out who was taking the order at your table. Most of our staff speaks fluent English especially the once who are at the front end like at the reception and our restaurants. About the smell you felt in the bathroom, we noticed that a product we were using during the cleaning process (chlorine bleach) react with the alcholic solutions we use to sanitize the shower and buth tub. The substance causing this odor is not toxic in any way but I can agree with you that is not the best welcome in the room. At this stage we decided immediately to change that product and we did nothing than to run plain water in the sanitary facilities and its pipes. We really hope your next travel plans will bring you back in Positano to welcome back at Villa Franca Hotel. Best regards,
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The staff is friendly and the hotel has a great view of Positano. However you pay a fortune for a tiny room where you can‘t properly unpack your luggage and end up living in a mess of your stuff. 25.- Euro for a Bellini and they don’t even have the Champagne on stock they claim the drink is made with.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Laurent Servetti, Direttore generale at HVF Villa Franca Positano
Responded 18 Sept 2020
Dear PascalPascal1977, First and foremost, we would like to thank you for your time to let us know your thoughts and feedback following your stay at Villa Franca Positano this September. We hope you had a pleasant journey to your next destination. Guests' feedbacks are for us very important to monitor and improve our service. We surely understand and appreciate your comments and constructive criticism regarding the room sizes. However, the rooms were described clearly from the beginning. Regarding the drinks at the roof top bar, it is correct to say that the champagne normally used in the Bellini was not the one mentioned on the menu. You were made aware of this. The original champagne “sans année” made with Chardonnay and normally used was no longer available and was replaced by a vintage champagne whose qualities were a good match for a Bellini. We have very much taken into account and cherished your comments. They have been shared with the relevant heads of department so that it can be discussed, and remedial action taken if necessary. We wish to extend our sincere thankyous again for the time and trouble to bring them to our attention and look forward to welcoming you back in the future, may yopur travels bring you back to the Amalfi Coast. Yours sincerely. Laurent Servetti Hotel Manager Villa Franca Positano
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I rarely write reviews, but I have to alert travelers about this hotel. The reason this hotel does well is for its pool, but that is where the positives stop.
The management team and staff are not friendly or hospitable, the rooms are entirely too small and the quintessential services that you come to expect from a 5 star hotel are totally lacking. Breakfast service was a mess, turn down service is basically none existent and there is very little service at the pool. We have been turned off by almost every encounter with staff and it is upsetting after such high expectations when booking.
My wife and I came from Capri after staying at the Capri Tibiero Palace had a far better five star experience then HVF. I will say without a doubt, I will not be staying at this hotel again, and it will have to take a lot of convincing for me to stay in Positano over Capri. Don’t waste your time and just go to Capri.
Additionally - they won’t even assist with luggage to the hotel… which if you’ve never been to Positano then you will find out quick that a hotel like this should be having your bags delivered to your room.
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Max Moscatiello, Other at HVF Villa Franca Positano
Responded 23 May 2022
Dear WoodyCA, thank you for choosing Villa Franca Hotel for your last stay in Positano. I am very surprised to read your review while it has been written when you were still our guest, right the first day of your stay. Unfortunately due to health reasons I had no opportunity to meet you in person but I asked to our Concierge to ask you how was going your stay with us just to have more information about your dissatisfaction. He reported me that you were fine and happy to stay with us. I really do not understand the reson why you wrote such hard words while we tried several times to attempt to you in order to make you change your mind about our services but you never gave us the opportunity to get a live comment of your opinion. Regarding the porterage service in Positano we would like to inform you that it is a bit different then how to works in Capri. Capri, as you know, is an island and the only way to reach it is by the sea. Most of the Hotels there own a porterage service from the Harbour to the Hotel handled by an Hotel representative. Most of Positano' visitors reach the village by car and there are no Hotel representative who meet and greet guests at the Port. However there is a trusted public porterage service that, as we informed you by phone, can take care of your luggage to be delivered to the Hotel. Comparing different places with different welcoming procedures it is not really fair at all. I really hope you will give us the opportunity to have you back here in the future in order to give us a second chance and show you that we care to all our valued guests like you. Your sincerely,
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We were so looking forward to our stay at Villa Franca ... for months ... and we couldn't have been more disappointed. If we could turn back time and select a different hotel, we absolutely would. The 1-star can go towards the views from the very tiny pool/restaurant area on the roof. I truly would not recommend this hotel to anyone.
The rooms are incredibly small. You can't help but feel cheated given the extremely high price (which we were happy to pay if there had been reasonable space in the room). The staff will tell you this is just how hotels are in Positano because space is so limited but that is not true — we had a lovely, spacious room at Le Sirenuse (for slightly less!) which is far better hotel in every single respect when compared to Villa Franca.
The staff are not hospitable whatsoever — especially the front desk team. They come across as arrogant and entitled. It felt like we were 'bothering' them just by being there. We did our best not to have to interact with the staff, which is a terrible feeling as a guest at a 5-star hotel. We were actually excited on check-out day to move on to our next destination.
Breakfast service and selection leaves a lot to be desired. The staff was clearly not very well trained—requests simply forgotten, no water served when asked, just the basics seemed to escape the team working in the mornings. The menu was also very limited, aside from a plate of pastries provided each day that we didn't want/ask for and a majority of guests left untouched (which is very wasteful).
The decor is that of a modern art museum. It makes for beautiful pictures on their website and social media but that's it. But hey, if you're looking for a hotel with cool sculptures and art in the lobby and uncomfortable and impractical lobby furniture — by all means, book Villa Franca.
Overall this hotel is just very uncomfortable, unfriendly, and it's a real shame because it's beautifully situated atop Positano.
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Date of stay: July 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Max Moscatiello, Other at HVF Villa Franca Positano
Responded 28 Oct 2022
Dear Rachelb, thank you for taking the time to share your comment about your last stay. I am deeply sorry you did not ejoyed the overall experience at Villa Franca. I would like just to clarify that you booked a Classic Room (our entry level) for three nights which is very well described on our website. So if you booked a room which is about 20 sqm how could you expect a larger than this? I am asking you this conscious that I cannot get your answere back because when you perfomed the booking by our website (on February 2022) there were so many other categories available which are all much bigger than the entry level. Unfortunatelly during the lenght of your stay we were completelly sold out and we did not have any opportunity to give you an upgrade and this could not be a reason why the staff would have been not hospitable to you. I am very surprised about your feedback towards the breackfast which is really appreciated from our guests. The breakfast menu is also showed on our website and I don't think it is limited and poor. We make all the pastry selection in our main kitchen and we do not use any frozen product. All the salty selection is cooked at the time in our open kitchen in order to guarantee its freshness. I do apologize sincerely on behalf of the entire team of the Villa Franca Hotel if you guess we have been unfriendly with you and we hope that your future plans will bring you to Positano in order to give us a second chance.
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Not impressed. Outrageously expensive for what you get and if you want to get to get eggs at breakfast, they charge you an extra $40 when breakfast is supposed to be free. Ridiculous. They stuck us in a tiny room out of the main building a few floors down, and it smelled like sewers, and they told us that we were getting one of the larger rooms which was nonsense. Yes, they did move us when we complained, but they think Americans are stupid I guess. The front desk people are incredibly nice, but for nearly US$2000 a night I would not go back. The service at breakfast is absolutely ridiculous. Plan to spend the entire time thirsty because they pour you an inch of water and then don’t come back for 30 minutes. I don’t mind spending money on a quality place but this is not it.
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Date of stay: May 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Max Moscatiello, Other at HVF Villa Franca Positano
Responded 6 Jun 2023
Dear Coastal612285, thank you so much for your review which gives us the opportunity to improve our knowledge about our guests' opinions about us. We are deeply sorry to hear that you did not enjoy your stay with us. Allow me just to tell you that eggs are included in your breakfast package as well as ham, bacon, vegetables and all other additional things you would like to have by the side. In our breakfast menu, available at the breakfast room and also on our website (https://www.villafrancahotel.it/en/restaurant-positano/breakfast/) it is clearly written what is included and what is not in your room package. About the problem occurred to your first room we are really sorry to tell you that, due to a lot of rainy days we had at the end of May, the sewage system, which serves the side of our private villa, got clogged. Once we realized that was not a problem related to your bathroom that we could work, we decided to move you in a different room located at the other side of the property. We are very sorry but that was obviously beyond our control. Please, we never thought that Americans are stupid, this is really unfair to say. Thank you for providing feedback about the service at the breakfast lounge. As you know we do not have a buffet and we strive to serve every single guest with our waiter staff. We will discuss it with our F&B Supervisor to make sure this never happens again. I sincerely hope to welcome you back soon. Kind regards,
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The views in this hotel are amazing (one of the reasons you to go Positano ofcourse), but the service is absolutely impeccable. Defintely on par with the service you would expect, but even more personal. Cannot recommend this hotel enough. A special shout-out to Guiseppe of the Gold Champagne bar, who has a nose for a good champagne and can create amazing parings for you. Additionally, the cooking class that is offered is definitely recommendable; you will learn how to create a couple of classic local dishes by the executive chef of the Li Galli Restaurant!
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Date of stay: September 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I stayed here the week of Fourth of July for our honeymoon (6 nights).
From the very first moment we walked in and throughout our entire stay, everything was exceptional (service, food, cleanliness, concierge). We have never been to Positano and had not planned out much on our itinerary ahead of arriving. The concierge helped us make dinner reservations at top spots every night, book us a trip to Pompeii, arrange various boat tickets, and the shuttle even picked us up a few times off hours. Breakfast food and service was also incredible. We also had an incredible cooking class experience with the Michelin Star Chef here, Savio Perna.
I highly recommend the HVF to anyone looking to have a fabulous time in Positano. We didn’t have a single thing to complain about the entire time we stayed and really enjoyed everything about this wonderful hotel. There are also a number of restaurants within walking distance and the stairs to get to the city are nearby along with their shuttle service in the morning and night.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Max Moscatiello, Other at HVF Villa Franca Positano
Responded 11 Jul 2022
Dear 572serac, thank you so much for your kind words and for your overall positive report. We are really glad you spent wonderful time with us especially for a lovely occasion like your Honeymoon. We are also grateful for your feedback about our food and beverage outlets, we consider it like the best reward given after many efforts by our Chef and his talented crew. We hope your travel plans will bring you back in Positano and Villa Franca Hotel may still be lucky having you as valued guests. Warmest regards,
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Gorgeous hotel in a great location for an amazing view. The hotel is located next to a few shops & restaurants (quick, steep walk to Da Vincenzo - make a dinner reservation, excellent food!) and the hotel has a very convenient shuttle service that runs back and forth to the town center & is a quick 5-10 minute drive. The furnishings and ambiance were superb. We had a “prestige” room and besides the amazing oceanfront view, the room decor was luxurious and very comfortable. The staff came each day to clean & did a turn down service each night. We had dinner at The Gold Champagne Bar & it was wonderful. Their daily breakfast was plentiful, the cappuccino was perfection and the waitstaff was attentive and friendly. Lunch by the pool was also very good. The concierge was very helpful and arranged our arrival & departure car service. All of the staff was so helpful & friendly. I would highly recommend!
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, I don't have a specific answer because I couldn't find anything in my emails from the hotel. I think they told us on site. However, the time stamps from my photos.... We had breakfast at 8am and 9am two mornings and one morning we managed to grab a bite last minute was 10am. I think it ends at 10am. There were other mornings we didn't eat breakfast at the hotel and it was a little after 10 am. So, I am assuming that was why!
There are more places to choose from in the Positano area.
PRICE RANGE
S$1,228 - S$3,029 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
franca hotel positano
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Hotel Villa Franca
LOCATION
ItalyCampaniaProvince of SalernoAmalfi CoastPositano
NUMBER OF ROOMS
44
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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