Historic Centre / Piazza Bellini

Costantinopoli 104

★★★★★

Costantinopoli 104 solves the central Naples hotel dilemma. Staying in the historic centre puts the city's museums, churches and pizzerias at your feet, but many hotels there are cramped, noisy or hard to reach. This one sits behind a discreet gate on Via Santa Maria di Costantinopoli, the street of antique dealers and music shops that runs between Piazza Bellini and the National Archaeological Museum, in a late nineteenth-century palazzo with rust-red walls, stucco coats of arms and a bright stained-glass doorway. Step inside and the city quietens. The heart of the hotel is a leafy courtyard garden with palms, a magnolia and clipped box hedges, and beside it a small outdoor swimming pool, a genuine rarity in the old town. A roof terrace with loungers adds more space to relax above the rooftops. Inside, the reception rooms mix plush sofas, chandeliers and contemporary lighting. The nineteen rooms and suites are decorated in restful pastel tones, with wide beds, good soundproofing, individual air conditioning and heating, and marble bathrooms. The split-level junior suites, some with garden terraces and four-poster beds, are the pick, and the Garden Suite in a newer wing opens directly toward the pool. Breakfast is a generous buffet, served in the dining room or, in summer, on a shaded patio in the garden. Location is the great strength: Piazza Bellini and its cafes are a few steps away, the Archaeological Museum is two blocks off, Spaccanapoli and Via dei Tribunali are a short walk, and the Dante metro station is two minutes from the door. Fit: couples, culture-focused travellers and first-timers who want character and calm in the centre.

Why choose it: it is one of very few hotels in the historic centre with a pool and a garden, and it combines that with a quiet, residential feel and boutique service. You can spend the morning at the Archaeological Museum, lunch on pizza on Via dei Tribunali, and be back in the courtyard by mid-afternoon to rest before the evening.

Room craft: ask for a junior suite or the Garden Suite for space and outdoor terraces; the classic rooms are comfortable but plainer, and at least one has only an internal window, so mention light if it matters to you. The hotel is tucked away with a small sign, so save the address and look for the gate. Like everywhere in the centre, the surrounding streets can be lively at night, though double glazing helps.

Practicals: Via Santa Maria di Costantinopoli 104, in the historic centre, two minutes from the Dante metro and about fifteen minutes on foot from the port for island ferries. The historic centre has a limited traffic zone, so ask the hotel about car access and parking, for which valet service is available at extra cost. There is no full restaurant beyond breakfast and room service, but the neighbourhood is full of places to eat. For grand seafront hotels with bay views, look at the Lungomare instead; for character, quiet and walkable culture, this is one of the best bases in Naples.