Historic Centre / Piazza Bellini

Hotel Piazza Bellini

★★★★★

Hotel Piazza Bellini is the hotel for travellers who want to be in the thick of old Naples and like contemporary style. It occupies a painstakingly restored sixteenth-century palace overlooking Piazza Bellini, the square of literary cafes, bookshops and student bars at the western end of the historic centre, where the excavated remains of the Greek city walls lie in a pit in the middle of the piazza. The restoration keeps the bones of the building, with a courtyard decorated with Renaissance statues and vaulted ground-floor spaces, and pairs them with a light, modern interior: white walls, wooden floors, clean-lined furniture and paintings by the Neapolitan artist Alessandro Cocchia throughout. There are around forty-eight rooms and suites, each individually decorated, with air conditioning and flat-screen TVs. Some have balconies over the internal courtyard, and the Terrace Rooms on the top floors have large private balconies with views across the domes and rooftops of the old city to Vesuvius, the reason many guests book here. A Duplex room spread over two levels, with a living area downstairs and the bed upstairs, suits families or longer stays. Breakfast is served in the vaulted reception area. The location is excellent for sightseeing on foot: the National Archaeological Museum, Spaccanapoli, the Sansevero Chapel and the crib-makers of San Gregorio Armeno are all within a few minutes' walk, and Piazza Bellini itself is one of the best places in the city for an evening drink. Fit: couples and design-minded travellers, families who book the Duplex, and first-timers who want to walk everywhere.

Why choose it: it offers boutique style at a mid-range price in the best walking location in the historic centre. Compared with Costantinopoli 104 next door, it has more rooms, a more contemporary look and those rooftop terrace views, but no pool or garden; choose between them on whether you want a terrace or a courtyard retreat.

Room craft: book a Terrace Room on the upper floors for a private balcony and the view toward Vesuvius; it is worth the extra. Courtyard-facing rooms are quieter than those over the square, which is lively into the night, particularly at weekends. Families should ask about the Duplex. Bring earplugs if you are a light sleeper; this is the centre of a buzzing city.

Practicals: the hotel is at Via Santa Maria di Costantinopoli, by Piazza Bellini, in a restricted traffic zone, so do not plan to drive to the door; public parking is a few hundred metres away. Dante metro station is a short walk, with Line 1 connections to Napoli Centrale and the Toledo art station, and taxis from the airport take around twenty to thirty minutes depending on traffic. For seaside calm, stay on the Lungomare; for history at your doorstep and a lively square below, this is a smart, good-value choice.