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Tags: Hotel Amenities / Hotel Deals / Italy Hotels / → All Tags

Score One (Yes, Only One) Free Amenity at Palazzo Sasso

Where: Via San Giovanni Del Toro 28, Ravello, Italy, 84010

On the Amalfi Coast in Italy, the small five-star Palazzo Sasso in Ravello has got a tricky deal on right now. If you book three or more nights, in King Sea View room (or better), you get to pick a "bonus amenity" for free.

The tricky bit is trying to get the best deal. There are ten different amenities to choose from, ranging from fresh fruit and flowers on arrival (sounds like not a great deal to us) to one free spa treatment. Or you could choose free parking during your stay, mini bar usage for free (we presume there are some limitations), as many in room movies as you can watch or a 20% discount on any lunch you eat there.

So, if you're likely to eat enormous lunches, that last bonus might be the best, or if you anticipate bad weather and three days of watching movies, pick that. One amenity we're not going to be happy about picking: free internet access for the entire stay. Because that should really be free already.

Room rates range from €198 ($260) a night right up to €2,200 ($2,900), but always include a buffet breakfast. Palazzo Sasso has won a heap of awards (including for its food) and it's in a gorgeous location. The choose-your-free-amenity deal goes from June through to October 15.

Tags: Gore Vidal / Celebrity Hotels / Italy Hotels / Hotel Hype / → All Tags

Luxury Gore Vidal Hotel In the Works on Italy's Amalfi Coast

Globorati reports that Gore Vidal's house in Ravello, Italy--named The Swallow's Nest, will be turned into a luxury hotel. The seven-bedroom manse that belonged to Vidal until five years ago will reopen next spring to hotel guests.

The setting of the seven-bedroom mansion is impossibly remote, suspended over a bluff facing the Mediterranean and accessed by only a private pathway winding up the cliffside hills.

In homage to the last surviving giant of American literature, Palumbo plans to leave the ground-floor studio with Vidal’s personal library and artifacts intact.

Indeed, two years ago when the house was first sold, The Age reported on what the hotelier Vicenzo Palumbo would keep of Vidal's and it includes a lot: mementoes of his famous guests,the chair used in the movie Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor, and the study where he wrote many of his famous works.

No word yet on how much it will cost to stay here but we imagine it's only for the super-wealthy.

Tags: Celeb Scoop / → All Tags

Denise and Richie Do it to the Sounds of Muzak

Where: Via San Giovanni Del Toro 28, Ravello, 84010, Italy

Once again we were struck with jealousy over Denise and Richie's amazing Italian retreat, this time in the Palazzo Sasso. It's a little odd that they changed hotels so close to their last one but then again, the hard bed is probably what did it.

Their new hotel has won what seems like million awards including the prestigious Travel+Leisure's best 500 hotels in the world. The place offers a large variety of suites, a Michelin guide recommended restaurant, and picturesque views of the Mediterranean.

The spa is nothing short of amazing either; it features Turkish baths, a hydro pool, and just about every beauty treatment you could ask for.

Jealousy leads to curiousity however and we found that their five-star resort had two documented accounts of broken air conditioners being broken and worse yet, Muzak blasting:

There is piped music on the terraces which is what you would expect in your supermarket but intrudes when you want to luxuriate with a good book in the tranquility of this beautiful oasis...who wants to listen to some other persons choice of muzak.

So there you have it folks, looks like Denise and Richie do it to the elevator sounds of Muzak.

Related Stories:
· Nuovo Amore [People]
· Palazzo Sasso Reviews [Trip Advisor]
· Denise and Richie do it on the floor [HotelChatter]