Guestbook

We recently stayed at the Casale Villarena in the villa Garofanella. It was our second visit to the casale - we stayed in the apartment La Vetara 3 years ago and loved it so much we couldn't wait to return. It was great to see the improvements made to the Casale.The gardens are more beautiful than we remembered and they now have a fabulous restaurant. We ate there twice and both meals were wonderful - in particular, the vast selection of antipasta was delicious. Gugliemo and Mario are wonderful hosts. They are both very helpful and nothing was too much trouble for them. They are hugely knowledgeable about the area and are willing to suggest lovely excursions. The Casale is well positioned to be able to explore all the interesting things to do along the Amalfi coast. A car is useful but not essential as there are buses into Sorrento and boats to Capri, Sorrento, Positano, etc. Thank you so much for a fantastic holiday and we hope to be able to return soon.

my fiancee and i booked the whole villa for our parents, siblings, and a few friends (including 3 babies) for our wedding. we were nervous at first about planning all of that online without ever visiting. but the entire week - and especially the wedding - turned out PERFECTLY. the place: the villa itself is absolutely gorgeous. the pictures don't do it the justice of standing in the lemon groves, looking up at the old stone arches, wandering through the twists and corners, and always having a glorious view of the sea from basically anywhere you stand. the rooms were huge (bigger than my apartment in cambridge!), more like grand suites than just a room. they found a fantastic balance between old world rustic charm (so you feel like you're still in another time) while having all of the modern accommodations and conveniences that we've come to expect in the 21st century (clean bathrooms, cable tv, a/c, newer kitchens). the grounds are lovely to stroll through, swim in, and especially just to sit, sip some coffee or limoncello, and enjoy the fresh air and views. the staff: incredible! i felt like everyone that worked there bent over backwards to make us happy and fulfill every little whim. they weren't stuffy or formal at all - just wanted us to enjoy ourselves. the restaurant is called "the joy of doing nothing", and while they make guests feel that doing nothing is great, they are all running around all the time to ensure that everyone is happy and content. Guglielmo (who runs the place) has some great stories; Massimo makes sure that you get what you need, and Mario takes care of all the little things for you. By the time we left, we felt like they were part of the family! the food: i am a bit of a foodie, and am always going through boston to find the best chefs and the best places to eat. and while scampo is a great italian meal, it still an't come close to what they cook at the villa. the food is so simple, but every bite is delectable. if you ask where the food comes from, they point down the road! and it keeps coming and coming and coming and coming. walk a lot if you're eating here; you'll need to burn off all the calories! we originally thought we'd have a few meals there and eat out others, but we ended up having dinner there every night because it was so fantastic. the location: stretch in the morning! it is a lovely walk down the hill to get to the beach (where you get a discount if you mention the villa on chairs). you can drive, but as mentioned above, you need the walk to work off all the food! people took lots of day trips around the area; so many drives, hikes and boat trips are so very close to home. the wedding: words can't describe. Massimo and Guglielmo planned everything, all we did was show up! The location they found was on a point overlooking Capri, and they surprised us with flowers and a lovely setup. they got bouquets, mandoline players, a wonderful justice of the peace, champagne for toasting, a guest book to sign, and all the little extras that made the wedding complete. i have shown pix to friends far and wide, all met with "that looks better than my wedding!!!". i seriously could not posisbly imagine a wedding more perfect than the one they gave us. we even got to go off in a "just married" classic fiat 500. the ONLY reason i would tell anybody not to stay here is because i don't want it to be all booked up for when i go back for my anniversary!

Here in Villarena you can find what you most could get close to Plato's concept of "Idea". Idea of either body and spiritual life. We must admit that everything co-worked in building up our three days of pure-above planet Earth concept. First hint, that is to be said, was the between-the-lines suggestion forwarded by a little image on a wall panel in the resort office, well-known famous image from a greek crater, black&white pattern-style, a real hymn to perfect love, perfect complete love. And there we were from the very start. And the lemon trees, from which we could pick out one1 fat fruit, peel its skin out and prepare in our "Brigante" apartment an old '70s refreshment, the Tropical. Ok, the rest is up to you, tourists-to-come; do not leave behind to have your dinner in their DolceFarNiente at least once; directly from relaxing shower to relaxing table in front of LiGalli and inside a tendering air stream from the sea.