We stayed at the Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa for three nights during our trip to Ischia, Italy. We chose it primarily for its location near the ferry terminal and bus station. After three active days exploring the island, that convenience turned out to be one of the best things about the hotel.
We arrived by ferry from Naples, walked to the hotel with our luggage, and then used a combination of walking and local buses for the rest of our stay. We never felt that we needed a car or scooter, which made the hotel a particularly practical base for our short visit to Ischia.
We travelled to Ischia with our kids, who were 10 and 12 at the time, but this Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa review focuses on the hotel itself rather than on travelling to Ischia as a family.
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Why We Chose Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa
Convenience was the main reason we booked the Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa. It was only about a five-minute walk from the ferry terminal, roughly the same distance from the main bus terminal and surrounded by restaurants.
During our stay, we took the bus to Cava Grado near Sant’Angelo for a kayaking tour and to Fontana for our hike up Monte Epomeo. Having the bus terminal so close meant we could head out for the day without adding another transfer or long walk at either end.
Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa Location
The location was the strongest part of our stay. Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa sits directly on the harbour in Ischia Porto, with waterfront views and a long stretch of restaurants only steps from the hotel.
After full days of kayaking, hiking or sightseeing, we could simply leave the hotel and choose from the restaurants lining the harbour. Many had outdoor seating overlooking the water.
Via Roma, Ischia Porto’s main shopping street, is about a block away. Much of the street is pedestrian-only, which made it an enjoyable place to wander.
Spiaggia di San Pietro is only a few minutes farther away. We visited the beach shortly after arriving on Ischia and were surprised to find a proper sandy beach rather than the pebble beaches we had encountered elsewhere in the Mediterranean.
The hotel’s location also worked well for sightseeing on foot. On our first afternoon, we walked from the hotel through Ischia Porto and continued all the way to Aragonese Castle, stopping at the beach and along Via Roma on the way.
Our Room at Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa
We booked two rooms for our family. The rooms were simple but spacious by Italian hotel standards, and we had enough space to be comfortable during our three-night stay.
I appreciated that the windows opened fully, particularly because of the warm weather during our visit. There was also a laundry line outside the window where we could hang a few sink-washed clothes to dry. That was useful because Ischia was about halfway through our eight-day trip through Italy.
Air Conditioning
Our room had air conditioning, but it was not operating during our early April stay. Hotel staff told us that it could not be turned on until around April 20 because of local regulations.
Daytime temperatures were around 20°C while we were there, but our room still became warm enough that we would have appreciated the A/C. Opening the windows helped, although travellers who prefer a cool bedroom should keep this in mind when visiting Ischia in spring.
Cleanliness
Both our room and the common areas were clean and well maintained during our stay. We had no concerns about cleanliness at the Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa.
Rooftop Pool and Spa at Aragona Palace Hotel
The heated rooftop pool ended up being one of our favourite hotel features. Our kids loved swimming there, while we were just as happy relaxing beside the pool and enjoying the views over the harbour. After active days exploring Ischia, it was a pleasant place to spend some downtime without having to go anywhere else.
The hotel also has an indoor thermal pool and spa. Children were not permitted to use that area during our stay, which is worth knowing if you are travelling as a family and expect everyone to be able to use all of the hotel’s thermal facilities.
Breakfast at Aragona Palace Hotel
Breakfast was included during our stay and was served from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. It had one of the larger breakfast selections we encountered during our trip through Italy.
The buffet included cakes, pastries, yogurt, bread, cereal, eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit juice and coffee. Having a substantial breakfast at the hotel was particularly useful before days such as our Monte Epomeo hike, when we knew we would need a lot of energy for the day.
What We Liked About Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa
The location was easily our favourite part of the Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa. We could walk from the ferry with our luggage, reach the bus terminal within minutes and choose from plenty of nearby restaurants
The rooftop heated pool was another highlight, particularly because of the harbour views. We also appreciated the large breakfast buffet and being able to return from a full day out and find dinner without having to travel anywhere else.
Over our three days, we explored very different parts of Ischia, including Sant’Angelo, Cava Grado and Monte Epomeo, without ever needing to rent a vehicle.
What We Didn’t Like
Our only real complaint was the seasonal restriction on air conditioning. Even with fairly mild April temperatures, our room was warmer at night than we would have preferred.
Is Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa Good Value?
For us, the value went beyond the room itself because the location helped us avoid taxis, rental vehicles and complicated transfers during our short stay.
We could walk from the ferry terminal, catch buses to other parts of Ischia, walk to shops and the beach, and choose from numerous waterfront restaurants each evening. When you only have three days on an island, reducing the amount of time spent getting from place to place has real value.
Who Is Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa Best For?
We think this hotel makes the most sense for travellers who want to stay in Ischia Porto and explore the island without renting a car or scooter. It is particularly convenient if you are arriving by ferry, plan to use the island’s buses and want restaurants, shops and the waterfront within easy walking distance.
It also worked well for our active style of travel. We were able to kayak near Sant’Angelo one day, hike Monte Epomeo the next and still return each evening to a hotel where dinner, the harbour and the rooftop pool were close by.
It may be less appealing if you want a quiet resort away from town, need connecting family rooms or expect children to have access to all of the spa facilities.
Would We Stay at Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa Again?
Yes. If we returned to Ischia and wanted to stay in Ischia Porto without renting a car or scooter, we would happily consider the Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa again.
The rooms themselves were not the main reason we liked the hotel. Its biggest advantage was how easy it made the rest of our trip. We could arrive by ferry, explore much of the island by bus and on foot, enjoy active days out and still come back to a waterfront hotel with a heated pool and plenty of places to eat just outside the door.
More From Our Italy Trip
Ischia was part of a longer trip through Rome, the Bay of Naples and the Amalfi Coast. If you’re planning a similar trip, our other first-hand articles cover the places we stayed and what we did along the way.
We started with 24 hours in Rome before travelling south to Ercolano, where we stayed near Herculaneum and Mount Vesuvius. You can read our Hotel Herculaneum review if you’re following a similar route through the Bay of Naples. From there, we continued to Ischia before finishing our trip in Sorrento.
We had planned two full days in Sorrento, although one was lost to food poisoning. We made the most of our remaining day with a day trip to the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento, including stops in Amalfi and Positano.
