Hotel Herculaneum is a comfortable, well-located hotel in Ercolano, Italy, just a few minutes’ walk from the Herculaneum archaeological site. Its location also makes it convenient for visiting Mount Vesuvius and for reaching Pompeii by train.
For us, the biggest advantages were the location, cleanliness and reasonable price. The main drawback was noise from both neighbouring rooms and the street.
We travelled to Ercolano with our kids, who were 10 and 12 at the time, but this article focuses on our Hotel Herculaneum experience itself rather than on travelling there as a family.
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Why We Stayed at Hotel Herculaneum
After spending one day in Rome, we travelled to Naples by high-speed train and continued to Ercolano.
We wanted a hotel close to both the Herculaneum ruins and Ercolano Scavi train station, which was also the pickup point for our Mount Vesuvius tour. Hotel Herculaneum suited our plans particularly well. It was only steps from the archaeological site and about a 10-minute walk from Ercolano Scavi station.
Hotel Herculaneum Location
The location is the strongest reason to stay at Hotel Herculaneum. It took us approximately one minute to walk from the hotel to the Herculaneum archaeological site property and less than five minutes to reach the ticket entrance. This made it very easy to visit the ruins without needing a taxi, bus or lengthy walk.
The hotel is also surrounded by restaurants and cafés, so we had plenty of places to eat within easy walking distance.
Ercolano Scavi station is about a 10-minute walk away. This was especially convenient for our Mount Vesuvius tour, but the station also provides access to other destinations in the area.
Is the Area Around Hotel Herculaneum Safe?
Hotel Herculaneum is in Ercolano, rather than central Naples, and the hotel itself is in a busy tourist area near the archaeological site.
We felt comfortable walking around the immediate neighbourhood. Another traveller at the hotel warned us about pickpockets, so we were more conscious of our phones, wallets and bags, particularly around the train station and crowded attractions.
Accessibility at Hotel Herculaneum
Our room was on the second floor and we had to use stairs to reach it. The hotel does have a lift, but some second-floor rooms are accessible only by stairs. Travellers with mobility concerns should confirm the location and accessibility of their specific room before booking
Breakfast at Hotel Herculaneum
Breakfast was served in a dedicated dining room and started at 7:30 a.m. during our stay. The buffet included yogurt, pastries, bread, cheese, deli meats, cereal and juice, with enough choice for a substantial breakfast before heading out sightseeing.
We thought the cappuccinos were especially good.
Is Hotel Herculaneum Clean?
We found Hotel Herculaneum very clean. Our room, bathroom and the common areas we used were all well maintained, and we had no concerns about cleanliness during our stay.
Is Hotel Herculaneum Quiet?
Noise was the biggest drawback of our stay. The walls in our room were fairly thin, and we could clearly hear people talking in the room next to us. Our room was also directly above a busy intersection, so there was noticeable traffic noise.
Both the neighbouring guests and street traffic became much quieter fairly early in the evening, but we were still occasionally woken by motorcycles passing during the night. Light sleepers may want to ask for a room away from the street and consider bringing earplugs.
Hotel Herculaneum Rooms and Amenities
Our room was relatively small, but it made good use of the available space. There was plenty of shelving for clothes and other belongings, which helped keep the room organized. The shower had good water pressure and plenty of hot water.
We also appreciated having plenty of power outlets for charging phones and other electronics. The outlets at this hotel were type F and L (the ones with little round holes), so we needed to use our universal travel power adapter.
Is Hotel Herculaneum Worth It?
Hotel Herculaneum worked particularly well for our short stay in Ercolano because we could walk to both the Herculaneum archaeological site and Ercolano Scavi station. It was also clean, reasonably priced and surrounded by places to eat.
The thin walls and street noise were the main negatives for us. Despite that, we would stay here again, particularly for a short visit focused on Herculaneum and Mount Vesuvius.
Follow Along on Our Trip to the Amalfi Coast
We began our nine day trip to the Amalfi Coast with 24 hours in Rome. We then headed south to Ercolano, which we used as a base to explore the Herculaneum ruins and Mount Vesuvius. You can read about our visit to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Mount Vesuvius.
From there, we took a ferry to the nearby island of Ischia, where we spent three days exploring, kayaking and hiking. We finished our trip with a scenic day trip to the Amalfi Coast, visiting the beautiful seaside towns of Amalfi and Positano by ferry from Sorrento.
