Hotel San Francesco Al Monte

Depending on which translation you read this ancient Franciscan monastery-turned-chic-hotel is built into live rock that is eith "tuff" or "tufa." With my limited geology skills - but plenty of time to explore the hotel's secret corridors - my guess is that it the harder stone volcanic tuff. The homonym for that last word seems a good description for the men of God who carved their cells  into the hillside across the bay from Mt Vesuvius.

The guidebooks tell us that it is from this mountain that we have the famous description of Vesuvius' eruption and destruction of Pompei in 79 AD. Apparently Pliny the Younger stood atop the hill and recorded the event.

The room we stayed in was accessible. Since many of the rooms are old monks cells - and they were not known for having spacious living quarters - the accessible room is a veritable mansion by comparison. The ample bathroom was probably a monk's entire cell in olden days. The room itself is a converted monastery classroom.

Downstairs, accessible by elevator, is room for groups. Upstairs is a restaurant and a large terrace with hillside gardens. The view out to the Bay of Naples is great. 

Front door access to the hotel has a step. Being on a hillside it is a little out of the way but then again, that's why we picked it! 

Date of stay: March 2006
Purpose of stay: Leisure (With Partner)