Le Agavi — Hotel in Positano

BOOK AT YOUR RISK Room smelled of sewage due to faulty bathroom drain design - probably the same issue in each room. We complained every day - they didn't fix or compensate us. This is an EXPENSIVE hotel. I emailed the following to hotel manager (Capilongo Giovanni) May 17, 2019; my travel agent emailed them... as of June 28 still no response ... Since they don't deal well with big problems imagine how little response you'll get for small problems.

"Mr Giovanni,

I am disappointed to have not heard from you. Please discuss with your front desk staff and Reservations manager about my daily complaints regarding the persistent and strong smell of sewage in our room.

I noticed the smell when we were given the tour by Stefano…I noticed that the bathroom door was closed and that Stefano did not open it despite the very thorough tour of the rest of the room. The bathroom window was open… so it is clear that your staff new about the horrible smell in the bathroom. We liked the room and tried to clear the smell from the room but no luck – before unpacking I complained about the smell. Maintenance was quick to arrive with exactly the right tools to open the drain … again, your staff know about the problem in this room otherwise how would they know exactly how to try to address it. The next day I asked to speak to the manager. I was told you were not available. I did show your Reservations manager (I forget his name) the problem. I understood that you would be made aware of the problem and my complaint. Were you made aware? I traced the problem to the 3 drains in the bathroom – shower, floor and next to toilet. Clearly the “P” trap between these drains and the sewer is missing … so sewage gases are constantly flowing into the room. Its an easy fix, but not while there are guests in the room. Of course covering the drains is not sufficient – the towels were not air tight – and on 2 nights we had a hard time sleeping due to the overpowering smell of sewage. Gross. Each day I would cover the drains as best I could using towels, bags, etc. Each day I would tell the front desk to NOT move the things off the floor. Each day housekeeping/maintenance would remove the items and the room would again stink by the time we returned. One day I left the message to NOT clean the bathroom and even positioned the luggage rack in front of the bathroom door…it was all moved, bathroom cleaned and drains uncovered.

Mr Giovanni we paid a lot of money for the room – views are spectacular but the experience was very unpleasant.

Our daily complaints about the smell of sewage and daily complaints about the undoing of our attempts to make breathing in the room more bearable should have been enough to make your staff, and you personally, aware that we were unhappy. Yet by our last day no one had offered compensation of any kind, or offered to move us to a better room. I had to tell your front desk that I was unhappy about our experience and, again, wanted to speak to the Manager. You were unavailable. Only after stating the obvious, was our parking and room tax waived – total cost to Le Agavi of Eu 30 as you incurred no cost to have us park there. We paid almost Eu 2,000 for 3 nights; Le Agavi waived Eu 30. That’s 1.5%.

Mr Giovanni I used to run a cruise ferry which included onboard a hotel (cabins), restaurants, casino, gift shops and more. I have dealt with upset and unhappy...

I don’t usually write reviews — it takes time, which I rarely have. But I’m making an exception for Le Agavi because they’ve earned it.||From the moment we arrived, the experience was outstanding. The location is perched above Positano, away from the crowded downtown. The setting is peaceful and private, giving you the beauty of the Amalfi Coast without the chaos. At the same time, it’s easy to reach town thanks to the hotel’s complimentary hourly shuttle service, which gives you the best of both worlds — seclusion when you want it, and quick access when you don’t.||The views are simply breathtaking. The hotel feels like it’s floating above the coast, with amazing views of the Mediterranean and Positano’s hillside. Morning coffee on the terrace became a ritual for me, and evenings at sunset were transformational at that tme of day. ||The staff is truly exceptional. Ultra-friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely attentive, they go out of their way to make you feel cared for. Whether it was something for the room, restaurant reservations, tour suggestions, or small details we didn’t even think to ask for, they handled it with warmth and efficiency.||The layout of the hotel deserves mention. Built into the cliffs, every terrace, pathway, and level maximizes the views, so you’re constantly connected to the sea and hillside. Getting around by funicular adds to the charm — it’s unusual at first, but easy to navigate once you get the rhythm, and it makes the property feel like part of the landscape itself.||The food was excellent all around, especially the breakfast buffet were there was a guitarist and mandolin player to complete the experience ( see pic)||A few minor criticisms: coffee at the breakfast buffet really shouldn’t come with an extra charge. Niether should an omelette if you want one. the water taxi to central Positano is €25 for a five-minute ride, which feels steep and should be included ( I would factor it nto the room rate). During peak hours, the van shuttle to town fills quickly — running it more frequently ( every 1/2 hour) would be an improvement on the service.||In summary, I can't reccomend Le Agavi enough. So much so we will make it an anuual family...

The sights from our room were truly incredible ! It’s such a stunning view, feels unreal. It is off to the town which for us we enjoyed bc it’s very private and picturesque. There’s a shuttle to get in the town w no problem and frankly exploring inside the town seemed miserable if you didn’t have a motorbike bc all the stairs/hills and such . We were very happy with where we were at

Def think it’s a better resort for couples than families

The staff is amazing . Very friendly and hospitable. Everyone seems diligent in their work and providing service.

The spa experience was exceptional and you get the spa to yourself , highly recommend !!

Now the cons.. It’s April 19 for us now and there is no AC in the rooms. It’s been miserable. The room is 77 degrees plus so it’s very hot to sleep in. First night I woke up blistering hot. The second night was chilly but only bc there was a storm that was keeping you up all night since you have to keep the windows open to survive. Last night it was yet again super hot and then a mosquito was eating me up so it’s hot enough for mosquitoes but not for AC?For $1000 a night at a 5 star hotel it is ludicrous. Getting a good nights rest is crucial to a vacation and deserved. As much as I love it here I wouldn’t have booked if I knew ahead of time. We heard other people complaining at breakfast and taking over an hour just to get back to sleep so it’s not just us. It’s unacceptable really

The breakfast was a sort of disappointment. We’ve been to high end and mid tier hotels all through Italy and each one has served meat cuts and cheeses with their breakfast . It’s Italian tradition. Not here . You must pay almost 50 euros to get that. It was mainly pastries. Also 8 euros for a cola. We ran into a couple on the shuttle that told us the restaurant despite pushing the Michelin tag was also not worth it and we believed them based on the breakfast experience so cancelled our dinner reservation

High end does not simply mean high prices and they’re missing the mark on this concept

Lastly I’d add some bravado to the pool experience…offer a poolside menu, maybe some spritz happy hour where it’s not 20 euros a drink....