Hotel Terme Metropole – Oriental Spa & Resort

One of my best experiences ever. A very good hotel in Abano, kept in great condition, with excellent spa and Ayurveda services.

I've stayed at other GB group hotels, and this was the worst one so far. At check-in, nobody explained how anything worked, so I had to figure it out myself. There were few staff around, they seemed rushed, and they weren't helpful or friendly. The brochure said I could have breakfast in my robe, but when I tried, a man rudely told me I couldn't and should stay outside and order from the waiter. There was no menu, and the waiter brought only some of the things I don't eat after misunderstanding my order. At checkout, they just took payment and showed no interest in whether I'd enjoyed the stay. I tried it once and won't return. Trieste&Victoria and due torri have much better service and hospitality.

The pools and treatments are top notch, and the food was amazing. Full board is worth considering, though there's a dress code at lunch and dinner, which I actually liked. The hotel also puts on free activities like stargazing, bicycle trips and aqua aerobics. The Basic and Classic rooms are dated and need renovation, and WiFi is slow with patchy signal across most of the hotel. Only key staff, such as managers, speak English, so you'll need Google Translate if you don't speak German, French or Italian. I'd probably visit again next year.

The pools are superb and the service was really fast. The piazza is about a kilometer and a half or two away, so you need to be able to walk that distance. I can't give it five stars because the hotel controls when the air conditioning is switched on. I'm convinced it's to save money, and we suffered through the first two nights until I insisted and they gave me a fan for the room.