Val di Luce Spa Resort

I booked a room in November 2023 for my partner's birthday in March 2024. Shortly before the stay, the hotel said they were ending the winter season early and cancelled the booking. It's August now and my refund still hasn't come through. Am I supposed to wait until winter?

The staff were friendly and efficient, and the kids' playroom had lots of toys, though the older guy running activities seemed odd. I stayed in the Family room, which had a balcony, two bathrooms, and a nice low rate. The interiors and furniture were great, and the room, beds, and bathrooms were nice. The dining restaurant served well-prepared seafood dishes and had a good wine list. The SPA was very nice, especially the hot tub area with several tubs. I loved the outdoor tub surrounded by snow, as well as the dry sauna and Turkish bath. By the end of ski season, though, the baths area needed repairs and some work. Keep track of what you order and have charged to your room. My final bill seemed a little high, but they quickly removed the charges I disagreed with, including an error in the room rate, wine price, and desserts. Maybe they were confused because I had got a nice low price for the Family room. For me, it's the best hotel in the Abetone area.

This was our third visit, and it was good to see the same VDL team again. The whole staff were attentive and welcoming, and our room was clean and comfortable. We had no complaints about it. The food was great as usual, and breakfast was fantastic before a day of skiing. We had an early flight, and reception put together a very good breakfast bag for us. The break itself was lovely, but the daytime conferences organized by the resort for various companies got in the way. They could be noisy, and guests couldn't use the lounge, leaving us and others with only the bar or reception seating. If conferences continue on that scale, the hotel needs another lounge where guests can relax. It's a good hotel, but the business events spoiled some of the downtime. A guest lounge is needed.

We were traveling around Northern Italy with my kids, 14 and 10, and thought we'd add some skiing. We don't like crowds, so Abetone seemed like a good choice this time of year. After a long drive, I wanted one stop to feel special. I found this place on trivago, with a small discount and SPA included, which sounded great after the slopes. It didn't turn out the way I expected, and for the price I paid, my expectations were too high. We arrived late to check in after exploring Florence all day. I thought we'd get a key, take a shower, and maybe enjoy the SPA. There was no key ready because of the card system, which they said needed resetting. In the room, only the minimum lights worked, so there was no shower or even toilet, and the TV remote didn't work either. These things can happen. I thought we might still get some time to relax in the SPA, but children are only allowed until a certain time, and use of the SPA costs extra. I understand kids can be difficult and extra charges aren't unusual, but I don't remember either of these being mentioned when we booked. After all that, I thought they'd offer something back, but they didn't. I asked about a late checkout to see how they'd respond, and they offered it for 50% of the full price. Not even a coffee, tea, or water. They may not be worried about me coming back, but this kind of thing shouldn't happen at the most expensive place in the area. Still, there were good points: the room was very nice and clean, the restaurant was good, breakfast was great, the hotel was next to the slopes, and ski rental was in the house. The staff were also very friendly and did their best to fix our problems. I work in a similar industry, yachting, so I know what high-end service involves, including offering compensation when the service hasn't met what clients expect.