Hotel Riva

Maybe our expectations were too high, but we were extremely disappointed. I travel often for work and pleasure and have never seen a 4-star hotel like this. The young receptionist was friendly at check-in, but the lobby felt unwelcoming. It looked renovated, yet still old and even dirty. The parking lot was about 400m from the hotel and very hard to find. Our room was tiny, like an old-style Ibis, and the bathroom was tiny and old too. The air conditioning didn't cool properly, the room was hot, and the toilet kept running. The young receptionist was friendly and said she'd try to find us another room when I explained the size, heat, and toilet problem. At first she said the hotel was fully booked. When I said we'd leave and find somewhere else, she mentioned a family room might be available but she wasn't sure she could give it to us, and needed a few minutes to speak with her manager on the phone. When I returned, she said the hotel was full and there was no solution. We left, but were charged the full rate, including for breakfast we never had. The staff were friendly but clearly couldn't do much. The room was nowhere near 4-star standard, and it's a shame we got no compensation.

The breakfast was a real highlight for me, with loads to choose from and cakes that were so good. Our room was clean and cozy, and the staff were helpful and very polite. Riva Hotel is about 100m from the nearest beach and roughly a 10-minute walk from the Budello. We came in August, the busiest week of the year, and I thought the price was reasonable for the location. I'd definitely consider staying here again.

Breakfast was top, and the food was good too. The service was very helpful and good in general. The hotel itself is nice, with renovated rooms, though the bathrooms are too small. The location is really good, but finding a parking space is difficult.

For the price, I couldn't have asked for more. The staff were very nice, and breakfast was good, with coffee served. Our room was simple but clean, and the hotel is close to the promenade. We had a very good stay.