Hotel Poggio

The breakfast coffee was burnt, and the machines were dirty. In general, the stay was disappointing, and this definitely didn't feel like a four-star hotel. The hotel is very old and smells bad. The pool is small, dirty, and uncomfortable, with no decent loungers around it. It's right by the entrance and next to the breakfast tables. We stayed two nights, and nobody cleaned it. Upstairs, the only outdoor area was dirty too, with old artificial grass. Construction had replaced the jacuzzi, and nobody told us before we arrived or apologized. When we complained, all we got was, "It is what it is!" If you want to walk down to the village, don't bring a stroller. The stairs are very narrow.

I won't come back because of the poor service at breakfast. The woman at reception, who looked around 50 to 55, was very nice and helpful. But Giulia, the girl serving breakfast in the morning, was rude and had very bad manners with everyone who asked her for help. I don't think she should be working in hospitality.

We keep coming back, and after more than 12 years this hotel still hasn't disappointed us. It's within walking distance of the city center, and the reception staff are always kind. The renovated rooms are clean, spacious, with a big shower and a comfortable bed. We especially like the driver's room, where you can park right in front of your room. It's also handy when you need a break after a long drive, since it's close to the highway. Despite that, it's very quiet inside and you can't hear the motorway.

The highway access was convenient, and we could walk to the center. We stayed one night on our honeymoon trip from Milan to Barcelona. The room was nice, and the wooden ceiling beams gave it a bit of character. The crib we'd asked for was in the room, but it had two fairly large holes in the side, which seemed like a safety risk. I liked that the bathroom had larger refillable soap bottles, though the shower gel was empty. Breakfast was the bigger letdown. One coffee machine was broken, and the other spilled coffee onto the floor. Half the table was marmalade and the other half sugar cakes. They were meant to have eggs and bacon, but after we told staff the plates were empty and waited a long time, they brought four slices of bacon for us to share. The buffet itself was never replenished, even though we were there at 8:15 and breakfast ran from 7 to 10. There was no allergen information on display, and very little to choose from for anyone with food allergies.