Hotel Excelsior Bari – By Farace Hotels

After a day that had already gone on for more than 22 hours, the front desk team went out of their way for me when I lost my cell phone. One staff member made an important local call on my behalf, and Francesca and the rest of the desk staff were stellar. The food was delicious too, and the bar maid was exceptional. The hotel itself is lovely and well appointed, but the people are the reason I’ll come back.

The staff were kind and helpful, and had arranged everything we asked for before we arrived. Breakfast was better than I expected: there was always something to eat, and freshly brewed coffee was available at no extra cost instead of using the machine. The restaurant, though, felt plain and not especially cozy. We picked the hotel for a business trip because it’s right beside the central train station. For a few days it worked, but the neighborhood was noisy and not very pleasant. Our room was clean and tidied every day, though quite small, with hangers but no wardrobe shelves, so we couldn’t really unpack. The view was unattractive and the elevators took a while. We left with a positive impression overall, despite those smaller drawbacks.

I’m following up because my first negative review is no longer visible, and I don’t think it’s acceptable to hide it. Your reply sounded dismissive and implied we didn’t understand ordinary check-out terms. Please ask Booking to verify how many reservations we’ve made in the past year, let alone over at least the last ten years. It’s not professional to answer a negative opinion by acting superior to customers in public. The location was one of the positives I mentioned, and other guests’ reviews helped us decide to book. But your response also questioned why we hadn’t raised everything during our stay. We did. I told the woman at reception what I felt was unfair and said I would leave a review later. She simply ignored me. Reviews reflect real experiences, they aren’t written casually or because someone has nothing better to do. About the water charge, yes, we paid 3 euros for one bottle. We also paid the city tax in cash at reception when we checked in. If you have cameras there, check them and confirm this, instead of dismissing what I’ve said. And about the credit card, I’ve never had a receptionist at a reputable establishment take my card details and write them by hand on a simple form. You also brought up the shared areas: there’s a restaurant to the left of the entrance, the breakfast restaurant, and rooms for conferences or events. There was even some kind of party one evening. I’m mentioning those spaces now, but they weren’t the subject of my review, so there was no need for the ironic remark that we didn’t enjoy them.

The rooms are plain, though larger than you usually find by Italian standards. Breakfast food was excellent, and the bar is amazing. The public areas are beautiful too. I’d stay here again.