Villaggio Albergo Belmonte

Please don’t repeat our mistake. This was the worst place I’ve stayed in Calabria, and it was my third time in the region. I didn’t expect such a bad experience. We came on a tour with ITAKA, but the rooms were small, old and smelly, and there was hardly any food, just pathetic portions. We paid quite a lot for what was the worst experience in Italy. Please don’t choose this hotel.

Great views, good food, and English is spoken.

The hotel itself is stunning and in a wonderful location, but once you’ve looked around, it feels like you’re stuck there. The meals besides breakfast were poor and disappointing, and there was no alternative if you didn’t like them. The infrastructure is very poor, and getting a ride to a nearby town is a nightmare. The owner was rude and seemed completely insensitive to guests’ needs, despite knowing there is little to do at the hotel beyond going to bed. There’s no working TV, no music or entertainment. The hotel sits high on a mountain between two charming towns, but neither is reachable in the evening. You can walk on a road with no sidewalk or take the unlit red trail. The hotel charges 10 euros per person for a lift to the station, the only way out besides walking 8 km, including 3.5 km along the main road without a sidewalk. The staff were really nice, but half the guests left during our stay and the rest looked fed up. Even if we got out, we had to be back by 7 p.m., since the paid shuttle would only pick us up until then. The Polish woman working there was a disgrace, unhelpful and rude. It’s a shame, because the place is so beautiful, but the memories are poor. Our group called it Alcatraz, and the owner seemed to think he ran a retirement home instead of a holiday hotel. There are supposedly two bars, but the place was dead quiet. There was no TV, kettle, fridge or safe. Our e-cigarette went missing on the first day, so we were probably keeping an eye on our cash. We had to walk several kilometers on a very busy road to get tomatoes, which you probably won’t find at the hotel. I won’t forget this for a long time. I don’t recommend it.

Really, really beautiful place, and the view is spectacular! The setting is well cared for, though there’s still room to improve. Watching the sunset from there is something special. The food could be better: I ate there three times and was never blown away, so there’s a lot of room for improvement. The bathrooms were extremely clean, but the automatic soap dispensers had dead batteries. The waiters were quick and very polite, great job! The view is what earned it five stars. 🔝