AC Hotel Brescia by Marriott

The room was dirty, dusty, and smelly, with filthy curtains and bedsheets that looked like they hadn’t been changed. The hotel is also at a junction with nothing around it, so check the map. In the middle of winter, with 3°C outside, our heating only blew cold air. They moved us to another room, but it had the same problem. Reception checked twice, then asked us to leave it running for 15 minutes. They said they’d find us a room with working heat, but never came back. Later they called to offer extra blankets for the freezing room, so we decided to leave. They promised a full refund, then changed their mind and still charged us after Trip.com contacted them. Another guest reported the same heating problem at reception, so it seemed to be a known issue. Absolutely disgusting.

The staff were very welcoming, and the Wi-Fi was good. My room was big and clean, with a comfortable bed and a good bathroom. There’s free open parking, too. Probably the best option in Brescia, in my opinion.

We were tired after our flight arrived late in Milan and needed somewhere to sleep before continuing our drive, so we booked just 20 minutes before arriving. The hotel and its location turned out to be nothing like the website description. It’s completely isolated in an, to put it nicely, “unfavorable” part of town, with nothing around. It’s neither “a gem” nor a short distance from the city centre. I’m a Bonvoy Platinum Elite member and have never had a problem cancelling a reservation without a penalty. After several attempts to discuss this with management, they told me they would charge for the room. I’d guess they needed the revenue, since there were no more than three cars in the parking lot. There can’t have been many people willing to stay at this kind of establishment.

The location was okay, though it felt a little out of town. We didn’t have a car. It’s about a 20-minute walk to the train station and 15 minutes to the old town. The front desk staff could be friendlier by US expectations. The room was great and large by European standards. The shower and bathroom, including the bidet, were great, and the bathrobe and sandals were a nice touch. There was also a fridge and lock box, and breakfast buffet was good.