Hotel La Fenice

I picked this place mainly for the price and location, since my only reason for coming to Cattolica was to meet family friends. The owners were at least kind, so I’m grateful for their hospitality, but I won’t stay here again. The building looked to me like it dated from the late 70s or early 80s, judging by the flooring and bathroom decor. The bathroom was only a couple of square metres, and with the shower enclosure closed there wasn’t room to use the toilet. Its bottom edge was also a tripping hazard. I might have overlooked that if the room had been clean, but it wasn’t. There was dirt under the bed and hair all over the toilet. The cleaner seemed to rush and used a mop that clearly wasn’t clean. I complained at reception, and they sent her back while we were having breakfast. I had to ask her to wait because we still needed to get ready, and I hate feeling pressured on holiday, especially during my only five days off that year. The cleaning was just the same job repeated, so I stopped complaining. I wore slippers in the room, even though I normally go barefoot, and couldn’t shake the disgusted feeling. I have photos but decided not to publish them, out of respect for the owners’ kindness. Breakfast also disappointed me a little. I’m used to the amazing service in the Alps, so I lowered my expectations a lot. The decor was pretty much nonexistent, very plain. There are lots of pool photos when you look up the hotel, but the pool belongs to Stella Marina beach, isn’t physically at the hotel, and costs extra. The “tassa di soggiorno at 3% of total cost of stay” was an extra charge too.