Villa Maria

Only one receptionist speaks English, which seems inadequate for a hotel in a tourist destination. The rooms are noisy, and you can hear the whole hotel talking. Breakfast was poor, with the same food, little choice, and almost no refills. The worst part was that during our five days there, we never got clean towels. When we left them on the floor for replacement, they just picked them up and hung them back on the hooks. Bad hygiene.

The staff were very kind and helpful, and we liked the breakfast. We got a newly renovated room, and there are lots of restaurants nearby.

The room itself was good and clean, and the man at breakfast was genuinely lovely. Expedia were great in helping with our complaints and agreed that the hotel was in the wrong. The manager, or at least the man who was around all the time during our stay, was incredibly rude. He was so unpleasant that I’d never want to go back. We checked in with four people with the overnight team member, who spoke little English, but everything was fine. The next day, after we’d been out, the manager cornered us and claimed there should only be three of us. Voices were raised, and he tried to suggest we leave. He then accused us of being racist toward Italians and said all four of us were causing trouble, even though only two of us were there. There was also a dispute about breakfast. He said we were causing trouble because he, or the hotel company, had set up their Expedia page incorrectly, even though every room we bought there clearly included breakfast. We did get breakfast after pushing properly, but he never admitted he was wrong. Expedia still advertises breakfast as included in all rooms. Expedia says the base rate is for two people per room. The hotel had obviously set this up wrong and blamed Expedia, but Expedia only does what the owner tells them to do. Either way, it wasn’t our problem, and he struggled to understand that. My emails to and from the site were polite, though I’m not sure if the same person was replying. To the hotel: don’t blame your guests for your mistakes.

The rooms are good, and the facilities are about right for a three-star hotel. But the manager was unfriendly, loud, and unhelpful to guests. He spoke only Italian, shouted and teased, and I couldn’t relax. Breakfast was very poor. Lunch and dinner were made with ready-made fish and vegetables. It all made the boss seem very stingy. This was a bad choice.