Casa Hotel Civitella

Really good.

The interior is lovely and well looked after, with good cleanliness and a family-friendly service. It's in a beautiful village in the Alto Sangro area, not far from the center. Outside could use a bit more refinement, though. Sound carries badly, so you can hear what's happening in the hall and other rooms.

The heating in each room can be adjusted at any time, which we really appreciated. The property is well maintained, and the owners are extremely kind and always ready to help. I stayed three days, found the rooms very clean, and enjoyed the delicious homemade cakes at breakfast. It's also very well placed for visiting the park.

We spotted deer and even the occasional fawn outside. Parking is on the street, despite a no-parking sign, and there are three spaces for the hotel, apparently the fewest among the available rooms. I booked the day before by phone for a quadruple room for two nights, but ended up asking to leave a day early. Sorry about that. The room was neat and clean, but definitely not luxurious. Maybe it was just me, but it felt very cramped for four people. The balconies only look down onto the garden. In the afternoon and again in the morning, there was a strong sewage smell from the bathroom. We didn't say anything because we felt bad about checking out early. There's no refrigerator or air conditioning in the room. Breakfast was okay, a modest buffet with a few cold cuts, cakes and tarts, and packaged jam. I wondered how much of it was really artisanal. The woman serving was kind. I think the staff are all family, and they're friendly. Still, when we've travelled with our two children, other places have asked if we needed water or anything else. Without a fridge in the room, keeping fresh water around is difficult. We've usually preferred small apartments on trips, and the quadruple rooms we've booked before have been well stocked. Thanks for the experience.