Apartment Egidio

The room didn't resemble the photos. The mini fridge was broken, breakfast was plain, and the shower, though pretty, wasn't practical: there was nowhere to hang a towel or set shampoo bottles, and the drain backed up until the floor flooded. The owner wouldn't offer money back, saying the booking was non-refundable even though the stay was awful. I wish I'd read the reviews here first. There are plenty of other places around, so please don't stay here.

The building has its quirks, which you'd expect from a palazzo more than 170 years old, but the modern amenities all worked perfectly for us. The showers, bathrooms, and air conditioning were clean and in good shape. The rooms were very spacious, the staff were friendly and helpful, and we got upgraded to a suite when we arrived. They even let us check in several hours early. It's a cozy hotel in a beautiful, well-kept building, and we couldn't have been happier.

The stairs are enormous, and there is no lift, so this place isn't suitable for disabled guests. Carrying a 25 kg suitcase up them made that very clear. Also, if you arrive late, expect an extra charge of 25 to 50 euros. We came for a special occasion and had a nice room. It wasn't one of the fresco rooms, but it was still large, beautifully decorated, and furnished with exquisite pieces. The bathroom was spacious and had a bathtub and amenities. I don't remember being bothered by noise, but there's not much of a view: the street is narrow, and the main thing you see is the neighbor across the way smoking at his window. One more thing, the spa and pool mentioned on the website aren't part of the hotel. They're just facilities on another floor of the same building.

By the end, this had become the worst holiday experience of my life. We chose the hotel for its location, and at first the room looked fine, but the problems kept emerging. The A/C didn't work and leaked. I had put my suitcase under it, even though it was mounted much too high, and found all my luggage soaked, including my £1350 laptop. It was 35 degrees, there was no air conditioning, and we couldn't sleep at all. Reception shut at 8 pm, so we were left to manage through the night. The next day they put two buckets in the room to catch the water, which left us with buckets of water and, probably, a lot of mosquitoes. I told the staff, but they seemed unable to make a decision without calling the owner. Their only suggestion was a different room with a double bed, while we'd booked a twin. I didn't want to share a bed with a grown man, which would have been uncomfortable too. I spoke to four different receptionists over our two-day stay, so I had to explain everything repeatedly. It never seemed to get passed on or taken seriously. They had no fans to offer and wouldn't move another bed into a different room. They were completely out of their depth and unprepared. Even the shower didn't drain, though that was the least of our problems. I was badly bitten, either by bedbugs or mosquitoes. My friend wasn't bitten at all, so I suspect bedbugs, but I can't be sure. I've been to places with far more mosquitoes and never had bites this bad. I would avoid this hotel at all costs. They couldn't handle basic problems or come up with an appropriate solution.