Starhotels Michelangelo

The breakfast was excellent, fresh, varied, and seemed to be made on-site. They provided a coffee maker, electric kettle, and complimentary water. The refillable dispensers for shampoo, conditioner, and body wash were a nice sustainable touch. We were three, so the couch was converted into a bed, where I slept well. The hotel itself was comfortable and pleasant. A few bathroom details could be improved. The shower and tub combination may be unsafe for older guests or anyone with balance problems, even with a safety handle and emergency pull cord. With no curtain or door, water splashes onto the floor, which gets slippery even if you put a towel down. There are just two robe hooks, and the towel racks sit awkwardly under the sink beside the toilet and trash can. There's no good spot to hang wet towels. On cruise ships, towels are hung on racks for reuse and put on the floor only when they need replacing. That simple, environmentally conscious setup could work here.

The rooms are a good size and excellent, and the hotel has a modern feel with good staffing. It's not far from the river. The food was okay, and around the corner there are some good self restaurants worth visiting.

The shower ran mud instead of water. That was where the problems really escalated, though the worn furniture and dated bathroom had already made the four-star hotel feel like it was near the end of its life. Maybe events across the street at the Leopolda help keep it going. I was staying there for an event, and after I complained, I was handed a key to a room described as equal in value. I repacked and carried my own bags over, with no offer of help, then found a room that clearly wasn't equivalent. It was run down, with no bathrobes, torn curtains, yellowed plaster in the bathroom, cracks in the walls, and a couple of brief power cuts at 8 in the morning. There wasn't even a small upgrade or apology for the inconvenience. I don't enjoy judging people's work harshly, and a mistake can happen, but this felt like more than a simple mistake. The stay was thoroughly forgettable, and the property needs major renovation. One other oddity: scrambled eggs at breakfast cost extra, the first time I've seen that at a four-star hotel.

The cleanliness was the worst we've experienced, especially for the price. There were spiders, webs all around the corners of the walls, insects, and even butterflies in the room. When we complained, staff showed us another room, but it had the same problem with spiders and butterflies. Breakfast was below average and not what we'd expect at this price. For compensation, we got a 10% restaurant discount and the €30 city tax charge was removed, but neither made up for the uncomfortable stay. We were very unhappy and wouldn't recommend the property unless its cleanliness and overall service improve significantly.