Hotel Caminetto

The misunderstanding over the garage cost us 70 euro, and nobody wanted to clarify it. At check-in I was told the garage was free, but the charge appeared at check-out, so I'm taking off one star. The rest of our winter stay was wonderful. The hotel is in a perfect spot, just a few steps from the funicular railway, so there was no need for a car or skibus. We had very good food, cozy warm rooms, a spacious ski room for equipment, and a nice lobby bar to unwind in after skiing. Special thanks to our waiter Flori, who looked after us the whole stay. Management, give him a raise or a bonus! :)

The mold is the reason to avoid this place. We spent a week here on a ski trip. The food was really good and portions were large, and the spa had several saunas, a jacuzzi, and sports equipment. There was no ventilation in the rooms or toilet. The hotel ran the radiators for only a few hours each day, and there was no drying rack for ski gear. Opening the window for fresh air meant a cold night. Some rooms have mold, though I couldn't see it and think it may have been under the carpet. I didn't notice the smell much until I got home, when all my clothes smelled moldy, even things left in the bag. With hardly any storage, I kept my clothes bag on the floor and it ended up smelling too. The wardrobe was huge, but had only two drawers and a dozen hangers. Dinner choices had to be made a day ahead from four options. That's a good system, but we were told our choice was unavailable, then saw it served to new Italian guests ten minutes later. We're not Italian, so I guess that's our fault. The wet sauna smelled odd, and I wasn't sure why until I realized it was the moldiest part of the hotel. I had to throw away my bathing suit.

We're at the end of another stay at Hotel Caminetto this year, and it's sad to say goodbye again. There's something about this exceptional place that keeps bringing us back. The food is good, the staff are fantastic, and the location is ideal for snow sports. All our kids learned to ski and snowboard properly here. They'll follow in our footsteps and keep coming back.

The breakfasts and dinners were tasty, especially the different kinds of pasta. I wouldn't recommend the fish, though. It often smelled bad, like mud, and maybe it hadn't been rinsed properly. Service was polite, but we did run into some strange moments. For example, the room manager wouldn't let me have breakfast in flip-flops without socks. He sent me back to the room, then patted me on the shoulder and called me a good boy. The hotel is conveniently close to the ski lift and has a large spa, but the jacuzzi is filled with bromine. That's banned in several countries and, in large quantities, makes guests cough persistently. Staff didn't see a problem with it. The rooms have no ventilation, and heaters only run for several hours, so we couldn't dry our clothes after snowboarding. This hotel definitely doesn't deserve four stars. There's clearly a lot that needs improving.