Settentrionale Esplanade

The restaurant team were amazing, though the reception staff were the opposite. The hotel is very old and urgently needs upgrades throughout. During our Cosmos Tour, several schools were staying at the hotel too. Children and teenagers ran around and made noise until after midnight, with no intervention from teachers or hotel staff. There was no kettle in the room or available for it, and no heating or air conditioning was offered. The lift could fit only one person with one suitcase at a time. Some lights flickered or didn't work, and the shower drained very slowly. I wouldn't recommend it for a relaxing stay.

The location was good, and some of the staff were very nice. The chef and bakers were great, especially the pastries, though the rest of breakfast was mediocre. The hotel may have been lovely once, but it's now worn around the edges, and the high turnover from tour groups shows. I'm not sure how it can call itself a four-star hotel. My single room was tiny, the bed felt as hard as wood, and it was very noisy. Eight nights of poor sleep were a real problem for me.

The staff weren't helpful from the start and seemed annoyed when I asked questions. When I asked about opening times for the thermal baths in Montecatini, they gave me the wrong information. I also found out too late that the pool closes in certain months. That wasn't mentioned on the hotel website or Booking.com, and having a pool was a major reason I chose the hotel. The furniture was old and scratched all over. When I raised it, staff called it “vintage”, but to me it was just furniture that hadn't been replaced in decades. The shared areas smelled stale, so relaxing there was difficult. The old building clearly hadn't been renovated in years. The doors were extremely noisy, and there was no soundproofing, so I could hear everything from the street and hallway in my room. The breakfast cost just 10€, and the limited buffet selection was disappointing. What I hoped would be a nice getaway in Montecatini turned out much less relaxing. Luckily, I only stayed a few nights. From the building to the staff, it was an awful stay.

Don't stay here expecting a quiet or comfortable night. Our fourth-floor room was boiling, with no airflow, because the air conditioning didn't work. Staff said government regulations were the reason and showed no apology or concern. Opening the windows wasn't an option, since mosquitoes and the ridiculous noise from downstairs would come straight in. At 22:15, several rooms full of teenagers from school groups were yelling and screaming in the halls. Reception said they wouldn't intervene because it was still “early”. The service was disgusting, and I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone.