Hotel Castello Di Septe

Last year I took a Disney cruise director here for dinner. The food was excellent, but the head waiter’s service was terrible. We waited 45 minutes just to get the menu, and had to ask again and again for wine and water that never arrived. Several other tables were just as unimpressed that night. The head waiter was holding up the service. I’ll go back, hoping for a better experience.

We had dinner at this beautiful castle and were blown away. For my husband's birthday, they seated the two of us in a candlelit turret, which was impossible to top. The food was delicious, the service was great, and the atmosphere was amazing. The castle has been beautifully upgraded, and the grounds are immaculate. It’s in the heart of Italy.

The hotel and grounds are lovely, but our stay was made unpleasant by the reception staff. They flatly refused to arrange any help with our bags from the car, so I had to carry them up to our rooms. All three staff members we dealt with were atrocious, more like what you’d expect at a one- or two-star hotel. My wife became ill after eating the fish pasta. She’s a nurse and felt sure that was the cause. Reception was dismissive and didn’t believe us, and they didn’t remove the lunch charge from the bill. We paid for a meal that left my wife sick, and she missed our last evening out with friends. A real shame, especially as those friends live nearby and run a B&B. They often want places to recommend to their visitors, but I can’t recommend this one. Good service matters when you stay somewhere, and reception let the place down. There were two weddings happening while we were there. The hotel seems to cater mainly for weddings, and it felt as if those events took priority over other guests.

Great food, good service, and a very nice range of wines. I’ll come again.