Hotel San Rocco

We spent 2 nights here, and there were too many little hassles for the stay to feel relaxing. Maybe things would be very different in summer, but I suspect events just conspired against us. The room and bathroom were spacious, though the electrical outlets were hit and miss. Getting them to work took a not-so-obvious combination of the plug and wall switches. The front desk lady even started up the espresso machine for me while the bar was closed, which was kind of her. We could walk to Muggia port in around 15-20 minutes, so the location is OK, barriers aside. On arrival, we followed the signs but couldn't get in because road works were making marina access difficult. The hotel had emailed a warning 24 hours earlier, but some email mix-up with the agent (expedia/hotels.com) meant I didn't see it. It took us 35 minutes of driving and walking around just to check in. To reach the hotel parking, you have to pass through multiple barriers, press the "call" button, then wait for someone to answer and open up. A couple of times, security were quite skeptical and I had to persuade them to let me in or out. Sometimes no one answered for several minutes. You have to go through the same procedure to leave. Security is tight here.

The room's shower was Fantastico, breakfast was excellent, and covered parking came with the stay. Staff were friendly and helpful, and it was good value for the money. The double room was a bit noisy because its window opened onto the busy road below, and the bed felt too firm for us. Trieste Centre is about a 45 minute bus ride (€1.20) or a 30 minute ferry ride (€8.40) away. We took the ferry there and the bus back.

Muggia is enchanting, with places to eat and drink for all budgets, and the ferry to Trieste leaves from the port, about a 20 minute walk into town. The marina complex is struggling to survive, though there are still some places to eat and drink. Il Bilaterale is quite swanky. At the hotel, the staff were friendly, the breakfasts good, and the rooms large. They cleaned daily, left towels, and put out a fresh 1 litre bottle of water. The air conditioning was very good. The lovely pool is a 4 minutes walk away, with a friendly husband and wife team looking after it. The underground car park is 5 minutes walk away. If you're driving to and from the complex, the hotel sends you a QR code for your phone. The first time is a bit clunky, but it all gets sorted. We recommend it.

The view was nice, and the rooms were quiet, but we're really sorry we booked this hotel. The staff seemed entitled and wouldn't do anything beyond basic check-in. There was almost no hospitality, like being served by civil servants in a government facility. The swimming pool was below a 4-star level, with locals acting bossy toward children playing with a little plastic ball. Breakfast was below average too, with no baguettes and the coffee machine broken almost the entire time.