Hotel Residence Matteotti

The kitchenette in the room was a lifesaver, and they were ready to help whenever we needed anything. We were welcomed warmly and given everything we needed. The location may be a bit far from the city center, but tourist spots are easy to reach by car. Highly recommended.

The only elevator was out of order for my whole stay, with a notice on the door that looked suspiciously old and promised it would be fixed the next day. There was also no sound isolation between rooms. I could hear even a quiet phone conversation from across the hall. When we arrived, nobody was there to let us through the front entrance. We waited nearly 10 minutes until a guest with the entry code came along and let us in. Hard to believe this place has a 4-star rating. Nothing worked as it should.

After all that, the apartment itself was very basic, noisy, and had worn-out linen and deeply uncomfortable beds. I’m not recommending this place. I arrived at 10:20 p.m., but reception was closed even though my booking confirmation said it stayed open until 11. I called the contact number and the woman refused to check me in, instead naming other hotels in town. I insisted on checking in and then waited an hour in the cold. Eventually the receptionist told me to go to another hotel two minutes away, where there was a proper reception and waiting area. She could have sent me there an hour earlier while sorting this out. She asked my name, and her PDA clearly showed one pending check-in under my name, so I don’t know why she wasn’t willing to check me in. After completing the check-in formalities, she charged my card twice the booking amount. I’m still waiting for the balance to be refunded.

It felt like having a little place of my own in Novara. The apartment had a comfortable bathroom and a very good kitchenette in the bedroom, with pans, cutlery, glasses, a stove, and a refrigerator. There was also a nice TV with lots of channels, air conditioning, an elevator, and Wi-Fi. You keep the keys and get the code for the building entrance.