Villa San Lorenzo

The bathroom felt claustrophobic, with a very low ceiling, and getting onto the Wi-Fi was impossible. None of the four staff members we encountered helped with that. Guests can use the pool for free, but people from outside can pay to use it too. The worst part was being woken at midnight by a call and messages from staff asking whether we'd pay for our stay. At check-in we'd said several times that we had to leave at 6 a.m. They'd told us, mostly with gestures because no one spoke English, that we'd pay at checkout. Suddenly someone who could speak English was available at midnight. I'd never been woken by hotel staff for no reason before. If late-night calls and a bit of adrenaline sound appealing, this place may be for you.

The staff were courteous and helped when we needed something, even though they didn't speak much English. We were out almost every day, so the stay wasn't too bad, but we hardly got to enjoy the pool. The pool is open to the public, and on some days families coming in from outside took up all the sunbeds, leaving none for hotel guests. If I'd known, I would've paid more to stay somewhere with privacy and enough room by the pool. The location wasn't great and the area looked a bit grubby, though I minded less because the price was lower than nearby places. Breakfast was very limited, just two kinds of cereal, croissants, and some cookies. One nice find nearby was San lorenzo mercato, with places to eat and a nice spot to stop for coffee.

The room looked nothing like the pictures, and the four nights there were deeply disappointing. It was cramped and uncomfortable, with paper-thin walls and mold in the bathroom. The spoons by the in-room coffee maker had a white residue on them, like dried yoghurt, and room service was inconsistent. Even the bed cover was only a thin white sheet. Stay away.

We couldn't get a working Wi-Fi password from the staff, and no one seemed able to speak English. Then hotel staff woke us in the middle of the night to ask about payment. A terrible stay, I wouldn't recommend it.