Hotel Joli

The staff are what make this place special. They're warm, welcoming and accommodating, and coming back this year felt like coming home. I stayed at Hotel Joli from October 6 to October 15, my second visit after staying last September. The hotel is beautiful and clean, in a great location and at a great price. Breakfast is delicious. I can't wait to return.

The room we were moved to the next day was bigger, but its bathroom was awful and very old, with barely enough space to sit on the toilet. I'm small, so I can't imagine how it would be for someone larger. The first room was so cramped there wasn't space for our suitcase. We had to clear the desk and move furniture just to open and close the bathroom door. The shower head pointed straight out and sprayed water over the bathroom and my clothes when I turned it on. The receptionist was lovely and gave helpful parking and other information, and the quirky reception area was fun. The lift, though, only fit one person and barely had room for a suitcase. It stopped between floors, so you had to carry luggage up or down half a flight of stairs. Most of the staff were lovely, but the man who seemed to be in charge was rude and arrogant, and seemed to cause problems for guests and staff. We'd been told breakfast would cost €10, but he came into the breakfast room and loudly told us in front of everyone that it wasn't included in our room. It made us feel as if we'd done something dishonest. I absolutely wouldn't recommend this hotel.

We appreciated the staff, who were attentive, friendly and very helpful. Hotel Joli gave us a memorable experience during our travels. It's full of nostalgic charm and romance, more like a trip to another era than a sterile, modern, functional hotel. The original, expressive and powerful artwork on the palace walls, especially pieces by Edoardo Dispenza, made the place feel even more special.

The location is good, near the historic center, and the hotel looks nice from outside. The interior design is a graphic designer's nightmare, though that wasn't my main concern. The room photos are fake. They put guests in a separate building they present as part of the hotel, but it feels like an appendix. The corridors are low and narrow, so you're always bumping into things, sometimes with your head. The rooms have tiny windows, almost like hatches, and getting into the bathroom is like crawling into a trench. For this price, or a little more, you can find somewhere better.