Hotel Poggio Romano

Getting to the hotel is easy, but things go downhill once you’re in the room. No air conditioning, no fridge, and no counters or chairs, so it’s almost a treasure hunt just to find somewhere to put things. The mosquito nets are flimsy, and there are insects everywhere despite the price. The services don’t match the quality you get.

We chose this place for a weekend visit to MagicLand Park in Valmontone, which is only a 15-minute drive away. It’s also well placed for driving into the center of Paliano, and there’s plenty of greenery all around. Keep the mosquito nets closed, though. Parking outside was easy and free. Breakfast costs extra and is served at a sports facility with a pool, tennis courts and other facilities, just a few meters from the entrance and easy to reach on foot. The value for money was excellent. At least while we were there, it was family-run, which made the interaction between management and guests feel even better. Laura was very helpful whenever we needed anything.

We had to get back in the car and find a supermarket to buy supplies for disinfecting the bathroom ourselves. We couldn’t wait until the next day to use it, after finding the toilet covered in urine when we lifted the seat. The hot water kept cutting in and out too, so the children couldn’t shower properly for more than two minutes. We called the number we’d been given, and they said someone would come clean the next day. Does that seem normal to you? Bathrooms should be cleaned and, above all, sanitized. The room was just as bad, with hair on the floor, yellowed sheets and a persistent bad smell. It felt like being in a barracks. We’re ashamed of what we found. It was absurd and deplorable. Breakfast was frozen croissants and large bottled MD juices. No offense to MD, but you’d expect something better in a place calling itself a “hotel,” which I should point out it isn’t. If you can, avoid this place.

The biggest hassle came when we got back around 11 p.m. They’d given us two room keys instead of a room key and a gate key, so we had to climb over the gate like thieves. When I called right away, the woman said I’d done the right thing by calling, or they’d have called the police after seeing us on camera. Apparently, this had happened before. There was no one at reception when we arrived, even though we came at the designated time. Everything was closed, and we had to call someone to come over. They also gave us a remote that didn’t work with the TV in our room. The hairdryer was broken, we only had intimate wash for hand soap, and the shower gel had already been opened, maybe by an earlier guest, I don’t know. The place isn’t as close to Magicland as they claim, but we could have managed with that. The rest of the experience was terrible. I really don’t know how they got 3 stars. Awful place.