Hotel Perugia Plaza

THE WORST NIGHTMARE. At check-in, the receptionist first refused to speak any language except Italian and tried to charge us double the price shown on the hotel's own website. She explained it with, “Oh, I thought you wanted a superior room.” She also questioned my relationship with my wife, implying she might be a one-night stand. A kinder woman eventually stepped in and smoothed things over. It seemed you had to speak Italian to be treated decently. What will happen to hotels in Italy without all the tourists spending money on hotels, restaurants, and attractions? A receptionist at a 4☆ hotel claiming not to speak English! But there’s more. After one night, we checked out and drove to Rome. Three hours later, my husband and I realized we’d left our passports at the Plaza Hotel in Peruggia. We called right away. The same receptionist answered and said they hadn’t found anything. We were sure the passports were there, and panicked because we had another intercontinental flight and a rental car to return. I called five times and sent an email with my phone number and WhatsApp details, asking again and again. She kept saying nothing had been found. I made all the calls in Spanish and Italian, and she still refused to speak English. We drove back to Peruggia to report it to the carabinieri. On the way, I called several more times, begging her to ask a cleaner or check the room again because we were certain the passports were there. Only after my last call, when I said I was coming with the police, did she email to say they’d found them, even though she had my cell number. This woman had refused to speak English and treated us with racism, a distinction based on nationality that is an infraction under EU laws, from the moment we checked in. When we reached the Carabinieri Station and the duty officer called, the passports somehow miraculously appeared. I won’t say she tried to steal them because I have no proof, but the whole situation with the same person was strange, rude, and unacceptable. We had to pay for another day with the rental car and change our flight after missing it because of all this. I felt humiliated, disappointed, disrespected, and like a victim of racism and xenophobia.

In February the room was warm and comfortable, and the bathroom felt like a private spa. The breakfast was nice, though I missed having vegetables. I guess that’s common in Italy, since the other hotels I stayed at didn’t serve vegetables for breakfast either. Sound insulation between the rooms and corridor could be better, as you can hear everything. Luckily my neighbours weren’t very noisy.

The sea bass at dinner was cooked perfectly, and the rooms were nice and clean. A big thank you to Martina at the front desk. She was extremely helpful, kind, and thoughtful.

The hotel looked immaculate, and the pool was pristine. The service was excellent, and nothing felt like too much trouble.