Hotel Ariston

A handy place to stay in the port town while waiting for the ferry. The staff were helpful and friendly, and both check-in and check-out were easy. The room was clean and neat, and the bed was very comfortable. It had good amenities: air conditioning, a fan, a blind and curtains, WiFi, a mini fridge, and a TV. The shower was a bit odd, but it was fine. Breakfast was served only from 7-8am, with cereal, fruit, yoghurt, pastries, and bread sandwiches to choose from. The coffee was really good, as were the fruit juices.

We eventually walked out and found another place for the same price. We had prepaid for three nights to hold the room in case we wanted to stay longer, as we'd originally expected to. But when we asked reception about staying on, they quoted twice the price we'd agreed when booking. We were sorry we'd chosen this place. The service was bad and everything seemed confused. We were given a different room from the one we booked, the safe didn't work and nobody could answer our questions about it, and there was no telephone in the lift. The entrance looked shabby and needs repainting, especially for such a high price. I don't think this deserves three stars. The two girls at reception seemed to have no experience in the job. There's a lot more to say, but I'll leave it at that. For a 3* place, they need to do something about the poor experience and high prices.

The location was great, close to all the historic parts of the city. The bed was hard, which didn't bother me, but it might be a heads-up for anyone who dislikes a firm bed. I was tired from the flight, so it was still better than sleeping on the plane. I thought breakfast was included, but when we went down in the morning, we were told there wasn't any. I'm upset because they had said there would be breakfast.

We really liked Piombino and enjoyed our stay at the hotel. The place was very clean and comfortable, and well located. The staff were kind and accommodating. We don't speak Italian, but the owners went out of their way to help, even calling their son, who speaks English.