Grand Hotel Continental - Tirrenia

The beach was fine, and breakfast was okay, but the pool area had no charm. I also couldn't figure out why the front chairs were always reserved. Dinner was mostly plain, and the dining room got unbearably noisy when several tour groups ate at once. The waiters were rushing around like crazy, and the female head waiter was directly rude several times. A bearded dragon was found in my room and in other rooms in our group too. This hotel didn't feel very charming, and to me it's a three-star place. I won't be back.

The room's partial ocean view was the one nice thing about it. It was very small, with a tiny bathroom and shower, no USB plugs, and three-prong outlets that didn't fit the adapters we had from England and France. The property is large and right on the coast in Tirrenia, with plenty of amenities, including a 200 meter lap pool. We went in late September, off-season, but both the pool and beach were still staffed and running. The building has potential, though the drive from Florence took us through far more industrial dock and warehouse areas than we'd expected on the way to Livorno or Tirrenia. At check-in, the girl got straight to the point and offered no help when we asked about nearby food or things to do. She just stared at us. Breakfast wasn't good either. The bread wasn't very fresh, and the other items didn't look appetizing. The location itself was decent, with restaurants a short walk away and Pisa a quick drive. We chose Livorno for the coast after seeing the pictures, but I wouldn't stay here again or return to this area.

The pool area is lovely and huge, with lots of sunbeds. Breakfast was a bit simple, though maybe that's standard in most Italian hotels. We got a great start when they upgraded our room on arrival, and the stay was pretty good overall. The problem came when we asked to stay by the pool until our 5 PM flight. We'd been given just 30 extra minutes at checkout, until 11:00, and staff wouldn't let us remain by the pool, even when we offered to pay. That seemed strange with such a large pool area and many spare beds. I also think they could fit more beds there. It was annoying after an otherwise good stay.

Great staff, a great price, and an amazing, generous breakfast every day, all free. The hotel is right by the water with beautiful views, and there's a pretty useful gym. The TV in the room is dated, but apart from that it's a great hotel.