Capitol

The reception was clean and well kept, and the man there was very nice when we arrived. Our room needed work. We chose this hotel because we were traveling with our five-year-old grandchildren and it was one of the few places with bunk beds, as shown in the photo. On the plus side, our bed was comfortable. Breakfast was cereal and pastries, and the coffee was okay. The rooms need serious upgrading.

We had a clean family room with a large bed and bunk beds, and the beds were comfortable. The AC worked properly, and the location was quiet, a short walk from the Leaning Tower, shops, and restaurants. Entry was by a code from the owner and a keypad at the front door. There was some noise at night from people coming in, but nothing too bad. The owner was reachable on WhatsApp and replied quickly. We asked them to book a very early taxi. We didn’t have breakfast.

I wouldn’t return, mainly because of the hotelier’s hostile attitude. I could have put up with the poor floor cleaning, the nighttime noise, or even the air conditioning problem, but I shouldn’t have had to keep pressing the manager to take guests seriously. When hornets started coming out of the AC duct after a few days, I reported it promptly. The manager only suggested I sleep in reception if I felt unsafe. I had to send videos showing hornets outside and dead ones in the room before he arranged a room at another hotel, since this one was full. The next day they found a nest in the wall cavity and dealt with it. I also told the manager I’m gluten intolerant. He was quite rude and said they weren’t equipped for that, though, as I pointed out, rice or corn cakes would have been easy to provide. In the end, they gave me something. I stayed five nights. At check-in, the room looked in good condition, but during the stay they made the bed daily without cleaning the floor. The little dirt remained until the last day. The walls are thin, so nighttime noise woke me, and a faulty mosquito net meant the blinds didn’t work and I’d wake at sunrise. There was no staff at reception when I entered. I had to call the manager for an access code, then found all the room key cards laid out on a table with guests’ surnames and no staff or access control. Breakfast was a small ground-floor buffet of packaged products, though I appreciated the coffee machine and toaster. It didn’t start until 8:00 am, which made scheduling difficult when I was in Pisa for work and university classes began at 8:30. One suggestion: the security system could be improved. Since entry relies on codes and there are no surveillance cameras, it seems easy to learn the code by watching someone come in.

A pleasant stay for a good price, with a convenient location, a comfortable bed, and a private bathroom that was great. I didn’t eat breakfast there, so I can’t comment on it. There were a few mosquitoes, though that may just have been the time of year.