Royal Victoria Hotel

The hardest part was how the hotel handled the problem. Management suggested we could have been bitten somewhere else, showed little concern, and offered no reasonable solution. We were bitten by bed bugs during our stay, though the itching and redness only appeared later. We have our check-in records and photos taken soon after arrival, which indicate the bites happened while we were there. After getting home, we took extensive precautions against a possible infestation. We paid for medical care, washed and dry-cleaned all our clothes, disinfected our luggage, and took steps to protect our home and cat. It caused a lot of stress and inconvenience. I’m sharing this honestly, not to harm the business. Guest safety and hygiene should matter at any hotel, and both the incident and the response were deeply disappointing. I hope management takes it seriously so other guests don’t go through the same thing.

The hotel has charm, friendly and helpful staff, and a lovely breakfast. Check-in and checkout were smooth, and it’s well placed for seeing most of Pisa’s sights. We only stayed one night, though, and I wouldn’t suggest a longer visit if you need a good night’s sleep. I paid extra for a river-view room, which turned out to be beside the main road. It was extremely noisy at night, and I didn’t sleep at all before our early flight. The windows are old, so I’m not sure whether other rooms would be quieter. The building also needs some care: the walls were damp and cracked.

The hotel is lovely, old, and centrally located, though the staff experience was mixed: some were kind and helpful, others not very gracious. Wheelchair users should know that the lift is small, and the hotel asks guests to use its own chair. That’s a transport chair, not a manual wheelchair, so the user can’t propel themselves. They booked us a larger river-view room but didn’t mention the step into the bathroom.

Lord Byron's Domain, 4.5/5. Welcome, bienvenue. The night is still young, with dancing girls and boys beneath velvet curtains, while languid green absinthe swirls promise a little calm. Mr Lee, Mr Price, and Mr Oldman are here to meet you. Young master Byron has made himself at home after swimming the whole river one dusky night, and now he declaims in grand tones toward the scarlet sky. A slim, dark young master in a red jacket, whose name I can’t recall, is said to dance beautifully. Crowds follow his quick feet like those of a king. Visitors come from everywhere, including gentlemen from New Orleans in Parisian velvet, speaking softly with madame Carmilla, whose gaze lingers. For the blood is the life. This house of hospitality and merriment offers rest through changing times. The piano plays slowly. Stretch out on purple silk sheets as the hours pass and worldly concerns fade. When Lord Morpheus comes to the door, invite him in, talk, share the last wine, and welcome his ways. Thoughts drift apart into a thin haze. The warm midnight breeze, bright under September’s moon, carries distant music. A harsh mistress of mortals, that white-fire-laden orb maiden…