Alaska

The food was the best part of my stay. I ate the included dinner on four of the six nights, and each meal was delicious and different. The octopus salad and seafood pasta were especially good. Adele, one of the owners, was attentive and kind. After I accidentally broke a glass ashtray, she took it calmly and kept asking how my table tennis tournament and day were going. They also served breakfast at 6:30 am so we could get back to the tournament on time. The lobby has a pleasant old-fashioned feel. I was in Rimini for a table tennis tournament, and Visitrimini.com placed me at this family-run three-star hotel as part of its gold package, with breakfast and dinner included. I don't usually write reviews, but I left disappointed enough to make an exception. The shower is right over the toilet, so the toilet stays wet and water can drip on your face while you're sitting there. The mattress was an extremely hard spring mattress. I like a firm bed, but this felt like cardboard over industrial springs. When I asked for a topper, I was told the mattress was for “fire safety.” The second owner seemed pleasant when nothing was wrong, but became rude when I raised an issue or asked for something. After seeing the shower on arrival, I asked to change rooms. She pointed to the exit and said, “You don't like? Go!” Then she complained that three people had asked for that room earlier and she had turned them away for me, and that VisitRimini paid her for my room much later. I understand there can be cultural differences and that Italians are passionate, but there's a way to speak to guests. Fresh towels every day cost €10. Otherwise, they're changed every other day. When I asked the second owner for a towel on an off day, she said, “This is a 3-star hotel, not 4-star,” and offered a full set to use for €10. The high-speed train about 150m away can be loud, though earplugs were enough for me. A general tip for Rimini: if you're here on a tour, see the lovely old town and its famous Arco de Augusto, and try the local food. I wouldn't come for a seaside holiday. The crowded sea is dirty and shallow, and you have to walk about 200m before you can swim. Sunbeds, food, even supermarket water and fruit, and taxis are overpriced. There are “three-cup” street scammers everywhere. The boardwalk renovation looks promising, but the beach area felt like a faded Miami from 20 years ago.