Hotel Riviera

The location is a real plus, close to the sea, a busy street and a good supermarket. The place was clean when we arrived, the atmosphere wasn't bad, and the price does speak for itself. Still, from our experience it deserves two stars rather than the three it claims. We arrived at 11 in the morning but didn't check in until 4, although check-in is usually between noon and 2, because the rooms weren't ready. There seemed to be just two people working across the whole hotel, including one cleaner. There was no kettle or fridge anywhere, not one towel, and no room cleaning during our entire seven-day stay. We ended up here through a package tour.

For the price, this hotel is perfectly decent and clean. The bed is comfortable, the bedding is clean, towels are provided and changed, and the rubbish is taken out. Hair dryers and refrigerators aren't provided, but that's stated in the description. People also complain about kettles, glasses and irons, but it's a two-star hotel, and you won't find those in every hotel in Italy. I've stayed in different hotels across many regions there. It's close to the sea and shops, and the station is a 15-20 minute walk depending on your pace. The staff speak Italian. In the morning there's Maria, a Russian-speaking room cleaner who's very nice and attentive and can translate if you have questions. I read some reviews and was amazed by the complaints. If you're paying very little, read the hotel description or ask the travel agency what you're booking first.

The room was small, and the bathroom was worse: the shower is built into the wall, with no tray or curtain. You have to open both the bathroom and room doors to wash. When I stayed in June, the blinds and air conditioning were broken. After I used the sauna, the staff did nothing to fix things and actually wanted me to carry a battered fan up to the room. Do you realize this?

The staff were very friendly and welcoming, easily an 8 out of 10 for kindness and charisma. The breakfast wasn't the worst: each person got a slice of sausage, cheese and ham, plus toast, a croissant, cookies, jam, coffee and unlimited homemade lemonade. Italians tend to eat lightly in the morning. But the hotel doesn't feel like it deserves three stars. We booked through the "fortuna" system, and now know better than to choose that way. The balcony had one chair and a clothesline with three clothespins. There was no hair dryer or iron. The toilet and shower were combined, with a floor drain. The shower door left a gap of about 50 centimeters, so water ran onto the floor by the sink, which had no drain.