Principe Marmolada

The rooms are clean, housekeeping is good, and the hotel has decent amenities. The staff put in a lot of effort. The dining, though, feels like a factory cafeteria. Drinks come in plastic cups, the instant coffee is awful, and the only tea is a cheap single variety. You have to hunt down cutlery, and at times only knives are available. Don’t expect Italian specialties. The ski room is also horribly smelly, with no ventilation.

For what we paid, this was a disaster, and the worst hotel I've stayed in during 30 years of skiing. There was no Wi-Fi except at reception, and our fifth-floor room had no elevator access all week because it was being repaired. The room had no shelves, drawers, or equipment. Loud live music went on every night until 11:30 p.m., so the kids couldn't sleep until midnight. Dinner offered no beer or wine, just water or juice. The food itself wasn't bad, but the choices were poor, with no fruit, vegetables, or pastries. At the sauna they gave us one small towel, and there were no clocks to tell when to finish.

The ski bus stops right by the hotel, and the lift goes down to the ski room, grocery shop, and ski rental. The pool was fine, though the jacuzzi wasn't working. The wellness area has a small sauna and steam room, plus showers, toilets, and a place to rest. It costs 15 euros per hour and needs to be booked ahead. Towels are provided, and while the lockers don't have locks, it felt safe to leave clothes there. Guest parking is free. Our rooms were basic but clean, with either a bathtub or just a shower. The buffet meals were tasty and plentiful, though there could have been more variety. Staff were very kind and helpful. There's also a bar and a room for dancing, with live music in the evenings. Good value for the money.

The worst part of our stay was that my ski boots were stolen from storage. The hotel wouldn't help, and although there was a camera, they said it was private and we couldn't see the footage. That really ruined my mood. The pool was so cold I was freezing, and the jacuzzi wasn't working. Karaoke played at the bar every evening, with people, including the singer, shouting instead of singing. The kids' area only accepts children over four because the teacher isn't authorized to care for younger ones. Still, the location is good, about 20 meters from the cable car, the staff are nice, and the food was fairly good. Apart from the theft, everything else was generally great.