Palazzo Dama

The quiet room was a welcome retreat from the busy embankment outside, and we enjoyed the cozy boutique feel and friendly staff, especially the excellent breakfast waiters. The welcome Prosecco was a lovely touch. Some details didn’t feel up to five-star standards. The breakfast buffet was limited, and the uncovered meats and cheeses dried out quickly. The down pillows were dreadfully uncomfortable and offered no support. It also seemed odd that there was no body lotion alongside the other Aqua di Parma products, and our request for lotion was denied. The included airport transfer caused frustration too. Airport queues took us beyond the 50-minute free wait, so we were charged a steep €75 surcharge. That made it more expensive than a regular taxi, and we skipped the service for the return trip. It was a pleasant stay, but the comfort and service details need attention to justify the rating.

We enjoyed the stay, and the service and food were excellent for the price. We’d love to return when visiting Rome. There was a private event for a social media group while we were there. It wasn’t a problem in itself, but getting back to our rooms felt like we had to justify entering the hotel where we were staying. Security staff have a job to do, though we felt their politeness and people skills could have been better.

The room and bed linens both had an unpleasant smell, and the old-looking mattress was extremely uncomfortable. We could clearly hear disturbing outside noise in the room as well. The hotel didn’t meet our expectations and, in our view, wasn’t satisfactory for a five-star rating.

I found the whole stay frustrating, and this didn’t feel like five-star service. There was little attention to detail and everything seemed to come with an attitude. At the pool, no one offered a towel or came over to take my order during the hour I was there. There was no kettle in the room either. Charging to use the sauna or pool is unheard of to me. What five-star hotel would charge for that? If you’re used to five-star service, this definitely isn’t it.