Via Veneto Luxury Suites

Disastrous experience. We thought we had booked a hotel, but this is a B&B. On arrival, we had to pay the taxes, and the woman at “reception” said card payment wasn’t available, so cash was required. At least we had cash. A lost or broken room key would cost € 40, also in cash. From 19:30 onward, there’s no one on site to help. They provide 24-hour phone numbers for emergencies, but on our second night a family arrived at 9:30 p.m. and couldn’t get in or reach anyone. We happened to be leaving and tried to help as best we could, but none of the emergency numbers answered. At breakfast the next morning, the family told us they got in after calling for two hours. Breakfast was all cold except the coffee, which was so bad I couldn’t drink it. The cleaning left a lot to be desired. One good thing was the two workers we saw at breakfast, who were very friendly and helpful. We never saw the woman who checked us in again. I don’t recommend this place and wouldn’t return.

The young woman at reception seemed embarrassed by her boss’s policies and did her best to help. She packed breakfast for our picnic, the coffee was good, and the bed was very comfortable. That was about the only positive in what was probably the worst hotel service experience of my life. Our DELUXE room was extremely noisy, with no kettle, no glasses, and not even a bathroom door lock. Breakfast was very poor. For 40 euros in a hostel, I might have accepted it, but we paid 150 euros per night and got a nearby place for almost half the price with a normal 4-star experience. Reception is only open until 19:30. After that, late check-in must be booked in advance for 50 euros. We arrived at 20:30 and no one answered the phone or Booking.com messages. Their messages had said arrangements needed to be made ahead, and I was ready to pay the 50 euros for my mistake, but we were left outside and had to find another hotel at 21:00, a perfectly normal check-in time. I can’t understand why they didn’t have keyboxes for self check-in if they wanted to help guests. The next morning, they messaged to say our entire 2-day reservation had been cancelled and the full payment kept, “according to the cancellation policy.” At this price level, do you expect guests to study the fine print like lawyers to avoid a trap? Probably the worst hotel experience of my life.

Avoid Via Veneto Suites, it’s not worth the risk. There’s no reception and check-in is only available in a very limited window. If your flight is delayed or you arrive a little early or late, you may not be able to get into the room you’ve already paid for. Emails and calls go unanswered, and there’s no online check-in or other solution. Communication and professionalism were completely lacking.

The receptionist was extremely kind and helpful, and the room was nicely decorated, average in size for Europe. For the price, the value was decent. Still, I wished the cleaning had been more thorough: there was dust on the walls, the bathrooms seemed only wiped down, and the shower had soap scum caked on it. The intense shower head sounded fun at first, but it soaked the whole bathroom floor. I had to use two bath towels as mats to avoid slipping, and they weren’t replaced. Wi-Fi was poor in our part of the hotel. It took some getting used to having no staff at night, though the gate was easy to understand. The building has no handicap access, and you have to carry bags up and down stairs even if you’re on the ground floor. It’s easy to confuse this place with Via Veneto Luxury Suites, which has almost the exact same name and is only 300 feet away. Not much food or drink is nearby. Staff: 5 stars. Cleanliness: 3 stars. Location: 3 stars.