Hotel Persico's

After more than 70 nights in European hotels, I’ve never had anyone make a stay this uncomfortable or behave this unprofessionally. The older gentleman and woman at the desk were kind and professional, as were the two older men working in the kitchen and dining room, but the manager, Massimo, was a clown. I won’t stay here again. There are plenty of nicer, kinder places, with beds that aren’t tiny, old, and uncomfortable. The room was poor quality and outdated. During dinner, I asked not to sit beside the kitchen door, where dishes were being banged around during the main service. There were 22 of 25 dining room tables open, so the noise seemed avoidable. In front of other diners, Massimo raised his voice, gestured, and yelled, “DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?!” I’m from the US on a business trip and speak English. It felt like a mean spirited insult, and was childish and completely unnecessary. The table they then insisted I use was dirty, despite plenty of clean, unused tables around. The waiter also brought the wrong dish, even though I’d specifically asked for the one I’d seen another person eating because it looked good. I was too tired from travel and the manager’s behavior to push for the correct order. The food wasn’t terrible, but every other meal I had in Italy was far better. On another occasion, I asked Massimo at the front desk for an extra pillow. His ego and unsettling attitude made it seem like I’d asked him to do rocket science. He stared at me with an intense, upsetting look. I don’t know how a place this outdated and inhospitable calls itself “4 stars.” Hospitality takes intent, and someone with an immature, mean spirited attitude shouldn’t be in this line of work, perhaps he needs to see a therapist. For the money, it was a very poor stay compared with anywhere else I’ve been in Europe. This is the first time I’ve ever felt moved to leave a negative review.

Everything was impeccable, and the place was extremely peaceful. The breakfast servers treated me like a king, the housekeeper did an amazing job cleaning, and the front desk staff were very, very professional. An absolutely great place to stay.

It’s good value for money, though staying here feels like stepping back in time. The breakfast service struck me as very strange: having to ask someone for a glass of juice or a bowl of cereal was curious at best.

The staff were very friendly and accommodating, and my room was big enough for one person, with a single bed. The food tasted good and came in a decent portion, though the restaurant is very expensive compared with the many other local places nearby. My room constantly smelled of smoke.