Albergo Sala

I stayed from July 2nd to July 6th, 2025, and left disappointed by how the early checkout was handled. On July 5th I was ready to go, but the hotel door was locked. I waited until after 7:00 AM, missed my bus, and had to leave without breakfast so I wouldn't miss my flight. After calling and knocking several times, someone finally opened the door. I reminded the manager I'd told him I was leaving early and asked him to answer Booking.com. He said everything was fine, as he had before. Back home, Booking.com told me the hotel said I hadn't notified them and refused to refund the final night. I messaged the hotel again and got no reply. It made me wonder what would have happened if I'd followed the manager's suggestion to cancel on my first day. He'd initially been friendly and said cancellation was no problem if I contacted Booking.com, and that he'd approve it. I'm glad I chose to stay, though I now wonder if I would have lost the whole amount instead. On arrival, very late at night after struggling with poor public transport, I had needed a stranger's help to reach the hotel, which is why I first asked about cancelling. The next day I tried to explore by renting a bike from the hotel, but it was in poor condition and I spent the day on the road. I planned to leave the following day, but transport problems kept me there another night. On the third day I told the manager I'd check out July 5th instead of July 6th. He was friendly and said that was fine, and that he hadn't yet received my Booking.com message. I expected honesty and clear communication. I thought people here kept their word, but in this case I was wrong.

Parking can be awkward unless your car is very small. The hosts are lovely, and the place has a warm, local feel despite being an old hotel. Breakfast mixes the usual dry items with nicely made coffee and eggs.

The food itself was basic, with Italian pasta and what seemed like an imitation German schnitzel, but it was fair for the price we expected. We stopped for lunch on the way to Como, and a friendly young man showed us a handwritten menu and said a three-course meal was included for €12. We thought that sounded too good to be true, so asked him to check; he confirmed it. We only wanted tuna pasta, but he assured us we could add another dish at no extra cost, so we did. At payment, the hotel owner brought a bill for more than twice that amount. When we explained what we'd been told, he got very dramatic, saying the young man was new and they wouldn't charge us for his mistake, while also suggesting we didn't want to pay the full price. That felt strange. We wanted to pay for what we'd received, so offered a little above the original price, but the owner refused. After a long argument, we left more than we thought we'd owe, but less than he wanted, at the desk and walked away. It was an unpleasant experience, though the food was acceptable and the young man had served us well, so I still give it three stars.

The balcony view was lovely, and the gnocchi and tortellini we had for dinner at the restaurant were among the best pasta dishes we tried in Italy. The Albergo sala staff were so kind and helpful. Breakfast choices were limited, but everything available tasted great. The bed wasn't the most comfortable, though for the price, I can't complain.