Eremo Gaudio

At $225 a night, this hotel needs to pay more attention to guest satisfaction. A standard room in a 3 star hotel in Italy may call for adjusted expectations, but that doesn’t mean guests should stay quiet about problems. I love Italy, half my family is italian, and I have relatives all over the country, from lake Garda to Sicilly. This isn’t revenge for how my family and I were treated by US service standards. I travel a lot, know service-oriented industries well, and spend much of my time studying art. I’m offering a modest perspective from outside the box. Here’s one exchange. We found dozens of mosquitoes in the room. I tried catching them with a towel, but the next-door guest complained about the noise. I took the towel to the front desk at midnight and asked to move rooms so they could see I wasn’t making it up. The clerk said I’d been assigned that room, told me to make less noise, and said they were pretty much fully booked. I said I’d checked online and it looked like rooms were available. The clerk replied that they had to be at the same level. I’d just checked the floor plan on the door and most rooms looked the same. The clerk said there was nothing they could do. I’m not telling the hotel how to run its business, but a guest leaving bed at midnight to ask for a move should be taken seriously when the request seems reasonable elsewhere. They should also clarify in advance or get approval for any considerable charges billed at the end of a stay. Historic landscapes and art may give tourists a reason to visit an area, but excellent service gives them a reason to return.

We were told the A/C ran from noon to midnight, and that we could get a fan if needed. The view was fabulous, the staff nice and accommodating, and breakfast was very good.

The rooms are pretty basic, but the view from way above the lake makes it worth it. There’s a spectacular panoramic terrace, and only the suites are on the top floor reached by the lift.

The price felt fair, and those views are fantastic. I’ve stayed in loads of push hotels and can’t remember any of them. Eremo Gaudio, though, is one I’ll never forget.