You often hear people say "It doesn't matter what my hotel is like because I'm not going to be spending much time in my hotel room." I don't agree. It's really important to me to have a clean, quiet and attractive room to come home to at the end of a long day of sightseeing.
If you enjoy nice surroundings, the place you lay your head down at night can make or break your Italian holidays.
Keeping that in mind, I prepare very well before choosing where to stay in Italy. In the past, I used guide books to get all the information I needed. However, I quickly learned not to rely only on them. Sometimes, the info you find in guidebooks is not very recent and that can be a problem.
For example, if you look for a review about Antica Torre hotel in Siena, both Frommer's guidebook and EveWitness Guide to Florence and Tuscany will recommend it as the best there is. Frommer's guide writes about these amazing stone stairs and cozy rooms with Tuscan antique details, marble floors, iron filigree headboard, remarkable location of the hotel and much more. Just what you wanted, right?
However, if you take a look at the online sites that provide you with the personal experience of people who visited that hotel, you may find a totally different story: "We stayed there for a single night. It was OK, but I am glad we did not spend too much time there. The room is quite small but it's actually the bathroom that feels very very small - and while it has recent fixtures, it does not feel terribly clean."
To be sure, there were a lot of people who enjoyed the staying at that hotel. However, many of them didn't like it at all. When it comes to assessing places based on online customer reviews is that if a few of people claim that they hated it, then I go elsewhere.
Consider this review: "Two nights in this hotel was plenty. It's recommended in some guidebooks, but I'm sure they haven't been there in a while. We knew we'd have to haul our own bags up the stairs. Okay. The bathroom had blackish mold on the wall. I think the bathroom was once a closet or small hallway -- access was through a folding door. Maybe other rooms are better. I'd pass next time."
The point is - don't simply pick up just any guidebook for Italy and blindly follow the recommendations. You can use them as a start, but check that information at discussion forums and online review sites before actually booking a hotel.
If you enjoy nice surroundings, the place you lay your head down at night can make or break your Italian holidays.
Keeping that in mind, I prepare very well before choosing where to stay in Italy. In the past, I used guide books to get all the information I needed. However, I quickly learned not to rely only on them. Sometimes, the info you find in guidebooks is not very recent and that can be a problem.
For example, if you look for a review about Antica Torre hotel in Siena, both Frommer's guidebook and EveWitness Guide to Florence and Tuscany will recommend it as the best there is. Frommer's guide writes about these amazing stone stairs and cozy rooms with Tuscan antique details, marble floors, iron filigree headboard, remarkable location of the hotel and much more. Just what you wanted, right?
However, if you take a look at the online sites that provide you with the personal experience of people who visited that hotel, you may find a totally different story: "We stayed there for a single night. It was OK, but I am glad we did not spend too much time there. The room is quite small but it's actually the bathroom that feels very very small - and while it has recent fixtures, it does not feel terribly clean."
To be sure, there were a lot of people who enjoyed the staying at that hotel. However, many of them didn't like it at all. When it comes to assessing places based on online customer reviews is that if a few of people claim that they hated it, then I go elsewhere.
Consider this review: "Two nights in this hotel was plenty. It's recommended in some guidebooks, but I'm sure they haven't been there in a while. We knew we'd have to haul our own bags up the stairs. Okay. The bathroom had blackish mold on the wall. I think the bathroom was once a closet or small hallway -- access was through a folding door. Maybe other rooms are better. I'd pass next time."
The point is - don't simply pick up just any guidebook for Italy and blindly follow the recommendations. You can use them as a start, but check that information at discussion forums and online review sites before actually booking a hotel.
About the Author:
Get prepared and learn all about amazing places to visit in Italy by visiting www.30DaysInItaly.com when planning your Italian holidays.. Also published at Things to Consider Before Booking A Hotel In Italy.
