"We chose this property for our wedding and, overall, our experience had its ups and downs.
Let's certainly start with the positive aspects. The hotel is very beautiful and, especially for a wedding, it offers truly wonderful scenery. We had booked the Presidential Suite, the largest room, and two Regal Suites: very spacious rooms, with splendid large windows, a gorgeous view of the sea, and unique details, such as the Versace tiles. From a photographic standpoint as well, the settings proved to be perfect for the preparations and for the wedding photos.
The rooms were also very clean. However, considering the level of the property and especially the price of the suites, we perceived a certain lack of maintenance and attention to some details. In the Presidential Suite, for example, the whirlpool tub, despite our repeated reports, continued to release black residue during use. The most serious problem, however, concerned the shower, from which a very strong smell of sewage came, which made the bathroom practically unusable. Cracks in the wall were also clearly visible around the shower head. These are details that, in a facility of this level and in a suite costing almost 2,000 euros, in our opinion should not be there.
Added to this was the fact that during our stay the SPA was closed and therefore it was not possible to use it. Naturally, we understand that unavailability or technical problems can occur, but even in this case we would have expected at least a gesture of attention from the establishment, even a symbolic one, considering that it was still a service not usable during the stay.
The restaurant, on the other hand, was very good, where we ate really well, as was the breakfast, varied and abundant. We only noticed that, during peak times, the refill of some finished products was not always timely.
As for the wedding itself, the location was wonderful. Michela, the hotel's wedding planner, was always kind, helpful, and proactive and set up the arrangement as we had requested. From this point of view, we were very satisfied and the final result was really beautiful.
The aspect that, however, left us most perplexed concerns the management of the customer and the charges. Throughout our stay, we had the feeling several times that there was excessive concern on the part of the establishment to check and charge for any possible extra, to the point of making us feel uncomfortable at times.
On the morning of the wedding, for example, while we were in the middle of preparations, a member of the staff knocked on the door to check the minibar. Although we had communicated that we had only consumed two bottles of water, she still insisted on entering and verifying personally, right at a particularly chaotic and delicate moment. We perfectly understand the need to verify consumption, but the way and especially the moment chosen made us feel more like people to be checked than guests of the establishment.
Another episode surprised us upon returning from the wedding. We had ordered and regularly paid for a light lunch in the room, with prosecco, water, and other drinks. Upon our return, the room had not been tidied up, but the cart had been taken away along with everything that remained on it, including some drinks that were still closed and already paid for, without us being asked if we wished to keep them. After a phone call to the reception, what belonged to us was brought back.
On the cart was also my bridal bouquet, which had been taken away along with the rest without notifying us. I only noticed it later and, understandably, it was a rather unpleasant moment. Fortunately, I must acknowledge that the staff took action on this and the bouquet was found.
Even at the time of departure, we felt the same pressure. We had greatly appreciated that we were granted the possibility of having a late check-out for one of the rooms. While we were simply loading our luggage into the car, however, we were contacted and asked if we were leaving without first stopping by to settle the bill. Once again, more than the necessity of the payment—which was absolutely obvious—it was the manner that left us perplexed.
We are also aware that we accidentally damaged a small table by spilling hot tea on it, and we never contested the fact that we had to compensate for the damage. However, we were charged 500 euros without being provided with documentation or an explanation of the value of the table or the cost of its replacement or repair.
Likewise, at the time of settlement, there were various extras related to the rooms. We do not contest that there were additional charges, but we would have expected a detailed and transparent summary. We were the ones who had to ask the reception for the breakdown of the individual items and, even then, the explanations were rather vague.
We were especially struck by the difference in approach between the great attention paid to the charges we incurred and the handling of the inconveniences we suffered. For the damaged table, we were immediately asked for 500 euros; for the very strong smell of sewage coming from the bathroom of the Presidential Suite, which cost nearly 2,000 euros, however, we had to insist personally that compensation for the inconvenience be acknowledged. Added to this is the unavailability of the SPA, for which no type of compensation or even simply a commercial gesture was offered to us.
And this is probably the very aspect that left us with the most bitter taste in our mouths: on one hand, we perceived great punctuality and rigidity when it came to accounting for any cost to the guest; on the other, when it was the facility's services that had shortcomings, we did not perceive the same spontaneity in acknowledging the inconvenience or in trying to compensate for it.
In conclusion, regarding the wedding, we can only acknowledge the beauty of the facility: the location is spectacular, the view of the sea is wonderful, and the suites are extremely scenic. For the wedding preparations and photographs, it was undoubtedly a beautiful choice, and we are also very satisfied with the work done by Michela, who followed the organization and setup with availability and attention.
Having said this, however, if we were to evaluate the facility exclusively as a hotel in which to return to stay, we probably would not choose it again. In our opinion, five stars should not be represented only by the beauty of the facility, the view, or the level of the rooms, but also—and above all—by the way in which the guest is welcomed, followed, and made to feel during their stay.
We stay in five-star hotels quite frequently and, honestly, we had never happened to perceive such constant pressure regarding checks and payments: from the minibar check during the wedding preparations, to the phone call while we were loading our luggage into the car to ensure we stopped by to settle the bill, to the removal from the room, without asking us anything, of drinks we had already paid for and even the bridal bouquet.
At the same time, when we were the ones to suffer inconveniences—from the Presidential Suite bathroom being practically unusable due to the very strong smell of sewage, to the hot tub releasing black residue, to the SPA not being available—we did not perceive the same attention in spontaneously acknowledging the inconvenience or in proposing a gesture toward us.
And it is precisely this contrast that has had the greatest impact on our experience: extreme attention when there was something to charge the customer, much less when it was the customer reporting something that was not up to the standard of the service purchased.
For us, a five-star hotel also means being able to experience the stay with serenity, feeling welcomed and treated with the care that one expects from a property of this level and this price range. Unfortunately, in this respect, that was not our experience.
It therefore remains a location that we consider splendid for a wedding, for the photographs, for the environments, and for the wonderful view of the sea. But, considering the price of the stay and especially the way in which we felt treated as guests, personally it is not a hotel where I would return to stay."
