Baia Azzurra

"We booked Hotel Baia Azzurra through Booking.com for what was supposed to be a very special trip — our 10th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, due to the volcanic activity in the area and the resulting airport closure caused by volcanic ash, we were unable to fly and could not travel to the hotel. What should have been a memorable anniversary turned into a complete disappointment, with our entire holiday effectively going down the drain — and, on top of that, we were left with a £600 bill for a hotel stay we were unable to use. What made the situation even worse was trying to resolve the cancellation. The hotel told us that Booking.com was responsible for deciding the cancellation fee and directed us to contact them because we had booked through Booking.com. When we contacted Booking.com, however, we were told that the matter was the hotel's responsibility. So we were simply sent back and forth between the two parties, with each pointing the finger at the other and neither taking responsibility. Meanwhile, the customer is left stuck in the middle. The most frustrating part is that the hotel insists Booking.com decides the cancellation fee, while Booking.com tells us the hotel is responsible. These two explanations clearly contradict each other. We completely understand that there are cancellation policies and contractual arrangements between hotels and booking platforms. However, this was not a case of simply changing our mind or deciding not to travel. We were unable to fly because of volcanic ash and the closure of the airport — circumstances completely outside our control. From our perspective, the outcome is incredibly difficult to accept: £600 was kept for a service we were unable to use, while the hotel and Booking.com continued directing us to one another rather than taking responsibility for resolving the situation. I cannot know what the financial arrangements are between the hotel and Booking.com, but as a customer, the whole experience left us with the very unpleasant impression that there is a system where the hotel and booking platform can pass responsibility between each other while the customer simply loses their money. We booked this trip to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Instead of celebrating a special milestone, we ended up losing our holiday and £600, while being passed from one company to another trying to get a straight answer. Very disappointing customer service and an extremely frustrating experience. If you are considering booking this hotel through Booking.com, I would strongly recommend reading the cancellation conditions very carefully and making sure you understand exactly who will take responsibility if circumstances outside your control prevent you from travelling."

"This is without a doubt the worst hotel experience I have ever had, despite having made several hundred hotel reservations in different countries around the world. We arrived at the hotel on August 28, 2026, and were treated in an absolutely unacceptable manner. An arrogant, extremely rude and completely unhelpful receptionist, who did not speak a single word of English, simply told us that they had no record of our reservation and that we should leave. What makes the situation even more outrageous is that just a few days before our arrival, we had called the hotel and they explicitly confirmed by phone that they had our reservation. Apparently, that confirmation was given just to get rid of us, without the staff member even understanding what was being discussed in English. This is particularly shocking in one of the most tourist-oriented parts of Italy, where you would reasonably expect hotel staff to be able to communicate with international guests. Our reservation had been made through Booking.com, yet the hotel made absolutely no effort to resolve the situation. We were not allowed to speak to a manager or supervisor. The receptionist even refused to provide written confirmation stating that there was no reservation under my name. The level of incompetence was truly astonishing. The hotel had rooms available, but instead of offering us one, allowing us to pay for it and then resolve the dispute with Booking.com afterwards, the staff simply chose to turn us away. There was not even the slightest attempt to help, apologize, investigate the issue or find a reasonable solution. We were simply dismissed as if we were an inconvenience. After hundreds of hotel stays around the world, I can honestly say that I have rarely encountered such a combination of arrogance, incompetence and complete disregard for the customer. I strongly advise against staying at this property. If something goes wrong with your reservation, do not expect the staff to help you or take any responsibility whatsoever. For us, this hotel has completely failed the most basic standards of hospitality and customer service. Never again."

"Second time staying at Baia Azzure. Amazing hotel, lovely professional staff. Rooms are basic but clean and comfortable. Food is good. It’s so ideally placed for the beach and the cable car. Get to the beach and book a boat trip- amazing trip!"