Ark Hotel

"This turned out to be a very good one week holiday in Verona. The Ark Hotel is well situated for arriving on foot from the railway station or bus station. Probably a 15 to 20 minute walk into the centre of Verona, so nothing much of a problem to us at an older age. First impression on arrival, very clean, we booked in by friendly staff who gave us as much help and knowledge they had, and throughout the holiday always greeted us everytime we passed through reception, and always very helpful. Our room was very clean and had everything we needed to make our stay a good one. Our room on the second floor was facing the main road but well insulated, never heard a sound, even a thunderstorm that hit, we got changed to go back out for and evening meal, when we got outside realised something had happened as debris from trees was all over and emergency vehicles were negotiating the standing traffic with two tones going. Our room was cleaned daily and fresh towels daily, even part toilet rolls were changed. Could not fault room service. Breakfast in a very bright clean atmosphere with everything you could want. Breakfast staff were a delight and would do anything for you to make sure you had what you wanted complete with serving hot drinks to your table if you did not want to work the machines. We found the breakfast staff friendly would check what we had done the day before and what our daily plan was and give advice, even going and finding answers to any questions we had. Could not fault the breakfast staff. On our last morning, they came and hugged us and wished us a good journey home. As far as Verona was concerned, a marvellous City to explore, and that’s what we did, we walked it everywhere from this hotel and doubt if we missed anything. We found the 48 hour Verona card worth having and fitted as much into those two days as we could. We had two days around Lake Garda, travelling one day by train to Peschiera and then onto Sirmione by boat, both beautiful places to visit. Our second trip was by bus, taking one route to the village of Garda that gave its name to the Lake , and returned by a different bus route to give us a different feel of the surrounding areas and villages, seeing the many Vineyards. Our only disappointment, not getting to Venice by train owing to a thunderstorm hitting the area and we were out of time to go another day. Cannot fault the hotel, trains, buses, walking Verona by following a five day plan we did in four days, and above all the hotel staff and the local people who were all very helpful with any question we had. Certainly will return to this area, maybe Lake Garda as that looks an amazing place to explore."

"Easy to find, and well located on the edgeof the city if arriving by car. Easy walking distance to the Arena area. Area around feels safe. Secure underground car park (but need to check in first to get gate code). Efficient reception (multi lingual). Room was excellent - especially if you like mirrors. Not the biggest room, but huge bed, and excellent well appointed bathroom. Quiet, and with decent wifi and aircon. Breakfast is buffet and a very high standard."

"We stayed at Ark Hotel booking directly at the hotel in early July and, overall, found the experience disappointing. The room felt sterile and impersonal—more like a hospital room than a hotel. While it was clean, it lacked any warmth or character. The location also proved inconvenient. In the intense summer heat, it was too far to walk to the city center, so we had to rely on taxis for every outing in Verona. Breakfast was basic and uninspired: cold cuts, pastries, scrambled eggs, and oddly, chopped-up hot dogs. All of the coffee was from a machine—surprisingly impersonal for a hotel in Italy. The most upsetting part of our stay came when we had to leave suddenly due to a family emergency. We received a call at 2 PM that our grandson had been admitted to a pediatric hospital in Naples and needed emergency care. We rushed to the front desk to explain and asked to check out early. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the staff showed no compassion or flexibility. They rigidly enforced policy without any human understanding. To add to our frustration, our room had never been cleaned that day. The hotel later claimed that the cleaning staff came twice and we refused service, but that is simply not true. There was clearly a miscommunication, and at no point did we decline housekeeping. We had fully intended to have the room cleaned for our stay that evening. I The one bright spot was the front desk team at check-in, who were polite and helpful with general inquiries. Sadly, that professionalism disappeared when it was needed most. We would not stay here again and cannot recommend it—especially to travelers who may need even the most basic empathy or flexibility during an unexpected situation."