We booked the Dragonetti for six nights and whilst it is a historic building with some quite beautiful features I wouldn't reccomend staying here for more than two nights maximum.
Niccoletta on reception was helpful as was Layla an occassional waitress but do not come here expecting service. Most of the week we had the place to ourselves so you would expect to be treated well whereas the opposite was true. The sole waiter on hand most evenings made it quite clear he'd like to get our meal over with so he could do whatever it is he wanted to do. The pool was lovely but you could sit there for four hours and you won't get a drink. Lastly the food was OK but I admit to expecting more particularly as I had seen pictures of what apeared to be a curing room for various meats, what was on offer both in the evening and at breakfast was basically adequate with no fresh juice just boxed or bottled!.

The Villa Dragonetti is a charming hotel whose owner has paid much attention to detail and to the comfort of his guests. The painted walls and ceilings make this villa unique. The rooms are up two flights of steps, with no elevator; we stayed in the blue room which, though smaller than some of the other rooms, was still nicely sized . It had two views of the beautiful property and the mountains in the distance. The bathroom was very clean and the bed comfortable. There is a mini fridge and selection of teas and a teapot, as well as a dish of hard candies. It was very quiet except for some street noise the nights we were there (during the week), however the hotel is very popular for weddings, both local and destination, and business dinners and my sense is that it could be noisy on those occasions. I would recommend checking ahead. The breakfast was delicious with housemade bread, fruit salad or compote, cheeses and pastries. We ate dinner there both nights and it too was delicious. NIcoletta at the front desk was extremely helpful in suggesting places to go and a restaurant for lunch.

This is a lovely property, with 18th century frescos adorning every wall and ceiling in the villa. The staff was very pleasant and accomodating, and the cuisine was excellent. Breakfast was plentiful, appealing and fresh. We are not early risers, so our family had a substantial brunch, and found we were fine skipping lunch, and just having a snack in the afternoon while touring, and returning late for a sumptious dinner. We highly recommend the dinner. The family suite was perfect for our family of four- a room with two twin beds for our kids, with their own bath, and a room (with TV/VCR) with a king bed and separate bath for the adults. The area is a little off the beaten path (at least in early June) and we truly enjoyed seeing a beautiful part of Italy that was non- touristy feeling, but with plenty of interesting sights to see.

Villa Dragonetti is a hotel located in Paganica, a little town in the outskirts of L'Aquila (in the Abruzzo region of central Italy). This hotel is particularly fascinating and is worth spending a night if you are in the area.
It used to be an old villa that was once located in the countryside, but is now surrounded by the suburbs.
You know this is a special place as soon as you walk through the main door. Every inch of wall surface is painted with images of fauna and flora.
It seems that a French family once owned this villa and hired a French artist to decorate the entire villa in exchange for living in it.
Amazing! Even the hallways and bathroom are frescoed.
The hotel has a good restaurant, also frescoed top to bottom. The rooms are nice and charming, with some facing the garden - but they aren't as luxurious or confortable as some modern hotel might be. But you wouldn't come here for the luxury trappings, but to experience this unknown hotel's faded grandeur and originality.
This is a place you will always remember.