I forgot my own rule when booking this hotel..and that is to review it through tripadvisor...led solely by a cheap price and with the reviews from another assisi hotel rattling in my brain (il palazzo)..i booked a night at Il Castello.I even went to il palazzo by mistake but could not change my booking so we eventually arrived at IL Castello.The location is good,having a large brand new car park (sited out of sight beneath the coach station which is directly in front of the hotel) and reduced rates for overnight parking.It is possible to walk up to the main basilica complex of St Francesco from the hotel within 3-4 minutes and from there access all assisi"s treats.The foyer area is smart,even welcoming,booking in straightforward but from there it was just a joke.A surly uncommunicative porter delivered my wife to our room whilst i parked the car.My own arrival there,along a dark corridor with scuffed walls and cheap carpet did not inspire me and the room was even worse.Laminated furniture,chipped and in need of some painting, a bed so hard you could bounce a coin out the window and forget about getting to sleep on it,the view out of the room,above the bus station vista was impressive.Rooms on the other side of the corridor would likely get a view of the narrow street leading uphill.Bathroom adequate and clean.I cannot recall if there were any pictures on the wall but there wasn"t as far as i saw even a hotel folder with details of the premises or attractions in town. A totally soulless 80 euro box. Foyer on our return from a meal out ,to a restaurant recommended by the receptionist (which was lovely) was packed with a coachload of American teenage travellers engaged in a raucous game of charades.The ones carrying takeaway pizza containers only enhanced my feeling that we had booked into a backpacking,low budget property.Breakfast in the morning whilst having all necessary components for maintaing bodily function was uninspiring and served in a canteen room with the atmosphere of the moon...hotel pictures on booking sites show a cheery room with a healthy glow..sadly not in evidence on our visit.
Having said all this it did provide entertainment,marvelling at the increasing awfulness of the place....no we did not complain..we had a bed and we had a breakfast..the place fulfilled the obligation..............oh to have gone to il palazzo!!