What a disappointment. Mold, mildew, peeling wallpaper in the halls. Ugh! At least the room was spacious and the bathroom was one of the largest we encountered while touring Italy. Our bathroom had standing water a couple inched deep in one corner. The breakfast was impressive but I would not recommend this place to anyone!

I read the earlier reviews and was afraid to stay here to say the least but since my husband and I were traveling with a group we didn't have a say. We stayed here for 6 nights.

The room was fine but nothing special for a 5 star rating which this hotel doesn't deserve. It was clean and neat as a pin with a generous bed, two bathrooms, a very large closet and lovely balcony with chairs and a table. However, it was very outdated and the bathroom tub and shower had some mildew and an unreliable shower. Also, our phone never worked. After reading reviews I am beginning to think that the phones never work in this hotel. Also, only some of the outlets worked to recharge camera batteries and phones so keep that in mind if you're there for more than a one night.

The food was actually pleasant and delicious. Breakfast was hearty by Italian standards with yummy brioche, rolls, bread, yogurt, cereals, juices, hard boiled eggs, cold cuts and cheese. It certainly filled us up daily. Even the milk for the coffee was warm which was a nice touch. Dinner was equally pleasant aside from the 'fresh fruit' for dessert which turned out to be canned fruit cocktail. It became a tour joke.

The service at this hotel was NOT good except for housekeeping. The wake up calls were a nightmare. The night porter literally slept (snored) on the job. The bartender was crabby and rude. Our tour director had to fight to get breakfast served at 7 am.

The common spaces were lovely. The lobby was comfortable and welcoming. The pool area was beautiful. All these spaces were clean and well kept. The location on Montecatini was perfect. Close enough to walk to shops and restaurants but far enough to be quiet at night with windows open.

I would love to recommend this hotel to a friend but I couldn't do it without giving them a full disclosure and letting them know that they could wind up in the basement which some on our tour did. They all said those rooms were damp and unpleasant. What sort of 5 star establishment is willing to risk their reputation over that? Apparently the owners of this hotel don't care. Tour groups keep booking here for unknown reasons.

We stayed here in june of 2010 and it was the worst hotel I have ever stayed at. We arrived with a tour group and apparently that means we have to sleep in a basement. Our room was 2 floors below the main lobby and it was disgusting. The entire floor smelled of mold and wet carpet. Our hotel rooms were even worse!! We had mold all over the curtains and the beds were wet from the damp air! Our shower which was the size of a phone booth had bugs in it and the sink was just an old piece of rotting wood. We immediately complained and asked to be moved but they acted insulted and told us they were all booked up. So we went to out tour director who also complained and she was told the same thing, so we actually called the main tour head quarters and let them know the situation. Then like we figured they found us 3 new hotel rooms for my family and I.
The worst part was the food! They couldn't even give us good bread! It was old and stale and tasted terrible. The main course was veal and was cold and slimy! Our dessert was supposed to be tiramusu but it came out runny and pretty much is liquid form! Our tour director again cussed out the cook and I'm sure they will never book here again!
Please believe all of these reviews because they are without a doubt true! In the united states a hotel this bad would be shut down and we be considered a 1 or 2 star hotel!
I would never go back to that place again and the 40 or so people I was with all agree!!!

I am a 70-year-old seasoned traveler. Since retiring 8 years ago, I have taken 4 coach tours with guides (3 in Europe; 1 in Egypt). When a friend and I decided to take a tour with INSIGHT VACATIONS last year, I was so concerned about the awful reviews of this hotel that I wrote to INSIGHT to express my concern. Their response was that they had scouted out this hotel and felt that it satisfied their standards. I was still concerned and remained so until I arrived at the hotel two weeks ago.

It is hard to believe that the reviews I read were written about the same hotel I stayed in. In fact, the reality was so surprisingly different from the what I had read about, that I wondered about the authenticity of the all those negative reviews. This was one of the best hotels on our tour (and I am rather fussy)!

The hotel itself is lovely with indoor and outdoor swimming pools (which I did not use but saw). My room was one of the most commodious room of my trip. My friend and I had separate single rooms. I had an enormous comfortable bed, a bathroom with a bathtub/shower combination, two sinks, and a long hallway that made my room feel like a suite.

Since we were only in this facility two nights, I did not have much experience with their services. But everything in the room worked (phone, TV, mini bar, etc). We had a buffet breakfast two mornings that were more than adequate (as most buffet breakfasts we had were).

Since the hotel was included in our overall tour, I have no idea how expensive their rates are. Also, since the property is so large, I could not tell if there was a new and old section or not. Everything looked new to me -- and I always look around hotels to get a full idea of what they have to offer.

I was very happy with this hotel -- as were most of the people in my group. It is about a 15-minute walk from the center of this charming town, which I took. I would highly recommend this hotel and would certainly go back should the occasion arise.

I'm including photos that I took with this review.