We all enjoy a nice hotel room when we're on vacation. A nice, clean and comfortable room is an important part of a holiday and it can greatly improve the overall experience of your vacation.
If you enjoy nice surroundings, the place you lay your head down at night can make or break your Italian holidays.
Keeping that in mind, I prepare very well before choosing where to stay in Italy. In the past, I used guide books to get all the information I needed. However, I quickly learned not to rely only on them. Sometimes, the info you find in guidebooks is not very recent and that can be a problem.
Take for example the reviews of Frommer's guidebook and EveWitness Guide to Florence and Tuscany. They both have the best possible words for Antica Torre hotel in Siena. From their reviews you get under the impression that those stone steps they describe will lead you into perfect little cozy rooms with Tuscan antiques and marble floors. Seems amazing, right?
But the reviews at online review sites such as TripAdvisor.com tell a different story: "We stayed there for a single night. It was OK, but I am glad we did not spend too much time there. The room is quite small but it's actually the bathroom that feels very very small - and while it has recent fixtures, it does not feel terribly clean."
Sure, there were plenty of visitors who liked that place. On the other hand, almost as many people didn't. When I want to make a call based on online customer reviews it's that if there are more than a few people who hated it entirely - I don't book it.
Now look at this experience: "Those were the two longest nights in a hotel It's recommended by some guides, but I guess they never actually visited it. Hauling our bags upstairs was something we expected there. Okay. However, I didn't expect the black mold on the bathroom walls. It seems as if the bathroom used to be a closet or something like that. I guess the other rooms aren't as bad. Anyway, I wouldn't take any more chances here.
The moral of the story is don't just buy an Italy travel guide and trustingly follow the recommendations. Use travel guidebooks as a starting point but double-check at discussion forums and online review sites before booking your hotel.
If you enjoy nice surroundings, the place you lay your head down at night can make or break your Italian holidays.
Keeping that in mind, I prepare very well before choosing where to stay in Italy. In the past, I used guide books to get all the information I needed. However, I quickly learned not to rely only on them. Sometimes, the info you find in guidebooks is not very recent and that can be a problem.
Take for example the reviews of Frommer's guidebook and EveWitness Guide to Florence and Tuscany. They both have the best possible words for Antica Torre hotel in Siena. From their reviews you get under the impression that those stone steps they describe will lead you into perfect little cozy rooms with Tuscan antiques and marble floors. Seems amazing, right?
But the reviews at online review sites such as TripAdvisor.com tell a different story: "We stayed there for a single night. It was OK, but I am glad we did not spend too much time there. The room is quite small but it's actually the bathroom that feels very very small - and while it has recent fixtures, it does not feel terribly clean."
Sure, there were plenty of visitors who liked that place. On the other hand, almost as many people didn't. When I want to make a call based on online customer reviews it's that if there are more than a few people who hated it entirely - I don't book it.
Now look at this experience: "Those were the two longest nights in a hotel It's recommended by some guides, but I guess they never actually visited it. Hauling our bags upstairs was something we expected there. Okay. However, I didn't expect the black mold on the bathroom walls. It seems as if the bathroom used to be a closet or something like that. I guess the other rooms aren't as bad. Anyway, I wouldn't take any more chances here.
The moral of the story is don't just buy an Italy travel guide and trustingly follow the recommendations. Use travel guidebooks as a starting point but double-check at discussion forums and online review sites before booking your hotel.
About the Author:
Stop by Barbra Sundquist's site where you can learn all about hottest places to visit in Italy and get recommendations for planning Italian holidays.
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