As part of a planned trip to Italy this hotel was booked on the basis of its price and TA ranking. We like our creature comforts and very rarely stay below 3 stars so when we saw that three nights at the Castello would be les than three hundred pounds and was four stars as well we booked straight away in Nov 07. We booked through Lastminute.com and selected a deluxe double with spa and continental breakfast.
When we set off on a driving tour of Italy some 10 months later I took into account recent reviews that mentioned the hotel being hard to find. I printed off the Google arial photo of the hotel and surrounding roads as well as programming it into my sat nav. We arrived in Rome around 2pm via the A1 motor way and the city ring road. As the sat nav counted down to less than two miles to go we spotted the first of many signs to the hotel and followed it - straight into a dead end. A housing estate had been built since the photo used by google had been taken or the software for my satnav had been written. Several false trys led nowhere but dead ends. We therefore ignored the satnav and tried another of the roads on the map. Again as we got near there were more signs but this time the road ended in a quarry. A third attempt coming in from the north along Via Cassia finally got us to the hotel, after an hour of driving around and around. Sorry to go on but this set the scene for the rest of the stay.
The former castle is certainly an impressive sight but from the outside has no signage at all to indicate where the front door is or directions to reception. Only a delivery taking place gave away that the heavy iron gates in the front of the building are the main door. The reception staff were typically Italian in their aloof manner and made us feel that I was an inconvenience to their work. The member of staff dealing with us even ignored us for a moment to sign the delivery mans papers despite three other members of staff standing around. When we got to our room it was stiflingly hot. The A/C had not been switched on. Further more our prebooked spa bath was a bog standard one under the window with a shower over it.
I went straight back to reception to query this. I was told in a very matter of fact way that Lastminute.com had incorrectly listed the room facilities and that the hotel had informed them of this numerous times. The mention of a spa was in fact free access to the hotel spa facilities - swimming pool - and not a jacuzzi bath as the blurb suggested. To compound things it later became evident that the location of the bath against the window prevented a curtain being hung there. Therefore if you needed to have a shower after dark you had to do so with the light off for fear of people outside seeing you in the bath room. There are rooms available with jacuzzi baths but only those costing a great deal more per night.
The rest of the room was clean but otherwise like many business hotels. there is a mini bar, barely effective A/C unit and a safe but no iron or trouser press and no coffee making facilities. Our room,211, overlooked the terrace used by restaurant guests and so included their chatter and noise.
The large swimming pool to the rear of the hotel was down eleven flights of precariously steep stairs.
On the first night we went into Rome on the train returning around 8.30pm to take dinner in the restaurant. we were advised that we should have booked in advance, despite being a guest there and there being no other places to eat within three miles!
When we were eventually seated it was in amongst a large Italian family gathering celebrating a 25th wedding anniversary. The starter of Gnocchi was plentiful but of one flavour throughout the dish. My wifes seafood ravioli starter was again plentiful and she was impressed by the many tastes it gave her.
For our mains we both had veal dishes with roasted eggplant and mozzarella. Thats exactly what we got. A fatty piece of meat, two pieces of roasted aubergine topped with grated mozzarella and a piece of stuffing. the portion size was small and swimming in grease.
We asked for a bottle of house red to go with it and were served a bottle of chianti called "Oddone". Breakfast the following morning was little better. Scrambled eggs and bacon were the only hot options. the rest being apple croissants - no plain ones or pan chocolate,
There was choice of cold meats that you had to slice yourselves along with cheese in a similar manner. This was all taken whilst lift music was played into the room.
The second night we took dinner in Rome but returned to find another wedding reception on and the only parking place available at the bottom of the very steep hill to the rear of the hotel. Nine flights of steep steps back to our room were not what we wanted after a long day on the tourist trail. Day three was much the same but this time it was scrambled eggs and sausage. On the evening another wedding that went on until 1am with noisey vocal guests and fireworks outside our window.
On the face of it this impressve looking four star establishment is ideal for those that want silver service meals by waiters in white tunics or if you want a fairytale wedding location. If like me you want four star accomodation for a base from which to explore Rome then look elsewhere. It is 90 minutes and two trains to the Rome Termini station, impossible to find and treats non italian guests in a less favourable fashion.
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