It's a few months since our visit to Castello della Castelluccia but I felt as I rely so heavily upon Tripadvisor reviews when booking holidays, it wasn't fair to not write this.

My partner and I were so excited about our 5-day trip having read all the great reviews and seen all the beautiful photos but when we arrived, we felt like we'd been duped. The rooms were not nearly as lavish as the pictures had suggested, the facilities were largely out of use for our stay, e.g. the swimming pool and the cafe area upstairs, despite it being really hot. The gym was also very small and smelly and the breakfasts were rubbish, really rubbish. There was very little selection and the quality of the food was terrible and we had Abba playing every morning!

When wandering around the grounds, everything seemed to be in a state of disarray and we got the distinct impression that this is just not the place to go off season or before the end of May. There was an organised party in the hotel on one night and only then did the staff seem to make an effort.

Overall, we felt this place had enormous potential but fell well short on what it had promised to deliver. The decor was awful and cheap and tacky looking and there were nasty, dusty fake flowers everywhere. It would have made such a difference if these had been real but no real effort was made anywhere.

The only real plus point which was also a negative was the fact that the hotel is in the middle of nowhere and it is a very long walk to the nearest train station in the local town (which seemed very sweet) so although it was nice not to be staying in the centre of Rome, it was a mission to get into town (an hour to an hour and a half's journey) and as we were there over Easter, this was more difficult than usual. It was also very expensive to get back to the hotel from the city centre with taxis costing around £25. So it was either this or get the last train and shuttle back to the hotel around 10pm.

We did love Rome and would love to return, but next time we'll be staying somewhere else.

My daughter and I just returned from our 2 week trip to Europe. Rome was our first stop and loved this hotel the best! The castle was amazing and the staff went out of their way to help us whenever we needed it. I hadn't used the train systems before and once I figured it out it was very easy to get from the shuttle on the trains to downtown Rome. You just needed to have an idea on when the trains ran. that's typical anywhere in europe and we didn't need to use a taxi once. we used RomaCabs to get there and bought the Roma Passes which made the train travel a snap. The food was wonderful - I didn't see it anymore expensive than anywhere else we ate. Pool was great - my daughter loved it. I would say that on the weekends - yes they do have a lot of weddings - beautiful place for it but they acknowledged it and let us know so we wouldn't be inconvienced. We will definitely stay here if we go back to Rome.

It was our last night in Italy after a glorious 5 weeks spent mostly in Tuscany. We were looking for a special hotel within an hour of Fiumicino Airport. Castello della Castelluccia fit the bill. It was recommended by the Michelin Red Guide which gave it 3 rouge maisons. Just the type of Michelin rating we love to stay in. Yet we had been disappointed by a similar rating for a hotel outside Orvieto where we stayed the night before. This place however lived up to its rating. A beautifully restored castle full of charm, character and modern conveniences. It was also very professionally run. Our standard room (deluxe they called it) was large and looked very medieval except for the flush toilet and other modern conveniences. It was lovely. The food served by the restaurant was delicious. We had the shrimp ravioli and vegetable and lamb pasta both of which were very tasty particularly the ravioli. Our veal main courses were also delicious. We enjoyed the lovely pool (it is a bit of a hike to get there). All in all a wonderful hotel.

My husband and I got married in the Irish College in central Rome in March 2009. We wanted to stay in a hotel that would match the grandeur of the wedding, and the Castello della Castelluccia was no diasappointment! 13 of us in the wedding party stayed in beautifully furnished bedrooms (as the married couple we were upgraded to a suite with a fireplace and jacquzzi bath at no extra cost by the management). The details of the hotel were more akin to a 5 star hotel in the UK, complete with bath robes and slippers in each bathroom. The decor was just fabulous, as our family slept in rooms with four poster beds and frescos. We ate a delicious meal on the evening of our wedding, and the chefs were happy to cater for our veggie family members. The surrounding lawns, orange trees and castle interior are perfect for photographs. The only inconvenience was the location outside central Rome, but the hotel is very close to the Metro which connects in 20-30 minutes to Metro line A, which is perfect for the sightseeing stops of St Peters, Spanish Steps, Trevi fountain etc. There is a courtesy bus that brings you from the metro back to the hotel 6 times a day, times were a bit inconvenient but as we were a large party we just agreed in advance when to arrive back in the evening. The suburban location also made it fantastic value - I imagine we would have paid excessive amounts of money to stay in a similar hotel in the centre of rome. The spa, with turkish baths and a sauna included in the price of the accommodation, was also a fantastic way to chill out before and after the big day, during times when members of the wedding party could not face sightseeing trips! Also, the breakfast was to die for, with a good choice of bacon and scrambled eggs, bread, cheese, eggs, pastries, coffee, juice etc). If I had to do it all again, I would definately choose the Castello as the place to spend our first few days as a married couple abroad. The hotel is designed as a fantastic wedding, honeymoon or romantic location, but is not neccessarily the best place to stay if you are just sightseeing Rome. I will dearly miss the place!