We stayed there just one night in October and we really liked it.

After visiting Florence and Pisa, we felt like resting a bit and staying by the sea side. We really enjoyed staying at Viareggio though there off-season. We had a very spacious room at the upper corner of the hotel and we really liked the view.

The kindness and politeness of the staff is also worth mentionning.

lovely old style hotel,staff helpful pleasant. when checking in would have been informative if the new hotel tax had been explained

I booked four nights at the Grand Hotel Royal as a surprise for my Husband as it was our Wedding Anniversary. I had requested a room on a high floor (if possible) and we were given a room on the 4th Floor which had a side sea view which we were very happy with. The room was of a good size and it had a full sized bathroom (which we rarely find these days) which was spotlessly clean as was the room itself. The bed linen was changed once during our stay and the towels were changed everyday. There was also a wide range of toiletries in the bathroom. The room had wifi which worked very well.

The breakfast was served from 07.30–10.30 each morning. There was a wide selection of food and drinks ranging from fruit juices, teas, coffee, milk, (cappuccino on request) and bottled water – there was a vending machine one could use for making coffee or tea. The buffet itself comprised of a variety of cereals, yogurts, croissants, fresh fruit, fresh fruit salad, peaches, prunes, ham, different cheeses, rolls, cake, biscuits, a variety of bread, toast + various jams, marmalade & honey. There was also a hot plate containing scrambled eggs, sausages and bacon. We did not dine in the restaurant in the evenings but the menu looked very appetising.

We travelled independently booking direct with the hotel. We flew with British Airways to Pisa and caught the train from Pisa Airport to Viareggio. This involved a change of trains at Pisa Central but it wasn’t a problem. The fare was 3 Euros each (single) and the journey took less than an hour. We visited both Florence and Pisa by train during our stay in Viareggio and found the trains to be punctual and a lot cheaper than in the UK!

It was 28 years since we last stayed in Viareggio and looked upon our return visit as a Trip Down Memory Lane. I would certainly recommend the Grand Hotel Royal mainly for its lovely position on the promenade and very high standards. We found the Reception Staff and the Waiters to be extremely helpful and attentive and were always available. We thoroughly enjoyed our four day stay at the Grand Hotel Royal and were extremely lucky to be blessed with warm sunny weather and a temperature of 26C.