Italy 2010

Best and worst accommodations:

Best: All noted below were Clean and well located
Why: Very friendly two run by the owners some minor language gaps but that's easily worked out. I will use these again as I am planning to go again 2011 and revisit with less emphasis on major sites. Albergo Marin - Venice, Katti House - Florence, Camere Fontana Vecchia - Vernazza

Worst: Hotel Selene
Why: Front desk was not welcoming and the room was done in dark brown felt like I was in a cave, need more light. The hotel was well located, breakfast staff was friendly and welcoming so I would go back. It was also very quite a real plus in a city

Tom & Laura in Denville, NJ USA 11/18/2009

Worst: Egi's Rooms in Vernazza
Why: Egi is a scam artist. I want to help save people from having the same experience that we did. Egi gets people to reserve his rooms in advance with a credit card at a certain price, and then he waits at the train station daily for people arriving in Vernazza without rooms and sees if he can get them to pay a higher price. And then he gives the rooms to those new people and completely disregards the people that made advance reservations with him! Which is illegal. We made advance reservations on Aug. 10 for two of his rooms for Sept. 21-Sept. 24. I confirmed the reservations on Aug. 10 via email and via phone AND gave him my credit card number, and he confirmed our reservation as well. I arrived in Vernazza with my husband and our two mothers the first day of our reservation and we waited for Egi for 2 hours. He never came. The locals tried to help us by calling him (no answer of course) and helping us find other rooms (none available). One of the locals trying to help us owns a pizza shop next door to him, and she told us that Egi is a "crazy man." She was right. So, there we were at 8:00 p.m. with 4 people and no room for the night. Everything ended up working out for the best b/c we - finally - found a fantastic hotel in Monterosso - Hotel Cinque Terre - and it was much better than our experience would ever have been staying at Egi's - we obviously would have gotten no response or help from him if something would have gone wrong in the rooms, there was no breakfast, we saw that there were TONS of steep stairs to get up to his place, and we heard from people staying there that his rooms aren't very nice, etc. We hope that Egi will be removed from Rick Steves' recommendations in the future.

Kelly in San Diego, CA USA 11/17/2009

Best: Stayed at none
Why: Several because we could not get reservations or, based on Trip Advisor and Venere reviews, decided not to select them.

Richard Raub in Portland, OR USA 11/17/2009

Best: Il Rosario in Rome and Ca'Rezzonico in Venice
Why: The staff were exceptional in their kindness to tourists and the rooms were impeccable.

Worst: Never found any really bad ones but Albergo Barbara in Vernazza was difficult.
Why: The rooms in Albergo Barbara are up 83 steps -a lot to haul luggage but the rooms were very nice.

Mary Bruce in Surrey, BC Canada 11/16/2009

Best: Katti House
Why: We ended up staying across the street at their other property, but loved the room and the price. The location is perfect for Florence sight-seeing. After our tiny room in Rome, the size the this room was delightful. Francesco, Anna Maria and Katti are great and caretaking hosts.

Worst: Hotel Smeraldo
Why: The price and location for this hotel make it hard to call it the "worst." We found it to be the best location for all we wanted to do, and along a relatively quiet street. The gripes: front desk staff were only marginally helpful and just "friendly" enough so we could not say "rude." The room was very small and there was no ventilation working - air had been turned off and heat had not yet been turned off. We did not need either, but would have loved some air moving around the very stuffy room. The bed was like a plank and sheets were pretty rough. The roof garden was not open in the evening and there were no chairs to sit down. Still, having said all that - still a wonderful location.

Susan Beach in Forest Park, IL USA 11/16/2009

Best: Katti House
Why: We ended up staying across the street at their other property, but loved the room and the price. The location is perfect for Florence sight-seeing. After our tiny room in Rome, the size the this room was delightful. Francesco, Anna Maria and Katti are great and caretaking hosts.

Worst: Hotel Smeraldo
Why: The price and location for this hotel make it hard to call it the "worst." We found it to be the best location for all we wanted to do, and along a relatively quiet street. The gripes: front desk staff were only marginally helpful and just "friendly" enough so we could not say "rude." The room was very small and there was no ventilation working - air had been turned off and heat had not yet been turned off. We did not need either, but would have loved some air moving around the very stuffy room. The bed was like a plank and sheets were pretty rough. The roof garden was not open in the evening and there were no chairs to sit down. Still, having said all that - still a wonderful location.

Susan Beach in Forest Park, IL USA 11/16/2009

Best: Erba Persa Agriturismo in Levanto Italy
Why: We arrived very late in the evening and Claudio picked us up at the train station and even took us to a restaurant for dinner in town.We planned on only 2 nights at Erba Persa but after finding it a great place to use as our home base in the Cinque Terre our hosts Grazia and Claudio were able to accomodate our request for 2 more nights. Being only a 10 min walk to the train station we were able to take advantage of the very reasonably priced rail service. The farmhouse is old but colorful and sits on an acreage with gardens and a horse and dogs and cats and birds and donkeys. The breakfast included was plentiful with breads, cereals, fruits, pastries, cheeses, yogurt , coffee, milk, juice and more. We did a lot of walking and hiking around the Levanto area and always felt safe and secure. The rooms were old but comfortable and very clean. It is just the kind of place we prefer when we travel. Grazia was also very helpful in finding us places to go in the Cinque Terre area and elsewhere even making phone calls for us and allowing us use of the computer. Very nice experience and the cost was reasonable with no hidden costs. The hosts were always gracious to us and all the guests. Deb thought this trip to the Cinque Terre was her favorite of all the trips we've taken in the last 30 years. als

Irv and Deb Espedal in Deforest, WI USA 11/15/2009

Best: Residence Adler, Rome and Palazzo Bruchi B & B, Siena
Why: Residence Adler was a quiet, calm respite from crazy Rome. Bruno, at the front desk was so helpful. We printed our boarding passes for our return trip at the front desk. Palazzo Bruchi B&B was charming. Camilla was always available for questions, printing out train schedules for us. Breakfast was the best, served in a room that made us feel like royalty. The Italy 2009 book was our bible for getting around, thank you!

Kathleen and Martin Zanetti in Louisville , Co USA 11/15/2009

Best: Nicholas Inn-Rome
Why: Great owners. Very helpful. Great location. Made you feel like family. Restaurant recommendations were amazing! I found this hotel on Trip Advisor and later saw it was in the Italy 2010 guidebook. Almost want to keep it to myself!!!

Nancy Antin in Minneapolis, MN USA 11/14/2009

Worst: Egi's Rooms in Vernazza
Why: Egi is certainly a nice guy, but his rooms are a complete rip off. There is a reason he asks for cash when you arrive -- you would never stay two nights in his "rooms". Futon for a bed, dirt ball artwork, a "bathroom" smaller than a closet in my house with a shower head that simply sprays all over the "bathroom", a sink you can't stand in front of (the wall is 6" from the sink) and a toilet you can't stand at (the ceiling comes right over the toilet so sitting would be a challenge for a tall person. AND, it was the most expensive room in our two weeks in Italy! Rick's recommendations are typically spot on - this one however, was as misguided as it can be.

Peter in Naperville, IL USA 11/08/2009

Best: Residenza il Villino, Florence, Italy
Why: My partner and I recently had the pleasure of staying at the Residenza il Villino in Florence in October. I could go on and on about this wonderful establishment. Our room was very spacious with a small outside patio overlooking the inner courtyard and with a view of Il Duomo in the distance over the rooftops. The location is perfect, in a quiet residential area, where you feel like you are actually living in Florence and not just around a bunch of other tourists. At the same time, the location is perfect, just a quick walk to the Piazza S. Giovanni, and the Accademia is about two blocks away. There are numerous small shops and restaurants in the area as well. The breakfast served is very good with a variety of pastries, breads and cereals, and the staff is always happy to brew a special cup of espresso for you. There are two computers in the dining area with Internet access as well as daily newspapers. The best thing about Il Villino, however, is the staff, particularly Sergio, Elisabetta, and Lorenzo. During our stay there, my partner fell ill with the flu. Everyone went out of their way to help us, offering to call a doctor, and helping us to rearrange our travel plans. On our last day there, when my partner was feeling better, Elisabetta helped us to obtain same day tickets for the Accademia so that my partner would not miss this. Having this kind of assistance while in a foreign country was so reassuring for us. We hope to return to Florence in the future and when we do we definitely plan to stay again at Il Villino again.

Douglas Hanlin in San Francisco, CA USA 11/08/2009

Worst: Casa di Sara, Venice, Italy
Why: Overall I have to say our experience at Casa di Sara "kinda sucked" (too put it bluntly). The accommodations were acceptable overall but there were a lot of negative touches that made us regret staying there.

The ensuite bathroom was actually connected to our neighbor's with an open-air transom of sorts so we could hear them (and they us) quite clearly (even with the bathroom door closed). We had issues with hot water when taking a shower as well. The decor of the rooms was not charming and suggested the owners had raided a local garage sale (or whatever the Venetian equivalent is). Our bathroom sink was located in the bedroom and perhaps as a result of previous guests the parquet floor beneath had come loose so whenever I went to the sink barefooted inevitably I walked away with part of the floor stuck to my feet (that I'd then studiously replace only to repeat later).

Perhaps the most damning was that our interactions with the majority of the staff (I'd say the Italian members rather than the Asians) left us with the distinct feeling that we were bothering them.

I'd just like to close by saying this is our 3rd time to Italy and we've stayed at a variety of places from high to low and been happy with the vast majority of them. Even in this case I'd say we didn't have a miserable experience but were notably disappointed.

Rob Moore in Austin, TX USA 11/07/2009

Worst: Hotel Marina, Monterosso Al Mare, Cinque Terre
Why: We stayed here based on the recommendation in the Italy 2009 edition. Unfortunately, the room was full of mold. We requested a room change, as I have a mold allergy, and we were told the were full. The young American woman at the desk was very rude. We walked all over town trying to find a different room but we were not able to find one. This caused me to be medicated for our entire stay just to sleep in that room. Perhaps Rick hasn't been there in a while, because I can't believe he would recommend such an icky place.

Linda Munizza in LaGrange Park, IL USA 11/05/2009

Best: VILLA MARGHERITA B&B, LEVANTO
Why: Just first class a operation in every respect. Clean and classy but be prepared to walk up and down stairs as it is on a hillside. And would you believe free, indoor parking? This is almost unheard of in Europe. This is a great place to stay for travelers with a car who want to visit Cinque Terre. You can leave your car and take the train or boat to visit the towns. The train station or boat landing are just a short walk away.

WILLIAM RODRIGUEZ in JACKSONVILLE, FL USA 11/05/2009

Best: Alma Domus in Siena
Why: Quiet, clean and an amazing view from my room of the Duomo! They served breakfast and the front desk staff spoke English, and I really found that helpful.

Worst: Ostello 5 Terre
Why: Bathroom and shower stalls are too small, and no private place to dress and undress. Otherwise: The staff was very helpful, spoke English, food was very good, it was clean, and quiet. (unless you have a room mate who snores)

Terri in Central Point, Or USA 10/31/2009

Best: B&B Palazzo Bruchi di Camilla Masignani, Siena
Why: It was like staying in a palace. The location was great, short walk to Il Campo. Camilla and her staff pampered us and made us feel right at home. I highly recommend Palazzo Bruchi, and hope to visit them again.

J Tallarico in Livermore, CA USA 10/26/2009

Best: Levanto Villa Margherita
Why: Levanto is less touristy than Cinque Terre, but easy access the CT with a nice beach and market. Villa Margherita was quiet, had internet access & the smell of chocolate croissants baking each morning was the wake-up call.

Worst: Florence Il Bargellino
Why: Too noisy. The first nite from inside (a dinner or party) followed by outside noise both nites from the street (arguments, dogs, etc.) until after 3 am. Request a room off the street & hope it's not party nite inside.

Suzanne Chabon in Greensboro, NC USA 10/26/2009

Best: Hotel Orion in Venice
Why: Very accomodating staff. The location can't be beat. The room was clean, spacious and had great views.

Heidi Fryman in minneapolis, Mn USA 10/21/2009

Best: apartments in Verona, L'Ospite Federica De Rossi, and in Bellagio, El Dorgo
Why: The apartments were lovely, conveniently located, cheaper than a hotel of similr quality and . . . we were able to relax better there than in a hotel room.

We also enjoyed making our own light meals. Flavio, at l'Osipte, told us where the shops were, so we easily found all we needed. In Bellagio, the other Flavio was ill, but we easily found a general market and produce shop.

Mikel and Rolly Morrison in Seattle, WA USA 10/20/2009

Best: Hotel Villa Elda in Siena
Why: Gracious, helpful concierges, elegant, clean, comfortable accommodation with minibar.

Worst: Settimo Cielo, Sorrento
Why: Drab, depressing, dirty, low-budget, a chunk of plaster cut out of the wall, scuff marks on wall, several power outages, a water supply outage; lame breakfast, stale cereal, terrible powdered coffee & drinks dispenser machine!

Kathy Healy in Manhattan Beach, CA USA 10/17/2009

Best: Podere IL Pero (B&B
Why: Excellent accommodations and great breakfasts plus really nice hosts (treat you like frineds)

Ray Kirk in Thorburn , NS Canada 10/12/2009

Worst: Palazzo Starace
Why: The staff was totally unhelpful -- didn't speak Italian or English. I certainly don't think staff should speak English, but Italian seems reasonable (and one or two words of English could help). There's no reception desk, and communication about check in and check out times was a disaster. I've stayed in Sorrento again and know there are many better options.

Sarah USA 10/12/2009

Worst: Hotel Selene - Roma
Why: When we arrived to check into our room we were informed, after charging our credit card, that there was a problem with our room. They said that we were being moved to another 3 star hotel owned by the same company 1 block away. Our new room in the Hotel Nizza was a dump. The bathroom was covered in mildew. The shower did not have a shower curtain or door. There were no light fixtures, just bare light bulbs. In the hall a man was chiseling holes in the wall and pulling out the old wiring. They advertised the hotel as having air conditioning but the thermostat in our room was broken. Our room was directly over a dumspter and we were kept up all night by all the local restaraunts emptying their trash.

Do not stay at Hotel Selene or Hotel Nizza!

Richard Torbett in Piney Flats, TN USA 10/11/2009

Best: La Magnolia B&B in Orvieto
Why: Loved the frescoed ceilings, terrazzo, huge bathroom, well-stocked kitchen, could have stayed there for weeks.

Worst: Ca'San Trovaso- Venice
Why: Most expensive room, the extra bed leg fell off during the night, cheesy furniture and INSTANT COFFEE and pre-wrapped pastries for breakfast. Never again.

Diane in Salem, OR USA 10/11/2009

Best: Hotel Villa Steno in Monterossa
Why: Carla and Matteo were amazingly gracious and helpful hosts. The breakfast they provided each day was lovely, the rooms were spotless and the balcony of our room may be our favorite spot in all of Italy. It was wonderful to be able to go to sleep with our balcony doors open to the night air and gentle noises that bubbled up from the town. If you are able to easily climb the steps to get to this spot, I cannot recommend it more highly. It was wonderful. Also loved our stay at Albergo Milano in Varenna. Edgy and Bettina are wonderful hosts. The rooms with the terraces have great views, but do lack the privacy that some guests might prefer.

Lauren in Bloomington, MN USA 10/11/2009

Best: Hotel Villa Margherita in the Cinque Terre Parkland
Why: Rooms and interior were clean and airy. Staff friendly and helpful. Well kept and relaxing gardens. Short walk to train station and a pleasant stroll to the city centre and beach area.

Roger Altman in Buffalo, NY USA 10/09/2009

Best: we loved Hotel Garda in Milan, hotel Fontana in Venice, Palazo Bruchi in Siena, Maria Capellini in Vernazza, and Hotel Accademia in Florence
Why: They were all very well situated, and the rooms were nice. We don't have a worst, but the stairs at the Accademia (75 of them) to get to our second floor room were a killer! The hotel was in perfect spot so we forgot about the stairs......

Margo in Cadegan, Canada 10/07/2009

Worst: Varenna, Italy Hotel Olivedo
Why: Varenna, Italy Hotel Olivedo, is the worst hotel I have stayed at in over 40 years of European travel. Laura is a mean huckster and the rooms are terrible, noisy and the bath was dangerous for seniors. The place needs to be removed from the guide book. We canceled out of the place after one night w/o sleep after a big argument with Laura and drove to St. Moritz. What a lucky break!!!

Thomas Elmquist in Woodbury, MN USA 10/06/2009

Best: Soggiorno Batistero in Florence
Why: Kelly & Luca made us feel at home, took care of our museum bookings, and the location can't be beat. We felt we were staying in the Duomo, we were that close.

Terri in San Francisco, CA USA 10/04/2009

Best: Hotel Aberdeen, Rome
Why: Very clean, spacious room, great location and price, and really helpful and nice staff.

Marina Simian in Washington, DC USA 10/01/2009

Best: Hotel Umbra, Assisi
Why: Great combination of in the center of things, views, their own restaurant, and very friendly staff.

Ralph Perry in Cincinnati, Oh USA 09/30/2009

Best: Palazzina Cesira in Montalcino
Why: Lucilla and Roberto prepared excellent breakfasts, and were very warm and attentive to their guests. Our room, though not the quiet upstairs room we requested, had a tiny balcony right on the via where we could enjoy a glass of wine while watching the townspeople and tourists go by. The free Wi-Fi was also much appreciated. We would definitely return.

Worst: Camere Fontana Vecchia in Vernazza
Why: When we arrived after a tiring train trip from Lucca involving two transfers and lots of steps with our luggage, we called Anna who met us in just a few minutes. We had booked a room with her in January 2009, and had confirmed it with her within the previous month. She told us that she had made a "terrible mistake," and she did not have a room for us. Luckily, she had a friend who could provide one for us. She then explained that the people renting our room for the past couple days had wanted to extend their visit for two days, and she gave THEM our reserved room. To add insult to injury, she then proceeded to tell us she still had the 3rd night of our reservation available, but of course she could not rent it to us for just one night!!! Our room with Signore Callas Sergio (Gemmini Rooms) was clean and spacious, and directly across from the Blue Marlin Bar. Once we realized it wasn't going to be the quiet room promised by Anna, we simply relaxed and joined the fun. The trains were a bit loud, but that also has made a great story, and this was one of our favorite stays. While Anna's rooms may be as delightful as you describe (we'll never know), her untrustworthy behavior as an innkeeper is quite out of character with the delightful, helpful proprieters typically recommended in your guides. This is the only really negative experience we have had in two trips to Italy.

Pamela Stutts in Virginia Beach, VA USA 09/27/2009

Best: Venice - Pensione Albergo Guerrato
Why: A very beautiful old building (Est. 1288). Our room was spacious, beautiful, very clean, air conditioned and full bathroom. Very close to Rialto Bridge but a street back so very quiet. The staff was very gracious and helpful. Nice breakfast in a beautiful dining room included. They kindly stored our backpacks the day after checkout so we were unencumbered till we caught the night train. They also recommended a wonderful little restaurant called Da Sandro nearby.

Mike, Luz, Kai in Blaine, WA USA 09/25/2009

Best: Vernazza - Egi's Rooms - The Orange Room
Why: We are so lucky that Egi spotted us. We had just spent two wonderful days in Vernazza and were desperately looking for another room to extend our stay. Vernazza is addictive, we needed more. The three of us (two adults, one child) were standing below the train station with cell phone in hand, looking forlorn. We had called every number, rang every Camere bell and asked at every pizzeria, gelateria, restaurant and bar. We didn't want to leave. A young man, Egi, approached and asked if we were looking for a room. He had a vacancy for four nights and of course we took it. He has several rooms, the one we stayed in is the Orange Room. It sleeps four, has a full bathroom and kitchen. The location is right on the main "street", just a few doors from the main plaza, Piazza Marconi. Just outside the exterior door you are meters from delicious gelato, pizza, fish, and more. Even though the rooms are just meters from the main plaza they are on the building's central courtyard, and so very quiet. The view out the windows is scenic, but not in the usual way. You look out on the real Italy, families, laundry, living and working, daily life. Fascinating and charming. Egi and Sonia are wonderful people and treated us like family. The room is large, quiet, beautiful, comfortable and very clean. We enjoyed our stay very much. Thank you Egi and Sonia.

Mike, Luz, Kai in Blaine, WA USA 09/25/2009

Best: Vernazza - Ivo's Rooms - Ivo's Apartment
Why: We feel so lucky that we found Ivo and his beautiful Apartment. Our family (two adults and one child) were in Vernazza with no room for the night (reservation lost or miscommunicated by a different Camere). Rooms are very difficult to get during August and we had called every number, rang every Camere door buzzer and asked at every pizza parlor, gelateria, restaurant and bar... no luck. Ivo chased us down, caught up to us at the train station and offered us a room for two nights. Of course we accepted. Ivo is our hero. Nice man, beautiful room and he and his brother make great pizza and focaccia at Pizzeria F.lli Basso. The room was spacious, has bathroom and shower, comfortable, very clean and beautiful. At night we could hear the waves on the rocks. The apartment is very near the action but far enough through the charming paths to be very quiet. The apartment is located on Via Mazzini, a very charming and atmospheric lane... like a movie set or postcard. Also make sure you eat at Pizzeria Basso. The food is delicious, the location is handy, the ambience is great and the prices good. Ivo and his brother treated us like family and made us great food until we were stuffed. We enjoyed our stay very much. Thank you Ivo and thank you Vernazza.

Mike, Luz, Kai in Blaine, WA USA 09/25/2009

Best: Hotel Del Corso
Why: Can't beat the location 100 yards from Piazza Tasso! Asked for a room away from the main street as per the guidebook, it was spacious, clean, and quiet.

Mike in LA, CA USA 09/18/2009

Best: Hotal al Lupo (zum Wolf) in Castelrotto & Hotel Riva in Venice
Why: Hotel al Lupo was the best hotel that we have stayed in while in Europe. Rooms were extremely clean and spacious. The staff was very polite and answered any questions that we had. The laundry facilities worked well for us as we packed light. Great self-serve bar where you can meet-up with other hotel guests.

Hotel Riva was a very clean hotel in Venice with the front desk manned 24/7. We had a canal room w/o air conditioning. We did hear canal noise, but used ear plugs which did the trick. Did get a few mosquito bites but nothing major (we get it worse here in Wisconsin). Breakfast was small (rolls w/ jam) but the cappuccino's were excellent.

Chris & Kelly Leu in Sheboygan, WI USA 09/14/2009

Best: Il Bargello B & B
Why: Friendliness of the staff, cleanliness of the B&B, outdoor space on the rooftop, location to everything...walked everywhere, reasonable price (love the Rick Steves discount), wonderful towels!!

Maria Neatherton in Palm Desert, CA USA 09/13/2009

Best: Venice - Hotel al Ponte Mocenigo
Why: Lovely room, lovely small hotel away from the mass of tourists. Very helpful and friendly staff. Excellent breakfast in courtyard. A bargain for Venice (esp. with cash discount) but didn't feel at all like anything cut-rate. Highly recommended.

Craig Sale in Brookfield, IL USA 09/08/2009

Best: The Beehive and Hotel Italia
Why: The Beehive was cheap and quiet and very friendly. I slept with a face mask and earplugs which I found greatly improves any accommodations in Italy. Hotel Italia was 50 Euros for a single with breakfast. They accept credit cards now. Very comfortable and friendly. They have your guidebooks near the breakfast room.

Mary Catherine Donnelly in Brooklyn, NY USA 09/01/2009

Best: B&B Dei Mori in Florence
Why: See above.

Karen in Reading, MA USA 08/30/2009

Best: Casa Masoli, Ravenna
Why: If you go to Ravenna, this was the best of all possible worlds. It was extremely close to all of the site seeing places and old town center. We didn't drive once we arrived there. The elderly signore Masoli was charming! She doesn't speak much English, but it didn't matter. We limped by on our bit of Italian and were able to communicate just fine. The atmosphere is so warm! There are only a few rooms, but the one we had was huge, had a huge bathroom and a door that led into a beautiful courtyard. It was one of our most favorite hotels for the charm and location.

Worst: none from the book
Why: We used the book faithfully. Not a single one of the recommendations were disappointing. We did branch out from the book a couple of times...For example the Amalfi recommended hotels were too limited and we found a wonderful hotel on our own...Villa Lara (I added it above.)

Christina Anderson in Hacienda Heights, CA USA 08/19/2009

Best: Hotel Lupo, Castelrotto and Hotel Aberdeen
Why: Locations are excellent and Arno of Hotel Lupo is so helpful! We all love our stay in Castelrotto and Rome

Worst: I did not follow your accommodation recommendation in Florence
Why: Will do next time!!

Anita Szeto in Hong Kong, 08/17/2009

Best: Hotel Mediterraneo, Santa Margherita Ligura
Why: This is a long overdue letter of commendation for Pia. Unfortunately Expedia and Hertz promised that a car would be waiting for us. It never happened. Pia immediately had a replacement car delivered to the hotel, saving a major component of our vacation. Her enthusiastic help was typical of our entire week at the hotel. The room was a delight, the food was excellent, but we especially appreciated the warm and genuine support. Thank you.

Rick Swinth in Santa Rosa, CA USA 08/16/2009

Best: Cinque Terra - "Locanda il Maestrale" - Monterosso.
Why: This was a great hotel - location, breakfast, grand view from the breakfast terrace, very friendly Giovani, and lovely rooms. The entire Cinuque Terra experience was one of our favorites in a 6 week driving tour of Italy. Staying in the 'old town' section of Monterosso kept us away from the sizable crush of tourists and their yellow beach umbrellas without sacrificing accessibility to the hiking trails which abound in the area. A great restaurant - L'Alta Marea - was right across the street from the hotel and yes, another Rick's recommendations.

Worst: Hotel Ideale - Assisi, Italy
Why: From Rick's 2009 Italy book: Hotel Ideale in Assisi was ideally located and a nice property - beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. However, the staff needs an injection of caring for its cliental. The older woman/cook/inkeeper was a very charming person - but - once the old guy in the white pants and red shirt appeared, the mood dramatically took a downward turn. He was loud, rude, threw a pen and pad of paper on the counter when I requested some information, and at 9:30 when the breakfast time was through, he cleared the tables to the point of taking plates, forks, coffee off tables while we were still finishing up. Yes, a very rude fellow indeed. We stayed at the hotel for 2 nights and his attitude did not change nor fluctuate from his condescending attitude and behavior. Sad that this fellow was such a negative contributor to an otherwise great experience in Assisi.

Stephen S. Anderson in Hacienda Heights, CA USA 08/16/2009

Best: Residenza il Villino in Florence
Why: This was one of the nicest places we have ever stayed, and we've done a lot of traveling. The staff at this residenza was extremely helpful, even though we had to change our travel plans several times. The rooms were fantastic, and the residenza was a five minute walk to the Duomo. The Accademia and the Monastery San Marco were just around the corner. I don't believe that there's a better place to stay in Florence!

The breakfast was great, and Sergio even made us multiple cappuccinos to go with breakfast.

They recommended a local restaurant in their neighborhood, Acquacotta (via dei Pilastri 51), run by a young couple, that was superb! Best cheesecake ever.

Ruth MacNaughton in Oakland, CA USA 08/16/2009

Best: Hotel Pensione Guerrato
Why: Location and the staff was exceptional! The staff was always available to help us in anyway possible. We really enjoyed all the fresh fruit that was so convenient.

Jim Colgan in Bixby, OK USA 08/15/2009

Best: Hotel Due Torri in Rome
Why: Hotel Due Torri is located in the heart of Rome about a 5 minute walk from the Pantheon. It is a small boutique hotel with great rooms (and air-conditioning) and breakfast. The staff is very accomodating. We enjoyed this hotel very much and would recommend it to anyone who wants to stay in a small hotel on a tiny street with all the color and atmosphere you could ask for.

Thomas Strayhorn in Snyder, TX USA 08/12/2009

Worst: Casa Olmata Hostel Rome
Why: The hostel has 2 facilities and we were escorted to a residental building that looks good from the outside, but was absolutely horrid inside. The rooms were in complete disrepair--you could see between the doorjam and the strikeplate because the wood was rotted away. The bathrooms were far worse with mold everywhere--I cringe just remembering it. The people running it were so nice and kind but I would NEVER stay there again. Please remove it from your book. It does say backpackers hostel but it unacceptable.

Julie Andrews in Penryn, CA USA 08/07/2009

Best: Grand Hotel Ambasciatori Sorrento
Why: Everything a hotel in its class should be. Professional, friendly and helpful staff.

Laura in Kirkland, Wa USA 08/04/2009

Best: La Mala, Vernazza
Why: Beautiful room and views

Sazia Samad in London, UK 07/27/2009

Worst: Hotel Duxi, Riomaggiore
Why: One more problem my wife reminded me of. The ceiling of our bedroom was flaking paint above the bed and the room was too small to move the bed. When I told the man at the front desk he shrugged his shoulders. Not impressive. I think this was room 2.

Jim Jamieson in Eugene, Or USA 07/21/2009

Best: Hotel Colonnina in Monterosso
Why: Warm and helpful staff. Great rooms and view!!

Worst: Hotel Duxi
Why: Noise issues

Jim Jamieson in Eugene, OR USA 07/20/2009

Best: Hotel Desiree, Sorrento on Via Capo
Why: The price was right, the views were spectacular, the breakfast was good, the staff was quite helpful. They provided info and local maps for us. There was a free beach to swim.

Panella's Residence in Florence was a close second. Large rooms, delicious breakfasts, cheerful and helpful proprietor.

Worst: Locanda la Corte, Venezia
Why: This is the first place we stayed at. The person on duty spoke limited english. We were supposed to mention our cash discount upon checking in, but she said nothing to us but here is your key and Bueno Note (good night). I thought it was crass to bring it up so I said nothing. When we checked out, we had to pay the VAT tax even though we paid in cash because we didn't mention the discount upon check in. I reconfirmed the rate stated upon check in at all other places we stayed at.

Iris Posin in Deerfield Beach, FL USA 07/19/2009

Best: Hotel Belvedere, Assisi
Why: Enrico was friendly and helpful - a dear friend! What a view that hotel has, all changes they've made through the years make it even better. My husband and I bought a bottle of wine from enoteca Lombardi two doors down at #9. He was friendly, and knows his wine. He was able to inform us which was light/hearty, and told us NEVER to ship wine... ^-^ We opened one bottle and enjoyed it on the terrace overlooking the beautiful valley.

Christine Elias in Vancouver, Wa USA 07/17/2009

Best: Hotel Il Saraceno, Volastra, Cinque Terre
Why: This hotel isn't in your guide but should be. It was the best we stayed at in our two week trip to Italy and France. The lady that owns and runs it is colorful, warm and genuine. She has lived in Volastra all of her life. My daughters and I felt at home there. English is spoken. She just rebuilt the place a few years ago and everything is quite nice. The breakfast is high quality. A bus runs between a stop just a few steps from the hotel to Manarola so seeing the rest of Cinque Terre is easy. An added plus for us was the secure parking for our car. I really enjoyed being in Volastra as it is a quiet Italian town where one can walk and not see other tourists.

Here is the contact info: 39 0187 760081 www.thesaraceno.com email:hotel@thesaraceno.com

Brandon Johnson in Encinitas, CA USA 07/17/2009

Best: Hotel Ideale in Assisi
Why: It is beautifully situated, with a great view of the valley and country side - our room (with a balcony, as recommended to request in the Italy 2009 book) was perfect! The breakfast was among the best we had in Italy and the personal attention to detail by the owner was fantastic.

Worst: Hotel Montreal in Rome
Why: This was the only hotel, of the 6 recommended hotels from the Italy 2009 Book, that we felt did not live up to it's description in the book. Our room was dirty (floor, walls, etc.) The one thing I insist on is a clean room. Also the front desk staff were rather abrupt, almost bordering on being discourteous. It was a disappointment.

Marianne Greer in Saskatoon, SK Canada 07/13/2009

Best: Residenza Cellini in Rome
Why: Great location. Fantastic Staff. Beautiful accomodations. Great breakfast in the morning. Everything about it was perfect. They even threw in a bottle of sparling wine one night that we enjoyed on the roof top patio. A perfect finish to a day of sightseeing. Would highly recommend and go back.

Jo Bennett in Laurinburg, NC USA 07/12/2009

Best: Hotel Milano in Varenna
Why: Although our room was tiny with a small lake view if you stood at the window, this hotel was well located between the ferry dock and the town square. There were other larger lake facing rooms, but unfortunately for us, we had booked after they were taken. I'm glad we got a room!! We thoroughly enjoyed our breakfasts and one dinner on their beautiful terrace. BUT the thing that we loved the most was the kindness and helpfulness of the staff. Right after we had checked out and were on the train on our way to catch the Bernina Express into Switzerland, we realized we had left our hiking poles--that we had purchased and carted all the way to Europe-- behind the door in our room. As soon as we arrived at our hotel in Switzerland, we called back and asked if our hiking poles had been found....they had!!! After discussing the best way to be reunited with our poles (shipping to our hotel in Wengen where we would arrive days later)we were surprised the next morning to get an e-mail from Bettina (the owner, with her husband, of Hotel Milano) that her husband Egidio (sp?) would be coming to the St. Moritz area very near our hotel, and that he would bring the poles and deliver them to our hotel!!! Wow!! We were so fortunate that he was coming that way (a several hour trip), but how amazing that he would be willing to go out of his way to bring them to us! We were out hiking when he arrived and our poles were waiting for us when we returned. I am just sorry we were not there to thank him in person. That is service above and beyond the norm!!!!

Paula Parker in Atlanta, GA USA 07/11/2009

Best: Hotel Adler in Rome and Casa Cosmo in Venice
Why: Both were very clean, cost effective and excellent staff. Also the location of each was excellent

Dr. Robert Kiner in Sioux Falls, SD USA 07/09/2009

Best: Hotel Campiello, Venice;Hotel Torre Guelfa, Florence; Hotel Villa Steno, Monteross al mare
Why: We had stayed in the same places 2 years ago and returned with our group of 7-family. It was just as great as we remembered. Nice rooms, great breakfast. Best in Venice.

Jeanette Finlon in Seattle, WA USA 07/09/2009

Best: Hotel Campiello, Venice;Hotel Torre Guelfa, Florence; Hotel Villa Steno, Monteross al mare
Why: We had stayed in the same places 2 years ago and returned with our group of 7-family. It was just as great as we remembered. Nice rooms, great breakfast. Best in Venice.

Jeanette Finlon in Seattle, WA USA 07/09/2009

Best: Casa Massini, Ravenna
Why: Fabulous rooms! Very large, huge bed, frescoed ceiling, giant bathrooms, very clean, lovely breakfast, very friendly.

Worst: La Magnolia, Lucca
Why: Did not give us the room promised, room #1 with no ensuite bathroom and the room smelled like cat urine. They did give us a discount when I complained at checkout.

Lorraine in Newbury, VT USA 07/05/2009

Best: Hotel Nardizzi
Why: Cute clean room, great people, decent breakfast. Came down to E100.00 for us. And free wifi. Good location. It was the first place we stayed and a nice kickoff to our vacation.

Worst: Fawlty Towers Hostel
Why: Nasty showers, poor layout of bathrooms in general. No window coverings. Stayed for convenience before and early flight but I would not recommend. Front desk clerk was asleep in a chair when we came to check out in the morning. :)

Michaela Baglietto in Medford, OR USA 07/05/2009

Best: Boutique Hotel Villa Margherita,Levanto
Why: Very friendly staff, lovely grounds and outlook. Room was part of the 'new wing' and was very comfortable with a large bathroom. Overall we were very happy with our stay

Ray Bansemer in Wongaling Beach, Australia 07/03/2009

Worst: Hotel Genevra in Naples
Why: Let me count the ways -- all of them begin with "dreadful."

Deborah in North Port, FL USA 06/27/2009

Best: Villa Steno in Monterosso
Why: Lovely views, very clean, wonderful staff. We also really liked the Torre Guelfa in Florence. Nice rooms, helpful staff and great location.

Mary in Tucson, AZ USA 06/22/2009

Best: Oceania Hotel in Rome
Why: What a great hotel to stay at!! The staff is so amazing and the coffee is the best in Italy. The rooms are so clean and so big, and what can we say about airconditioning in June in Rome? We stayed a fabulous 6 days and will go back in a minute. Thanks for the tip!!

Barbara Piper in Kelowna , BC Canada 06/18/2009

Best: Hotel Siettmo Cielo in Sorrento
Why: Awesome views, quiet, not crowded, good breakfast, peaceful

Kristi Flax in Rose Hill, KS USA 06/17/2009

Best: Valentina in Orvieto
Why: Everyone in my group agreed that the apartment from Valentina in Orvieto was their favourite place of the trip to stay. Breakfast was not included but the apartment had loads of character, plenty of room, a washing machine, and a great location. We made our own breakfasts in the kitchen. I wish we would have stayed here for a week and made it our home base for exploring the region.

Hotel Sonya in Rome was situated conveniently and had the best breakfasts of anywhere we stayed. The accommodations were very nice as well.

Rick wasn’t kidding about Ulisse Deluxe Hostel in Sorrento. It was the most modern place we stayed and had the second best breakfasts we had. The only thing they didn’t have that Hotel Sonya did was hard-boiled eggs.

Manual’s Guest House in Monterosso was great for it’s view and it’s potential for relaxation. We would like to come back here and stay for a week doing nothing but relax, read books and drink his beer and wine. After visiting all the other towns in the Cinque Terre via the hike I am glad we stayed in Monterosso. Manual is the Italian “Old Man and the Sea” except he paints instead of writes. Breakfasts were not included but at the bottom of the hill you can get what you want.

If I needed only one reason to recommend Hotel al Fagiano in Padua that reason would be Alfred. He is sooo helpful that he practically knocks you down with his eagerness to provide information. I really enjoyed talking with him and watching him operate like a well-oiled machine. He knew what people wanted without them having to ask and his fingers danced over the keys of his computer keyboard when he was typing, and he did all this at the same time. We liked the wonderful rooms as well. The hotel reminded me of an M.C. Escher print of stairs going in all impossible directions.

Anna Marie of Katti House in Florence takes very good care of her properties and her guests. I was looking out our window at the street below when I noticed across the street other people doing the same, I felt like a local. The location was great too.

We stayed at Pensione Guerrato in Venice. The first thing we noticed when we arrived was the gentleman behind the desk was the boat driver in Rick’s video of Venice. His name is Peter and he is quite a character. I actually was able to spend some time talking with his partner and brother-in-law Robert about travel, politics, etc. They are such nice people and I enjoy the conversation the most about these trips. They were very helpful arranging a boat taxi to the airport for me. The rooms were great and being next to the Rialto Bridge is the best location I can think of. I would definitely stay here again.

All good, nothing bad with the accommodations. Thanks again Rick and staff for the wonderful trip.

Dave Schoneweis in Tulsa, OK USA 06/16/2009

Worst: Nardizzi
Why: We stayed at Nardizzi for four nights last week and didn’t like it. Others may have reasonable experiences there, but it didn’t meet our expectations, and I wouldn’t go back. Off the bat, I’ll say that the hotel was reasonably clean, and I’m from New York, so I wasn’t surprised or put off by the small room. But the accommodations were closer to motel than hotel, and the staff attitude ranged from unhelpful to outright unfriendly.

Nardizzi was the last of three hotels we stayed in Italy, so I’m taking into account the general Italian approach to service, which doesn’t necessarily include problem solving or a sense of timeliness in answering a question (I considered that cultural difference a good part of the trip.) Still, we mostly encountered friendly Italians--people who were really nice and seemed like they wanted to make a good connection with us.

At Nardizzi, the four desk clerks we dealt with were about as personable as McDonalds cashiers and didn’t seem interested in answering questions or solving problems. If they’d been friendly, that probably would have compensated for the details I found off-putting:

• Our shower was tiny, with a sliding-door opening that a person any bigger than my boyfriend (34-inch waist) would not have fit through. Literally, anyone larger would not have fit through the shower stall door. • The shower didn’t drain. The water pressure was quite good, but if you ran it any higher than low, the shower would flood quickly. • We discovered by experience that the hot water is turned off from approximately midnight until 7:45a. • The Internet service, which is available in the busy lobby only (where smoking is permitted), was on just intermittently. When we were using it one morning, the clerk suddenly announced that it was time to clean the area, and then he shut off the connection without warning. • You have to leave your key at the desk when you leave, so you’re forced to deal with the clerks every time you go out or in.

Again, other people may have decent experiences at Nardizzi. But based on things I’d read, I was expecting to find a hotel that I’d be pleased to come back to every day, and that simply wasn’t the case.

Sarah in New York, NY USA 06/11/2009

Worst: Hotel Weber Ambassador Capri
Why: Unfortunately I ignored earlier bad reviews of this hotel and booked my room on the strength of the website. Upon arrival at the hotel, I was told I could not check in until 7:00PM. I need a nap and a shower and could not wait around for 4 hours, but they did not accomodate me. When I asked them if I could check out at 7:00PM on my last day to make up for this inconvenience they said that would simply not be possible. I also found the hotel to be dirty and the rooms smelled of mildew. Never again would I stay here.

Paul Scandroglio in Toronto, canada 06/11/2009

Best: Hotel Villa Margherita Levanto
Why: A nice hotel, good service, reasonable price. We had a great stay at Villa Margherita and we recommend this hotel to friends that visit this lovly area of Italy. We look forward to visit the hotel if we get the opportunity.

George in Levy, NY USA 06/11/2009

Worst: Villa Kinzica
Why: I had a reservation that I was unable to keep, though I would be there one day later. They claimed they had no rooms available, though online sites (expedia, venere) showed availability. They seemed to think it was better for them to charge the full price cancellation fee than to actually provide a room. The person I spoke with claimed that the manager wasn't there, but his collegue said that he was the manager. It's clear that they don't hold the truth in high esteem, as they gave me the runaround. Customer service is LAST on their list.

John B in Vienna, VA USA 06/03/2009

Best: Hotel Europa in Verona
Why: These people were nice, fully featured, affordable, flexible and a very easy transition into Italian accomodations. They let us practice our Italian without making fun.

Worst: Casa Del Pellegrino in Padua
Why: Staff was nice, helpful. Rooms were clean, cheap. Toilette down the hall was ok but OMG... The place was the noisiest most obnoxious location. People were partying outside in the streets until 3am... in front of a church no less... not to mention the bells at all hours

Duane Henderson in Chico, CA USA 05/31/2009

Best: hotel corso in Orvieto and albergho diane in Lucca
Why: Location, location, location, plus the fact that you didn't mention the Puccini adoration in Lucca, which resulted in a plendid evening concert at San Giovanni's

Worst: Rome's Hotel Picasso or Caravaggio; both you didn't recommend or even mentioned, but they were simply lousy.
Why: Too small a room, no luggage space or cabinets for clothes, bed working bathroom equipment etc.etc.

Henny van Dijk in Houston, TX USA 05/31/2009

Best: Genius Loci Inn, Bevagna
Why: Not in your book, but this is THE place. You have to put this inn in your itinerary. Beautiful and affordable renovated farmhouse in the countryside with luxurious rooms and and a wonderful pool overlooking the Umbrian grapevines, lemon and olive trees. Assisi is a short drive away. Check out their website at www.geniuslociumbria.com

Nick MA USA 05/27/2009

Best: Egi's Rooms
Why: I too stayed in the room that was given "worst" by Susan Canada 05/02/2009. It is not the room that Egi advertises on his website. However we were informed of that when inquired about reservations. We arrived on May 1st. Which is Labor day. (Note to self, do not arrive on Labor Day)The room was clean and the bathroom was nice. The room does face the main street which is very noisy. But the convenience of walking out our door and having everything within a 50 foot walk was nice. We just turned on the fan for white noise. The bed is a fold out couch. However it does not have the bar in the back like so many fold out couches do. We had many conversations with Egi and found him to be charming. My only complaint is that we were charged the same rate for the inferior room as he charges for the beautiful rooms that he advertises. However we did arrive on Labor Day. And felt lucky to have a room. I LOVED Vernazza and all of Cinque Terre. No museums or other tourist stuff. Just great hiking, great pesto and warm and generous people.

Shannon in Freeman, MN USA 05/27/2009

Best: Hotel Olivedo
Why: We spent 6 nights in Verenna at Hotel Olivedo. Laura our hostess is very professional. The rooms were clean and charming. Despite the fact that the hotel is right next to two boat landings with many people coming and going.(Fun to watch while having a lemon soda on her patio)Nobody came in and out without her knowledge. Felt very safe. After the third day Laura became very friendly with us and gave us some complimentary drinks and internet. When we checked out our rate had been reduced for the extended stay. Her staff is exceptional. I highly recommend her ravioli. We are not the see all the museums and travel to every city type people. We call ourselves squatters. Verenna and Hotel Olivedo were the perfect place to sit, drink wine and watch the people go by. We had no troubles with being ripped off or harassed. The people of Verenna were fantastic! It was the best vacation I have ever been on and can not wait to return

Shannon in Freeman, MN USA 05/27/2009

Best:
Why: We used hotel points to stay at the Marriott Central Park Hotel in Rome. A very nice hotel with free shuttle service avery hour to center of town. In Milan we again used frequent user points to stay at the Holiday Inn Garibaldi. A nice hotel but not too centerally located. But there was a bus right out side the front door that took us into town. Using our points makes the trip more affordable. He travels for business often so we have those available to us.

Janice Humphrey in Colorado Springs, CO USA 05/26/2009

Best: HotelAntiche Mura (Sorrento)
Why: Very classy hotel, seems English friendly. Used the 15% discount w/ cash and no problems. Would come here again and would suggest this hotel to others.

Michael McGirr in Crete, IL USA 05/26/2009

Worst: Hotel Nardizzi-Americana-Rome
Why: One of the reasons I booked this hotel was because of the mention of the lift in your book, even tho the hotel was on the 5th floor. My husband has had a knee replaced and has great difficulty with stairs. We arrived at the hotel, and the lift was not working. I hiked up the 5 flights to tell them, they fixed the lift, and my husband came up. We checked in, and the nice man at the desk showed us to our room which happened to be across the bridge into the next bldg and DOWN 4 flights of stairs. NO LIFT! Every time we came and went, even to breakfast, it was either up or down 4 flights. If we had known, we would not have booked that hotel. The hotel itself was convenient, clean, nice rooms, nice breakfast, I even recommended it to my daughter who was staying in Rome a week later. They enjoyed it, but they had a room on the reception level. You need to inform your readers about this problem. We were very unhappy about this problem. I would give the hotel very good marks. The fault is with the description in the book.

Barbara Shurr in Walnut Creek, Ca USA 05/17/2009

Best: Hotel Pasquale in Monterosso al Mare
Why: AMAZING views, fabulous service. We got a glass of sciacchetra when we checked in, just like how you said in your book. Rooms very extremely clean and modern...THICK towels and good air conditioning. Huge breakfast that even included eggs made to order. Yum. Hotel also had internet and beach towel rental, which they waivved the fees. Wow. When I go back to Cinque Terre, this is where I am staying again!

Gina in Los Angeles, CA USA 05/11/2009

Best: Hotel Mignon in Sorrento
Why: Internet! Nice room. Friendly staff. Good location. They need to work on the breakfast,though.

Worst: Hotel Nerva in Rome
Why: Rude, arrogant staff oozed with nastiness. Room was a walk in closet. Shower was a phone booth. Breakfast? Dried cold toast that comes pre-toasted in a plastic bag and a tiny OJ - don't dare ask for seconds. I cancelled my reservation for my return to Rome heading homeand they charged me for the night, anyway. Bad, bad people.

Thomas Chamberlin in Salem, OR USA 05/07/2009

Best: Casa Cosmo in Venice
Why: The room was clean and modern, and although not the least expensive place we stayed in Italy, Davide and his family were helpful and kind, including selling cokes and orange juice in the lobby.

Worst: Cross Pollinate referral in Florence
Why: While we had reserved 7 months in advance and confirmed within three weeks, when we arrived at Alice Guesthouse no one was there. When someone showed up they said they had no room for us and moved us to another hotel. On the other hand, L'Altra Luna, a Cross Polinate

Lorraine New in Troy, MI USA 05/05/2009

Worst: Egi Rooms
Why: Egi promotes (often) that he is in the Rick Steves book, but he is using this "reputation" to also sell accomodations that are not part of his regular rooms and not being upfront about it. We were given a room with a hideabed and the room seemed to be someones vacated home. Personal pictures were tossed into the drawers and dusty dried out flowers were on the table. Only one bath towel was provided and it was questionable if it was clean. Perhaps his regular rooms are ok (although I've read some reviews to the contrary). I would stay away either way.

Susan Canada 05/02/2009

Best: Hotel Centrale, Florence
Why: Spacious rooms, great location, friendly, helpful staff. Good room rates.

ben caputo in arlington heights, il USA 04/30/2009

Best: Romantica Pucci
Why: Explained above. I also really liked the Conventos and seminarios we stayed in because of the great value.

Jeanette Rollinger in Visalia, CA USA 04/27/2009

Best: Camere Anna Lisa Martini
Why: It was a lovely place and the Martinis were kind and helpful. Mama Martini was very enthusiastic and fed us lots of chocolate.

Erica Blankenbehler in San Jose, CA USA 04/19/2009

Best: Loved Hotel Davanzanti in Florence, Italy
Why: The location was fabulous. The hotelier, Fabrizio was so helpful. The room was lovely and the breakfast delish. They also have a happy hour with wine a h'ors d'oerves very lovely. Would recommend this hotel to anyone traveling to Florence.

Worst: Hotel Duomo in Siena, Italy
Why: We wee hardly welcomed when we got to the hotel to check in. They could not be bothered with us. Also the room was depressing. The walls were dirty the bathroom was a stepup like on a ship. The location was good and the breakfast was good. Would not recommend this hotel. It felt like a Hotel 6 in crappy condition.

Ellen in Anaheim, ca USA 04/11/2009

Best: Residenza Il Villino in Florence
Why: Sergio was so nice and did everything to make our stay pleasant. The room was great and in a nice neighborhood away from the tourist scene. We really felt like we were in Italy.

Kyla Miller in Ruckersville, VA USA 04/11/2009

Best: Albergo Barbara, Vernazza
Why: Lovely setting, nice private, all newly renovated (though not in-room) bathroom. Beautifully cleaned and pleasantly decorated room. And, yes, the view is small but still marvelous.

We selected accommodations for 5 locations (The Beehive in Rome, Casa Rabatti in Florence, Locanda Silva in Venice, Albergo Barbara in Vernazza and Ostello la Cordato in Milan) from the cheapest section. I was a little leery of picking the low-cost places but we were completely amazed at how nice they ALL were. Clean, well-run, private, QUIET, etc. etc.

Pat Millar in Dartmouth, NS Canada 04/08/2009

Best: Hotel La Bougainville in Positano
Why: Room was lovely! The owner was very attentive and helpful.

Suzy Pare in Cleveland, OH USA 04/04/2009

Best: Palazzo Masi in Siena
Why: Great location, old restored building, excellent plumbing, modern bathroom, clean. Wonderful hostess: Daniela gave us so much help and really went above and beyond.

Janice Cain in Pleasanton, CA USA 04/02/2009

Best: Hotel Centrale in Bellagio, Italy
Why: Giacomo Berelli, the owner, was very nice and very helpful. We had a romantic room on the 3rd floor, with a wood beamed ceiling, antiques, comfortable bed and a view of the snow-capped mountains and Lake Como. Memorable!!

Gale in Melbourne Beach, FL USA 03/29/2009

Best: Hotel Accademia in Florence, Hotel Corso in Orvieto, and Hotel Opera Roma in Rome
Why: Hotel Accademia in Florence was a nice experience. Enjoyed the pink marvel floors and beautiful paintings, murals, and statues that decorate the hotel interior and the breakfast was great. Hotel Corso in Orvieto was delightful too. Close to the funicular, Duomo, and Parco delle Grotte. The hotel Sonya/Opera Roma in Rome is the finest hotel we have ever stayed in. Clean, beautiful bedrooms and bathrooms, awesome breakfast, and friendly, helpful staff. This was the second time we stayed here. The experience just gets better and better. The way they treat you at Sonya/Opera Roma just makes you want to return to Rome again and again.

Furnacefighter in Philadelphia, PA USA 03/20/2009

Best: Residenza IL Villino, Florence
Why: Fabulous location, hosts, accommodations, breakfast, totally enjoyable!! We will definitely go back!

Patti Koupal in Rapid City, SD USA 03/19/2009

Best: Marcella in Florence
Why: My parents loved their authentic Italian, affordable stay with this affable, caring woman. She had framed your page on her!

Mary Beth Morrissey in Lugano, Switzerland 03/06/2009

Best: Locanda Al Leon, Venice
Why: Great location, friendly, very helpful, good-English-speaking owners, breakfast above average: real cappucino and yogurt plus usual "continental" stuff. The owner looked up time schedules for us for the Alilaguna to the airport, recommended a good place to eat, great people!

Worst: Albergo Sileo, rome
Why: We had no hot water in the shower! When no hot water came, I noticed the hot water tank high on the wall was unplugged. We were leaving for home early that morning, so no time to let it warm up. Travelled for 24 hours without a shower, but washed hair in sink as there was hot water there. Also, the water came out around the shower fittings, very little out of the spray head and the drain screen was missing. They generously (we thought) said since we were leaving so early, they would provide breakfast in the room. For 5 euros, we got warm apricot juice, packaged croissant and toast and jam. No coffee!

Marianne LeSage in Spokane, WA USA 02/12/2009

Best: Villa Margherita B&B Levanto/Cinque Terra
Why: Lovely grounds clean spacious room with a very excellent breakfast. Pleasant friendly family run B&B,an easy walk to town and train to the Cinque Terra. We were very happy with this B&B

HarLyn and Jerry Mlynek in Colorado Springs, Co USA 02/09/2009

Best: Hotel Casci in Florence
Why: Wonderful people as our hosts. Great location. Family room was very nice. Breakfast was great. Very reasonable. Recommend it. Thanks Rick.

Worst: Hotel Valley in Milan
Why: I still cannot believe this is in Ricks book. Maybe it was the room we had. Absolute worst hotel in 10 years of going with the family to Europe always listening to Rick. So 1 out of 100 is not bad Rick, but you might want to look into this.

Pat Oliver in Palos Park, IL USA 01/28/2009

Best: Residenza il Villino, Florence
Why: It was exactly as described in the guidebook; friendly and offers the feeling of staying in a Florentine villa, in town. It is quiet, very clean and comfortable and Sergio and his family are extremely helpful and friendly. It is a block from the Accademia, two from the Duomo and a short walk to the Uffizi and grand sights. I could not recommend this one more. Also well priced with the Rick Steves/cash discount.

Worst: Ca" San Trovaso, Venice
Why: The staff was not rude but definitely not friendly. Our bed was only a box spring without a mattress. Breakfast is a spartan croissant, bun and cup of tea or coffee. Since they deliver it to your room you are on their schedule and, for us, it did not fit our schedule. The room was clean.

Scott in Wainess, CA USA 01/21/2009

Best: Katti House
Why: Because of a transit strike, we were waylaid overnight in Florence. We checked the 2009 guidebook (and I am VERY glad to have picked up the newest addition) and found the new listing for Katti House. The rooms were lovely, and the price was great. The hospitality I experienced there from Maria and Francesco was what sold the place for me... and we stayed 4 nights instead of one. Maria was right there to offer suggestions for good restaurants, umbrellas when it rained,and breakfast in the room. They clearly love what they do, and it shows: the accommodations were clean and beautiful, and the hospitality was excellent. Maria was very patient with my limited Italian, and always took the time to chat with me warmly as we came and went.

The location was very good - a short walk to the train station, major sites, and markets. There is a laundromat and internet cafe right across the street.

Maria and Francesco made an unexpected part of part of our trip the best part of the trip. I can't thank them enough.

Michelle in Minneapolis, MN USA 01/12/2009

Best: Antonio and Ingrid Fenelli Camere - Vernazza
Why: Clean - Crisp, comfortable, spotless room. The location was perfect for our coastal hike. The accomodations were simply a room, with a full bath. No food or beverage services available. But you will not find cleanliness topped by any other accommodations.

Colleen and Tony in Cleveland, OH USA 01/04/2009

Best: Edi's in Riomaggiore followed by Hotel La Villeggiatura in Venice
Why: Edi provided the most fantastic room, virtually new, balcony overlooking the town and mountain, a/c that actually worked and the least expensive in our 10 day trip (100 Euro/nt) and Edi was quite helpful. We had to reduce our planned 2 day to one due to a planned train strike. I expected to pay for both days but without asking he only charged us for one. The Hotel La Villeggiatura in Venice (www.lavilleggiatura.it) is not in any tourbook but owner Francesca Adilardi and staff were some of the most helpful and friendly we encountered in Italy. Very nice accommodations and good value at 150 Euro in early July 2008.

Gary Reichanadter in Mooresville, In USA 01/01/2009

Worst: Civita
Why: This past summer (June 2008) my husband and I took our second trip to Italy with another couple. This time we were gone for one month. Our last two nghts were to be spent in Civita at Franco's three-room inn, based on your recommendations. It turned out to be our very worst experience on the entire trip. We had two of the three rooms, and we were the only guests. Franco wasn't there. It was extremely hot on our rooms...so hot that we had to sleep naked with the windows wide open. The fan that was provided didn't work. The rooms were so small that we had to walk sideways while passing the end of the bed. There was mold and slime in the shower and on the shower curtain. The dinner was ok, but they were out of most everything on the menu. In the morning, the young woman in charge of the place was still sleeping when it was time for breakfast. Soon she was up and put down cheap plactic wrapped store bought toast. My friend opened hers, and it was moldy! That was it except for packaged juice and terrible coffee!!!! It was then that we made a quick decision to leave...right then....not knowing where we would spend our last night. We figured anything was better than this place. We gathered our things and checked out. We think Civita is a very charming place to visit for a few hours, but Franco's inn is definitely not the place to stay.

Shari Klarich in Saint George, UT USA 12/31/2008

Best: Casa Cosmo: Venice; Hotel Nardizzi: Rome
Why: Casa Cosmo: Nice room, friendly staff, great location close to St Marks and Rialto Bridge on quiet side street. Hotel Nardizzi: Great location close to subway and train station. Helpful staff. Nice room.

Kathy in Hainesport, NJ USA 12/30/2008

Worst: The Best Hotel, Milan, Italy
Why: Made reservation over one month in advance for our Oct. 29, 2008 stay. Arrived at 2:00 PM -- didn't get into our room until 6:30 PM. We requested non-smoking but our room smelled strongly of smoke. Bed sagged terribly, one window shutter didn't close so we were exposed to the people walking by (we were on the ground floor, floors were dirty. Surely there is something better that is affordable and within walking distance from the train station!

J & M in Durango, CO USA 12/08/2008

Best: Edi's in Riomaggiore - Oct. '08
Why: Newly remodeled unit inside and out, Clean w/ clotheslines outside the windows.

Worst: Best Hotel in Milan - late Sept. '08
Why: At our first stop after nearly 24 hrs of travel, we were told our credit card "rang up negative", but they had located a room nearby. They showed us a sheet w/ our name and 6 other parties they were relocating for the same reason. We had made our reservation 7 months before and confirmed it by email the week before! They also spoke of a "big fashion show" and admitted they had overbooked. So why the phony credit story? We had no problems w/ our card the whole trip! They tried to smooth things by offering us drinks before driving us to the other place - we refused. The place they took us to was not RS caliber and very cramped.

George Waldref in Spokane, WA USA 12/07/2008

Best: Residenza il Villino (Florence)
Why: Everything about this place was better than anticipated - Qb apartment was spacious, very clean, beautifully decorated, new bathroom - family very friendly - breakfasts good - central location - truly a first class place - would recommend to anyone.

Worst: Nicolina (Vernazza) - booked for 3 nights
Why: Wanted to charge 140Euros for Qb (listed in your book at 130)- room was OK, bathroom very substandard (toilet kept running, we had to get a ladder to climb up to release ball many times), no shower curtain (was one there that was waiting to be installed)and tub was the size of a large sink so water went everywhere - sink tap didn't shut off - overall bathroom was very grotty - plaster falling into tub. Extra blankets were dirty and just piled in the cupboard. Would never recommend this place to anyone!!! Loved Vernazza so moved after our 3 nights to an apt in Trattoria Gianni for and additional 2 nights and that was only 150Euros for a 1 bedroom apt and it had been totally redecorated and was beautiful - these additional 2 nights in Vernazza more than made up for the first 3 at Nicolina.

Carolyn Seager in Toronto, On Canada 12/02/2008

Best: Orange House, Varenna
Why: The location is great - just a block from Lake Como. The owner and his wife are very gracious and helpful. The accomodations are very comfortable and cozy and the breakfast was great. It is a condo with a room with separate bathroom downstairs and a larger room with separate bath upstairs. You share a living room with TV. Very nice.

Sue Day in Foster City, CA United States 11/28/2008

Best: Casa Santo Nome di Gesu - Florence
Why: Peaceful, beautiful garden, very friendly, good location.

Marilyn Smith in Seattle, WA USA 11/17/2008

Best: Elios Hotel in Sorrento
Why: Gianna (Joana?)and her mom were excellent, clean rooms and clean bathrooms and beautiful view from the room. Very reasonable prices. I have to say all the accomodations were excellent, just the basics very clean and cozy. We were backpacking,we didn't care about luxury, but a clean and comfortable place to sleep and shower.

Mabel Luna in GLENDALE, CA USA 11/11/2008

Worst: Nicolina in Cinque Terra
Why: The room was decent size however the bathroom was nearly impossible to use. I would not go back there.

Sarah Ludos in Joliet, IL USA 11/03/2008

Best: Dipendenza Hotel Smeraldo
Why: Great hotel value in Rome. Desk staff was not very warm, but it was a great value in a very expensive city.

Hugh Pratt in Tacoma, WA USA 10/31/2008

Best: Il Borgo Apartments, Bellagio
Why: Rooms were the best we've seen in Italy: clean, elegantly furnished, well-equipped, and and centrally located. Flavio was very hospitable and made arrangements to send us some shopping merchandise we accidentally left behind.

Worst: Edi's Rooms, Riomaggiore
Why: Our room was located at the top of 4 long flights of very steep and narrow stairs. The sink was stopped up and the floor was dirty - strewn with dust, dirt, and hair. I would recommend that you advise potential travelers that they may need to climb lots of stairs with their luggage and that they should not expect any help from the proprietors.

Chris Peter in El Cajon, CA USA 10/26/2008

Best: Albergo Santa Chiara, Rome; Ulisse Deluxe Hostel, Sorrento; Villa Cipressi, Varenna
Why: We stayed at your recommended hotel, Albergo Santa Chiara, and LOVED it: breakfast was phenomenal, the room was gorgeous, and most importantly the location is superb; Ulisse Deluxe Hostel lived up to your reviews and we really appreciated the savings.

Karen & Jon Roses in Boston, MA USA 10/25/2008

Best: ALLOGGI BARBARIA - Venice - Italy
Why: Thanks for the recommendation. We had a really great experience at Alloggi Barbaria in Venice. A great location off the beaten path but still close the vaparretto, Fausto and Giorgio were great hosts. They treated my two young sons like family and made us feel at home. The rooms were spacious and with enough room for our family. We'll definitely be coming back.

Bill in San Francisco, CA USA 10/23/2008

Best: Villa Margherita B&B , Levanto near Cinque Terre
Why: Booked this after reading reviews and the hotel definately reflects those reviews . Great size room, very clean and a sea view balcony. Also great grounds around the B&B. An uphill walk to get home from the city centre but nowhere near as bad as many other hotels in Cinque Terre.

Levanto was also a great base to explore the region. We found the restaurants and bars were some of the best in the region to enjoy a lovely relaxing evening after a day of walking and sightseeing.

Paul Everett in Buffalo, NY USA 10/21/2008

Best: Il Borgo Apartments/Belliago
Why: We loved staying in Belliago, we had a lovely 2 story apartment, and Flavio was an excellent host.He was most helpful with recommendations, and even instructed us on how to use the expresso maker in the apartment.

Cheryl in Vacaville, CA USA 10/20/2008

Best: Bellevue House, Florence; Malpensa Hotel, Malpensa
Why: Both were excellent, exactly as described, Malpensa provided a courtesy car to and from airport and had a connection with restaurant that provided a car also.

Kathy in Chandler, TX USA 10/18/2008

Best: Hotel Centrale in Florence
Why: The staff was incredible! They were prepared to assist and the accommodations were excellent. We felt pampered without paying the high price!

Worst: Morpheus B&B- Rome
Why: While one of the hosts was helpful the other two were not. One did not and would not try to communicate in English to help us (we found many more like this in Rome than any other city.)

Rory Scanlon in American Fork, UT USA 10/18/2008

Best: Hotel Wolf-Castelrotto
Why: Very large room including comfortable chairs and desk. Lots of space. Spotlessly clean. Great breakfast. Super location. Onsite washing machine was nice plus.

Worst: Hotel Sabotino-Milan
Why: Room was dirty, smelly & depressing. Shared bath unuseable, no hot water, shower moldy, toilet seat broken. There was only one balcony table for the rooms not opening onto the balcony. And for this we had to pay at checkin before seeing the room!

Cherie in Seattle, WA USA 10/11/2008

Best: Hotel Eremo Gaudio in Varenna
Why: We got three of the new rooms on the bottom level and they had nice large balcony's. The staff is very helpful.

cindy in fox island, wa USA 10/10/2008

Best: Eremo Gaudio ,Varenna Italy
Why: It has to offer the best views in the Lake Como area because it straddles the mountainside. It takes two funiculars and an elevator to reach top rooms. Every room has a great view. Everything appears new. It deserves more praise.

Worst: Mar Mar , Riomaggiore Italy
Why: Our apartment was shabby, paint peeling, second rate furniture and the kitchen utensiles were offputting.

Peter Pantarotto in Chicago, Il USA 10/09/2008

Best: Ada Hotel (Milan)
Why: Via Sammartini 15. Smart, clean, well run 18 room hotel on the second floor across the street from the train station. Has a coffee bar. Curfew is 11:30. It was a wonderful find (the TI recommended it) after an awful experience with Hotel Sabatino

Worst: Hotel Sabatino (Milan)
Why: New owners as of Aug, 2008. No toilet seat or toilet paper in the only bathroom for 15 rooms. One small light bulb in bath, shower leaked all over the floor. Sleeping room had 1 small bulb in ceiling, the lights over the mirror did not work and the water in the sink could not be shut off. Really disgusting place.

Roger P in Chicago, Il USA 10/05/2008

Best: Romantica Pucci in Bagnoregio
Why: Pucci welcomed us with a smile and cookies and for breakfast, a true Italian feast! Also helped with dinner reservations and was willing to drive us to the restaurant. Made our stay so very enjoyable.

Kathy in Auburn, MI USA 09/26/2008

Best: Hotel Nardizzi Americana-Rome
Why: Great location that's close to metro yet within walking distance for most sights, friendly and helpful staff, very safe neighborhood.

Kathy in Auburn, MI USA 09/25/2008

Best: Albergo Canon hotel in Sienna
Why: We just totally loved this tiny little Spartan hotel room. The service was gracious and kindly, the room was very clean a nd the location was incredible. We went to the rehearsals of the Palio (unbelievably fun) and this was just feet from the Arena. Your book listed it as a little noisy, but to us it was part of the enchanting charm of the place. We could hear the various citizens singing, reveling, rejoicing in the Palio and surrounding events, and it was delightful. Thank you Thank you!

Laurie Ballam in Logan,, UT USA 09/15/2008

Best: Tavolozza Residence, Positano, Italy
Why: Positano: I stayed at the Tavolozza Residence in Positano for 4nights--a VERY good recommendation of Rick's! The hosts (Celeste and her daughters Francesca and Paula) were very kind and hospitable, the rooms were spotless and comfy and well air-conditioned. They also prepared breakfast on demand. The view from the terrace was spectacular and the rooms were free from traffic noise cause they were downhill from the street. The price was reasonable too (EUR 87 with Rick's book). I would definitely recommend this place to everyone.

Ben in Mountain View, CA USA 09/09/2008

Best: Hotel il Bargellino
Why: I loved one accommodation recommended by your book in Florence, Hotel il Bargellino. The hostel owned by the Bostonian women and her Italian husband. Very nice terrace and very nice conversation. We traveled in late April and early May of 2007 and I believe we missed you (Rick Steves) by a couple of weeks. We were sorry to hear that but still had a wonderful time.

Nikki Campagna in Tampa, FL USA 09/05/2008

Best: Hotel Seggio (Vieste) - Hotel Desiree (Sorrento)
Why: Both hotels had lots of "character" and very comfortable and clean rooms. However, the incredibly friendly and helpful staff at both locations made for a great stay!

Ken in Vernon, Canada 08/26/2008

Best: Hotel Mediterraneo, Santa Margherita
Why: Pia and her family treated us like family during our 4 day stay in charming Santa Margherita. The rooms are very spacious, good value and the park like location is wonderful: just a short walk or bus to Portofino and short train ride to the Cinque Terre. We definitely will return...

Judy in The Villages, FL USA 08/20/2008

Best: Hotel Annabella in Florence
Why: Friendly staff, nice breakfast, walk to train station, very clean

C. Sprague in Lawrenceburg, In USA 08/18/2008

Best: www.cross-pollinate.com
Why: We used this website that Rick recommends in the book for accomodations in Rome & Venice. We will be using it again. Very nice places, namely Anna Rosa's B&B near Termini in Rome, and Ca' Riccio in the Canneriggio in Venice.

Worst: Tre Donzzele in Sienna
Why: I dont want to speak bad of them. They were very nice people, the place was very clean. But the rooms were very institutional.

Ray Bartley in Saint Helens, OR USA 08/16/2008

Best: Il Borgo Apartments/Flavio
Why: We had a great time staying in the Il Borgo apartments in Bellagio. Everything was clean, Flavio was easy-going and helpful, and we loved it! We also stayed at Hotel Santa Lucia in Venice, Edi's Rooms in Riomaggiore and Hotel Maxim in Florence which were all wonderful. We stayed in Hotel Scott House in Rome which was not in your book, but was a good deal (80 euros a night for a double), was clean, close to the train station and had a friendly staff. At Hotel Maxim, they overbooked so they upgraded us to their nicer sister hotel called Hotel Axial which was very nice.

Karen and Andy Ramroth in San Carlos, CA USA 08/15/2008

Best: Hotel Montreal
Why: A nice place run by nice people. The price was right (95 euro a night), and the room included breakfast. The hotel is three blocks away from the Termini, which we used for all our transportation. I also enjoyed the Santa Maria Maggiore church which is right down the street, and the internet places close by. Also, great security. Finally, they ordered a delightful van for us to return to the airport. I would definitely return to this hotel and would recommend it to my friends.

Bess E. in Santa Rosa, CA USA 08/12/2008

Best: Alma Domus in Siena and Suor Oblate in Florence
Why: Both were clean, friendly and air-conditioned!

Alma Domus has a fantastic view of the Duomo, and the location is great - close to the bus station, but an easy walk to the rest of the town.

Suor Oblate in Florence was a quiet oasis in the middle of a crowded, hot city. The garden in the back is lovely, and the whole place has a peaceful ambience. You say this in the guidebook, but it's true, they really don't speak any English. But I speak French so it was fine. And they were helpful - reserving a taxi to take me to the airport at 5am the next day. However, when I asked them to make reservations for the museums they said they don't do that. But I called on my own and it was easy. I'd stay there again.

Suzanne in St. Paul, MN USA 08/12/2008

Best: Eremo Gaudio, Varenna and Frances Lodge, Siena
Why: Truly unusual locations with breathtaking views and friendly owners. We would have loved to stay in both locations much longer!

Ann Doty in Juneau, AK USA 08/11/2008

Best: Meuble il riccio, montepalluciano
Why: so charming, clean and well located. It is right in the main square and the owner was genuine and helpful!

Worst: hotel santa marta
Why: disgusting, broken air conditioning, dirty...I cannot say how much we hated this hotel.

anat cole in toronto, on canada 08/11/2008

Best: Hotel Elios in Sorrento; Daria Bianchi in Vernazza; Valentina B&B in Orvieto
Why: Hotel Elios-Most affordable for family of 4--fantastic view of the Med and Bay of Naples(sits among the most expensive hotels on the Via Capo in Sorrento--but cheap!)Gianna and family are wonderful hosts--made us feel a part of the family! A large kitchen and Refrigerator is made available for all guests. Usually bought our food, wine, cheese from the markets, ate on the deck overlooking the med and Vesuvius! Quiet at night.

Lynn in Colbert, WA USA 08/10/2008

Best: Bolzano Youth Hostel- Italy
Why: You wrote it correctly. It was a slick, new, right out of an IKEA bedroom catelog. This was my 18 year olds first time in a hostel. She was impressed. The location is great, close to town and the train station, breakfast included. We told everyone we met to go to Bolzano and stay there! Oh and go hiking in the Dolomites.

Worst: Hotel Sabotino- Milan
Why: I didn't like being quoted a certain type of bed and cost on the phone; then when we arrived it was a different room and more than what your book quoted. New owners.

Natalie Winslow in Monroe, WA USA 08/05/2008

Best: Hotel VIlla Margherita B&B
Why: This is a charming place with nice helpful people. They provided free unlimited use of their computer for emailing and backing up photos to DVD etc and their breakfasts are very good too. They have a private parking and walking to the town though a little hazardous due to the narrow roads is an easy. The room we had (upper lawn suit) was roomy and comfortable with a big bathroom.

Robert Fisher in Auckland, Au New Zealand 07/30/2008

Best: Orvieto Hotel Corso
Why: It was cute, hospitable and located perfectly to see the town’s sights. While they no longer have WiFi available because of new Italian legal requirements connected with sharing computers, they did give us the promised 10% discount with your book.

Also, Orange House in Varenna also has WiFi now. We had a very pleasant stay there as well.

Worst: Sorrento Palazzo Starace,
Why: They suggested we use trains from Salerno instead of taking the SITA bus, and their route would have been a nightmare, had we taken their advice. Their rooms open out over the town’s main passeggiata street, which was very noisy both late into the night and early in the morning if you needed to open the balcony doors for air (which we did!) to sleep comfortably.

Mary Jo & Patrick in Portland, OR USA 07/29/2008

Best: Hotel Campiello
Why: Charming hotel with a fabulous location so very close to St. Mark's Square. Friendly front desk staff, comfortable accommodations and especially nice was the free internet/computer in the lobby. Bad: my room had a musty smell. I thought maybe it was just the nature of being in Venice, but other friends in the same hotel didn't have that problem.

Kiera R in Redondo Beach, CA USA 07/29/2008

Best: Reply to a previous fake review abaout Hotel Villa Margherita
Why: Good morning my name is Federico Campodonico and I own and run Hotel Villa Margherita and Levanto Rentals hereby I enclose copy of the reservation that this client made with us any other comments is not worthy:

Excellent. We will take it!!!!! We will get there on Tuesday night June 24th and check out on Thursday June 26th. It will be easy to take the train from there to Nice? We are meeting a family in Nice on Thursday. Thank you so much. We are looking forward to it!!!! Let me know what you need from me in terms of a credit card etc. Grazie!!!! Joan Muller Carlson Fairfax, CA -----Original Message----- From: Villa Margherita Levanto [mailto:villamargheritabythesea@hotmail.com] Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 11:25 PM To: joancarlson@comcast.net Subject: RE: Richiesta da Villa Margherita Buongiorno, we still have the availability of a 3 bedroom apartment located 150 meters from the beachn for the days requested. You can see photos and description of the apartment at www.levanto.net, the Admiral apartment. Daily rate is in June 180 Euro and include all the necessary for the apartment,final cleaning fees. I look forward to hearing from you. Grazie Federico Campodonico Villa Margherita by the sea Hotel B&B-Levanto Rentals Via Trento e Trieste 31,19015 Levanto (SP) Italy www.villamargherita.net www.levanto.net Tel 0187807212 As this clients posted another comment on tripadvisor with a completely different version( I replied also there) we have contacted a lawyer in California in order to protect our Hotel and our good reputation.

Federico Campodonico in Levanto, Italy 07/29/2008

Worst: Villa Margherita, Levanto, Italy
Why: Beware, the B&B deceptively leases out apartments throughout the city, without properly informing guests that they are not on the main property. The owners are incredibly rude and obnoxious. The breakfast is pre-packaged goods and terrible cappucino...needless to say, for Italy this was incredibly disappointing. Overall, staying here was the only disappointing part of our trip and it was incredibly so.

Daniel Carlson in Fairfax, CA USA 07/28/2008

Best: Hotel Santa Caterina in Siena
Why: Besides being in a wonderful setting and location with one of the best breakfasts in Italy, proprietress Lorenza went above and beyond the call in accommodating us on short notice (we stayed longer than originally booked)and assisting in finding our next place to stay on a busy weekend. Besides she was charming and friendly no matter how busy she was. Could not recommend this hotel more highly.

Judy Swan Becker in Aptos, CA USA 07/23/2008

Best: Eremo Gaudio in Verena
Why: Absolutely outstanding. What a view! And the open air restaurant on top gives more stunning views. Absolutely charming.

Gordon Cochrane in Crete, IL USA 07/23/2008

Best: Hotel Oceania, Via Firenze, Rome
Why: The staff was amazingly accommodating. The hotel is run by a husband and wife team who were friendly, welcoming, and extremely helpful. The rooms were impecably clean and comfortable. When I return to Rome, I will be sure to revisit the same hotel.

Emily in Fairfax, VA USA 07/22/2008

Best: Albergo Bernini in Siena- Great views, nice people. L'erba Presa, Levanto- Great hosts, relaxing location
Why: Albergo Bernini was in a perfect location for embracing and enjoying the perfect (late) Italian evening. With revelers coming home into the wee hours, it's not for those who hate city commotion after hours- but I, for one, love the late night loud Italians!

L'Erba Presa- a great locations, especially if you are willing to bike (an easy ride) into town (bikes free). It's away from a town, so it feels like a retreat and the hosts are warm and friendly without being intrusive. We enjoyed all the rural and farm aspects, including the many dogs and cats.

Lindsey in Oakland, CA USA 07/18/2008

Best: RESIDENZA IL VILLINO Florence
Why: The owner (Sergio) was the most gracious and helpful person we met during our 2 week vacation in Italy. He helped us with museum tickets, restaruant recommendations, parking, etc. The room was large, clean, and with a view of the Duomo. It also had a small fridge, which most places did not have. It was centrally located which made getting around by foot easy. We will definitely go back to Florence and highly recommend this hotel.

Renee in San Diego, CA USA 07/14/2008

Best: Hotel Campiello Apartment in Venice/Maitani in Orvieto
Why: Campiello - Roomy, quiet, luxurious for the money, real AC and great location! Staff great. Highly recommend. Maitani - just wonderful! elegant, serene, heart of Orvieto

Worst: Hotel Settimo Cielo
Why: We loved Sorrento but our rooms on the same floor as reception were too hot. Staff couldn't remedy so I bought a fan to make it bearable. The roofs to this floor/wing are flat and exposed to sun making the rooms impossible to get cool in the summer. Views are incredible and staff nice but will try Hotel Minerva next time (they were booked).

Tony Caruso in Alpharetta , GA USA 07/12/2008

Best: Hotel Desiree, Sorrento
Why: The hotel was run by very pleasant people. Very helpful with travel to the various sights. Always available.

Bonnie Cardow in Shalimar, FL USA 07/09/2008

Worst: The Best Hotel, Milan, Italy and Hotel Oceania, Rome, Italy
Why: We used Rick's recommendations on all five of our trips to Europe and had good luck with most of them. However, The Best Hotel on Via Benedetto Marcello, 83, was terrible. Our room (#200 or 202 I think) was very small, very noisy, and absolutely filthy. The walls of the subway were cleaner. I have never seen dirtier walls in a hotel. The room was hot/stuffy and the crooked overhead fan with a bare light bulb made a grinding noise when it was on. There was no way we could sleep in that room. We didn't even feel safe in our room. We went out at 11pm and found another hotel, then retrieved our luggage and moved to a very nice, clean, quite hotel down the street called Hotel Bristol. The woman at the front desk of The Best Hotel charged us for the room even though we told her we didn't feel safe and the room was very dirty. That was putting it politely, the room was filthy. They were not full, some guy walked in while we were at the desk and asked for a room and she told him she had available rooms. Please take this hotel out of your guidebook so nobody else will get stuck in such a dump. Some of the other rooms might have been cleaner and in better shape, but ours was disgusting. We were there in May, 2008.

We have stayed at the Oceania in Rome twice. The first time in 2002 we were in a newly renovated room and it was very nice. Last time (2007) we were put in one of the old rooms, #7 I think. It was very small and though the bathroom looked fairly clean, the rugs and furniture were very old, stained and just plain dirty. We thought the price was outrageous for such a small, grungy and noisy room. One of the newly renovated rooms might be worth that kind of money, but the old room we were in was not worth it. We would never stay there again because of that, even though the location was very good. Readers should be cautioned in the guidebook regarding the old and new rooms. I would suggest they reserve a new room or go elsewhere. Thanks.

Aleta Wieneke in Salem, OR USA 07/06/2008

Best: Jolly Villa Carpegna
Why: Excellent location, very clean and cheap. Great breakfast.

Worst: Gulliver's House
Why: Simon was very rude and sarchastic. I don't know how they brag in their webpage about making lots of friends among guests.

Daniel in Calexico, Ca USA 07/04/2008

Best: Vernazza Rooms (Daria Bianchi)
Why: Though the room we stayed in was not (Daria told us) one of the ones listed in the 2008 guide book, she provided us with a lovely ensuite room for 90 euro. It was above the train station, but unaffected by noise. The room looked new, and had a great view and a balcony with electric awning as wellas a really nice, quiet fan (but no TV or aircon). Daria and her daughter run the place...up about 100 stairs, but a great room.

Worst: Albergo Barbara (Vernazza)
Why: I thought I'd take a chance there might have been a cancellation at this place for our 2 nights in Vernazza, as their website suggests. When I rang the bell, the response over the intercom (nobody came down) was a very rude "no rooms." When I asked if she could recommend someone, she said "Ask around" and clicked off. I was shocked that Rick's book would recommend a place with such a rude staff.

Sandy in San Bruno, CA USA 07/02/2008

Best: La Tavolozza in Positano and Hotel Giardino in Rome
Why: The location of La Tavolozza was terrific - walking distance to everything (beach, bus, shops, restaurants...) Our private terrace was heaven - beautiful views, great place to relax. Celeste and Francesca couldn't have been more pleasant and helpful. Hotel Giardino in Rome - small room but great location by ancient Rome and warm and pleasant service by Giovanni, Carla, and Kate. We will go back to both and recommend to anyone looking for authentic Italian hotels.

Jeanne and Kelli in Silver Spring, MD USA 06/30/2008

Best: Hotel al Leon in Venice and Arena Guest House in Rome
Why: Hotel al Leon in Venice was great because it was close enough to the vaporetto stop and Piazza San Marco but far enough from the madness. Also, the bathroom here was reasonable compared to the ones I had in Florence and Siena. Arena Guest House was great because it was nice to walk down the street every morning to start your day and see the great Colosseum. Having online access in your room was a great perk. The bathroom here was also reasonable as well.

Anthony in Irvine, CA USA 06/28/2008

Best: Hotel Oceania-Rome
Why: They were wonderfully attentive, it's nice to have the "free" internet access, it was clean, and there is a singing instructor teaching opera below the hotel and in the afternoon the opera sung would permeate outside our inside window. Delightful.

Worst: London Hotel - Milan
Why: It's a one star not a two star. It was a dump. A shower inside the room, that was pathetic, and we were charged 172 euros!

Ana Miner in Novato, CA USA 06/26/2008

Best: Hotel Antiche Mura in Sorrento
Why: Location, rooms, staff, view, breakfast. All were spectacular and memorable.

Cyndi in Watertown, MA USA 06/26/2008

Worst: Edi's in Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre
Why: We stayed at 12 C. Colombo, in two very modern, newly rennovated rooms. The rooms were real designer specials, with rounded stairs to the bathrooms that were beautiful, but actually pretty hazardous. The physical rooms were great, though. The problem was that Edi's wouldn't honor the price quoted in the guidebook. The lady said that the promised prices didn't apply since Rick Steves didn't know about these rooms. I'm not sure how I was supposed to know which rooms were included in the promise. The charge for the rooms was 100 euro each. We stayed three nights, making our combined increase 240 euro! I was naive enough to think that I could just produce the book and get the price. I now know better than to expect american business practices. In fairness, she had quoted me the 100 euro rate by email. I thoght the adjustment would be made at checkout.

Andrew Crowley in Woodlyn, PA USA 06/23/2008

Best: Bellevue House, Florence
Why: Antonio took care of our Uffizi Museum reservations by email for us when I made booked hotel reservations, so we did not have to pay online reservation charges. Further, he made several long distance calls at his own expense to help locate our lost luggage. Without his help, I don't think we would have had luggage for our entire trip to Italy! What a gracious host and gentleman! We also liked his restaurant recommendations for dinner in Florence. Bellevue House is also only several blockas away from the train station.

Kris in Fargo, ND USA 06/23/2008

Best: hotel albergo marina in monterosso, hotel olivedo in varenna and alloggi barbaria in venice
Why: staff in moterosso were very freindly and helpfull the rooftop breakfast was unique and the food was by far the best, Hotel Olivedo was located at the water front with spectacular views of other lake communities, Laura was a great host and made us feel very welcome, Fausto in Venice found us wandering lost and knows Venice like the back of his hand, he also gave us tips for not getting over charged by the gondoliers as this seems like a problem for tourists.

Worst: Hotel Santa Prassede, rome
Why: was not as advertised, frt desk staff looked like hoods and room supplied was not even in hotel but in a building down the street with doors that were not secure

Mark Hurworth in Courtenay, BC Canada 06/23/2008

Best: Hotel Olivedo Varenna
Why: We found Laura to be delightful. True she does run a tight ship but her help has been with her for 22 and 15 years. What does that say about their boss. She was so very helpful and full of great information. Her food was excellent. We were lucky to be able to stay in the Villa. What a delight. She even helped us make a reservation in Castelrooto. She smiled everytime we encountered her. We thought she was great and will most certainally stay with her again. Great location. Right on the water.

Michael de la Pena in Shingle Springs, CA USA 06/22/2008

Best: Hotel Punta Mesco Monterosso
Why: We found Diego to answer our e-mail immediately. He had a graet sence of humor. Manual was so helpful making dinner reservations for us. The rooms were very clean. The breakfast was great. It was in a great location. It was a very short walk to the water. We were very excited to have Rick Steves staying at the hotel at the same time. He was so nice to come and talk with us at breakast.

Michael de la Pena in Shingle Springs, Ca USA 06/22/2008

Best: Hotel Santa Lucia in Venice
Why: We had to catch a 5:45 am train so being 5 minutes walk from the station was perfect. The hotel was delightful, especially the breakfast in the outside terrace. The rooms were clean and adequate and economical

Peter & Maureen in Ridgeland, MS USA 06/21/2008

Best: Hotel Mignon in Sorrento
Why: Bright, comfortable rooms, good breakfast, friendly staff and economical

Worst: Hotel Galileo in Florence
Why: Poorly lit, cramped room, 20 euro more than rate mentioned in book

Peter & Maureen in Ridgeland, MS United States 06/21/2008

Best: Hotel Il Nido
Why: The room was comfortable, the staff pleasant and helpful, the food delicious. The view was beautiful and a great quiet, place to come home to after sightseeing. The price was reasonable.

Jolien Mierke in Alexandria, VA USA 06/21/2008

Best: Hotel Oceania, Rome
Why: Accomodations were comfortable and clean. Breakfast was always good. Beds were comfortable. Great Hotel

Chet Brewer in Severna Park, MD USA 06/16/2008

Worst: Hotel Fontana, Venice
Why: We booked a room in Hotel Fontana and were put in the recently renovated annex which was across the street from the hotel. Sounded good from Chicago so we went with it. What the annex turned out to be is part of a building that has about 15 foot ceilings. They created 6 rooms in this space by making tiny rooms with <7 foot ceilings and unbelievably tiny bathrooms. Half size shower/tubs with no curtain so everything had to be moved to avoid getting wet. The ultimate measure of its tiny size is the fact that even the toilet paper was stuck in the tiny vanity, not on a holder by the toilet since there was no room. We have been in many European hotel rooms that are small, but this place is a joke. We would recommend removing this hotel from the list.

Jim in Chicago, IL USA 06/16/2008

Best: Villa Margherita Hotel near 5 Terre
Why: This was the hight point of our vacation. The room was wonderful as was the view from our balcony. The staff was courteous and attentive and the breakfast just marvelous. Restaurants are a short walk away but well worth it. The railway station is also within walking distance and the trains allows easy access to the Cinque Terra I will definetly be back.

James Antonelli in Santa Monica, CA USA 06/15/2008

Best: Genius Loci, Bevagna, Umbria
Why: My husband and I stayed at the Genius Loci Inn for two nights of our 16-night stay in Italy. It turned out to be one of our favorite memories. The Tacconi Family, who own and operate the inn, was delightful to deal with from the moment I began my online reservation. I had many questions as we had never been to Italy before. All of my questions (even the silly ones) were answered promptly. Mary Tacconi left California 40 years ago to study art in Italy and met her husband, Maurizio. She decided to make Italy her home. It is clear that they have poured their hearts into the restoration of this old farmhouse. It has all the modern amenities one needs, yet it maintains the charm and character of a beautiful country estate. While the pictures on the website are impressive, no photograph can capture the beauty of the inn and the Umbrian landscape. Mary and Maurizio's son, Michael (who is fluent in both Italian, and, thankfully for us, English), runs the inn with warmth and professionalism. Overlooking the vineyards and olive trees is a pool which we had all to ourselves while we were there. The rooms are beautifully furnished and overlook the mountainous landscapes in the distance. What a sunrise we saw from our window! Breakfast was fresh and delicious and eaten out on the patio of the inn. Mary even picked up freshly baked Umbrian bread for us to enjoy. Montefalco and Assisi are a short drive away, and definitely worth the trip. The town of Bevagna is so charming with its cobblestone streets, quaint shops, and exquisite restaurants. The Tacconi family made our stay at their inn unforgettable. We have fond memories of them and Genius Loci. Our only regret is that we didn't stay longer.

Andrea in Fall River, MA USA 06/14/2008

Best: Il Bargellino, Florence
Why: Nice quiet little hotel; best were the proprietors, Carmel and Pino. Super helpful, made museum reservations for me before our arrival, friendly.

lisa forrest in kalamazoo, mi USA 06/13/2008

Best: Il Vilino, Florence
Why: My wife and I traveled all over Italy in a two-week span with the help of Rick and our favorite hotel was the Il Vilino in Florence. The rooms are large and very clean with beautiful stained glass windows. You are on a quiet street but stll close enough to the center of Florence. You even have free 24-hour internet access! But what made our stay most enjoyable at the Il Vilino is the amazing staff. Sergio and Elisabetta (the owner's) always greet you with a smile and treat you like part of there family. Roberto, the night manager was a wealth of knowledge about Florence (he is very passionate about his city) and very helpful. I needed a Vodafone store to add minutes to my cell phone for a SIM card that I purchased in Italy to make local calls. I asked Roberto if he knew where the closest store was. He did not know, but as my wife and I were unwinding in our beautiful room, Roberto had gone on line and found the closest Vodafone store and printed out directions for us! When we came down that evening from our room, he had the map waiting for us. The big name brand hotels could learn a thing or two about customer service from the Il Vilino Staff.

Jason and Maria Kuch in Austin, TX USA 06/12/2008

Best: Hotel Villa Rita, Paestum
Why: Staff were amazingly helpful: took my husband to the post office & found a shop with a suitable envelope to mail a CD, gave us a late checkout so we could go to the beach, let us check email on their office computer, even took us to the train station! Hotel meals were also good and very inexpensive - 10 euros for sandwich lunch for 2, 15 euros each for dinner. The best breakfast, however, was definitely Romantica Pucci in Bagnoreggio - never had we seen such a feast! Pucci helped us with directions and advice, also let us make sandwiches from the breakfast buffet.

Alcalay in Platteville, WI USA 06/11/2008

Best: Hotel Grand Italia in Padua.`
Why: Close to train station; nice room; exceptional breakfast. Not a nice neighborhood, but it is easy to jump on the tram in front of the hotel for the ten minute ride into town.

Worst: Hotel Piacenza, Milan
Why: This was an o.k. hotel. But the guidebook is way wide of the mark in describing the rooms as "bright and cheery." They are cramped (knees under the wash basin to sit on the toilet) but clean. Management is indeed nice.

Alfonso Damico in Iowa City, IA USA 06/10/2008

Worst: Milan- Hotel Santa Marta
Why: We stayed at this hotel on Friday, June 6 for only one night…thank God. We were traveling in Italy from May 24-June 7 when Jill’s review was posted on 05/31/2008, otherwise we never would have stayed at this dump. (Scroll down to read her review) Our room, as well as the reception and breakfast area, was groddy, it was grungy, it was dirty, it was disgusting, it was smelly and a total pit. The overhead light in our bathroom didn’t work and one of the nightstand lamps didn’t work either. We told the receptionist and she said there was nothing she could do about it other than to have us switch rooms! You could tell that all the other rooms in this dump were going to be just as bad and it was too much of a hassle at that point for us to re-pack and haul our suitcases to another room. When we went back to the room we discovered the mold, rust and other grunge on the toilet, which sounded like a meat grinder when flushed. The faucet in the bathroom sink could not be turned on without it spraying water straight out at you thus we were forced to reduce the water flow to almost a trickle when using. And, the showerhead squirted water out over the top of the shower stall. The other couple that we were traveling with encountered similar problems with their room.

Now here’s the thing… these weren’t problems that just suddenly appeared the day we checked in. The owner and/or hotel manager is absolutely aware of the condition of the rooms and yet they still rent them out. It’s appalling that they are scamming tourist in this way. We paid the €140 Rick Steve’s cash discount rate. I think our rate was less than Jill’s because we were using the 2007 guide when we booked. They did want the payment up front but since they couldn’t give us change we told them they would have to wait until the morning when we would have the exact amount. I am thoroughly disappointed and baffled that the guide made this recommendation. We’ve used Rick’s guides and accommodation recommendations for years and have never encountered anything like this. The entire place and staff creeped me out. Rick, you need to personally visit this dump and I guarantee you’ll remove it from your guide in a New York minute!

Valerie Doane in Clifton Park, NY USA 06/10/2008

Best: Giardina Segreta, Pienza
Why: Perfect location for exploring Tuscany; pleasant staff, spacious, meticulously clean self-catering apartment to share. Great price for the area - as two couples sharing, we spent less for three nights here than one night in separate doubles in modest hotel in Florence. They even gave us 2 bottles of local wine as a going-away present!

Richard Harned in Kenmore, NY USA 06/10/2008

Best: Milan: Hotel Grand Duca di York
Why: location, newly furbished rooms, friendly staff

W. Wong in San Francisco, CA USA 06/08/2008

Best: Hotel Alessandra in Florence
Why: Nice hotel, very friendly and helpful staff that truly made us feel at home in Florence.

Worst: None
Why: none

Russ Lorber in Westminster, MD USA 06/07/2008

Best: Bellevue House Florence and Hotel Olivedo Varenna
Why: Antonio at Bellevue was so gracious and helpful. Laura's dinners and breakfasts combined with an outstanding room with balcony overlooking Lake Como, contrary to what some have said, we thought Laura was fine, we enjoyed her tight ship and fun talking with her in our broken italian!

Ron and Linda Schroeder in Portland, OR USA 06/06/2008

Best: Elisabetta's Villino Azzurro - Vernazza
Why: I hope RS updates his information on Elisabetta's Villino Azzurro. It is an injustice to fellow travelers to refer to Elisabetta's as "ramshackle rooms" and "let me know if it's not reliable". We just returned from staying in the 2 uppermost rooms and I can't imagine staying anywhere else when in the CT. The rooftop terrace has the most unbelieveable views which I think everyone is being cheated of, if they go to a place without it. Elisabetta explained the problem she had last year when her mother had a medical emergency. She is trying very hard to please and show that she IS reliable but that period of time was something beyond her control. Her rooms are small but very clean, accommodating, and comfortable. Please update your book with all pleasing recommendations of her place so that many of your readers can be as thrilled with their selection of Elisabetta's as I was.

Linda Bousk in Somonauk, IL USA 06/06/2008

Worst: Hotel Enza, Florence
Why: The bathroom tile grout was blackened by mildew, as was the flimsy plastic shower curtain. When we left the maid a note in Italian about it, they did replace the shower curtain with a new and better one (no action on the grout). But the thing that got to me was that last summer's mosquitoes still lay crushed against the walls--little legs and all--and no one on the staff was motivated enough to wipe them off. Enza is a mediocre place, and I wouldn't recommned it. It doesn't come up to the standards of other Rick Steves hotels.

Susan Aldridge in Milwaukee, WI USA 06/06/2008

Best: Corte Campana B&B in Venice
Why: They were full and referred us to an apartment, which was phenonmenal, for the same price. Two bedrooms, kitchen, laundry, internet, clean......wanted to stay there forever!

terrie gordon gamble in stanford, ca USA 06/01/2008

Worst: Hotel Santa Marta in Milan
Why: The Hotel had raised its price from €140 to €210, with the cash discount, since Rick Steves' review in the 2008 book. We had reservations for 3 nights and the hotel required “payment upon arrival”. We paid for our 3 nights, over $1,000, and went to the room. It had a bad odor of a dirty dish rag, it had dingy sheets, mold in the bathroom, & garbage stacked up outside our window. The toilet made a loud screeching groan when flushed and the tank leaked. I tried spraying Frebreeze in the room without any improvement. We tried to stick it out (for 6 hours) & then a spider crawled across my foot--this was not exactly what I expected for a room that was over $300/night. I told the attendant our issues with the room & after calling her supervisor she refused to return any of our money for any of the 3 nights (over $1,000) that we had paid for. We left anyway and stayed at the sparkling clean, professional & friendly--Hotel Spadari--just a few blocks away. The cost was €2.00 less per night than at Hotel Santa Marta!

I’ve been using Steves’ guides for 18 years--& this was the first time that I felt totally scammed!

Jill Manchester in San Bruno, CA USA 05/31/2008

Best: Hotel Europa, Verona
Why: Well-maintained hotel, comfortable, friendly staff, great location, and excellent attention to detail. Good breakfast spread. Renato, our hotel manager, was amazing, a big teddy-bear.

Mark Henderson in Dana Point, CA USA 05/29/2008

Best: Corte Campana - Venice
Why: The B&B rooms were just perfect. Ricardo was waiting for us when we arrived at 7 pm. His place is spacious, comfortable and very quiet with only a 2 minute walk from San Marco square. Riccardo was terrific! He made sure everyone staying there was having a good time in Venice and gave advice on how and when to see the sights. (How to beat the crowds). We were leaving for a cruise and he took the time to take us to the water bus stop. His place is a great location if cruising and need connections to the port. Highly recommended!

Carol Voyles in Escondido, ca USA 05/27/2008

Best: Edi's in Riomaggiore- 5 terre
Why: We took the route of showing up in the morning hoping for a room. My husband and I ended up paying 50euro a night for a room that opened up to the mediterranean sea. Edi warned us that the beds were bunk beds, but we didn't care because the view was great and we needed a place to stay. It was clean and pretty comfy. We drove with a car and Edi had parking for only 10euro/night-cheap in italy-we parked in a garage at the top of the town. very safe-nothing got damaged or stolen.

abigail stehulak USA 05/27/2008

Best: Soggiorno Battistero in Florence
Why: The views of the Baptistery and Duomo from our bedroom window were spectacular, and hearing the great sound of the bells chiming every evening. But mostly the attentiveness and warmth of Kelly, which we found in no other place we stayed in Italy.

Marge Sykes in Elbridge, NY United States 05/24/2008

Best:
Why: Recently (May 10,08) stayed at the Majestic Toscanelli in Padova. It was perfect in every way EXCEPT..a few local student bars have recently opened in the neighborhood. Party nights are Wednesday and Saturday..producing a lot of noise and crowds of partying university students in the streets around the hotel. The hotel staff moved our room to the last inside quiet room at midnight.The hotel is trying unsuccessfully to correct this problem and is very frustrated as the situation is impacting their business. We are big fans of your guides and have used them successfully in Italy and Ireland.

D. Symons in State College, PA USA 05/24/2008

Best: Cross-pollinate site, Aldobrandini Hotel in Florence
Why: There was 3 of us, used www.cross-pollinate site to book an apt in Rome- with their help rented a scenic 1 bedroom apt in the nice area, great experience, good rates, saved on price and food as apt had the kitchen. The staff was wonderful, handled all communications efficiently, we are highly satisfied and will use them again. Aldobrandini hotel- great very central location, clean, reasonable rate, the owner (Ignasio) was very friendly. Very good value for the money.

Irina in Daly City, CA USA 05/20/2008

Best: Agriturismo La Crociana
Why: We loved staying at this place. To start, it was a beautiful setting. It was located just outside Montalcino at a winery. Just outside our cottage was a lawn with chairs to sit on, and the vineyards started at the edge of the grass. There was a pool for the hot days. And a great little restraunt a 1 minute walk away with outdoor seating. The family that runs the place is very friendly and helpful. To top it off, you can try all their wine and get a private tour of the winery. The Brunello was awesome! This was our favorite place in Italy. We can't wait to go back.

David in San Mateo, CA USA 05/20/2008

Best: Albergo Baretta Varenna
Why: This is a cozy little place run by a friendly family. Good value for the price and amazing lake views. Loved being in the center of action, people watching was great. A bit noisy at night on the street.

Worst: Hotel Sabotino, Milan
Why: Quirky is an understatement. This place is just plain weird. Also, the rooms are rather run-down and could use some serious renovating. The Porta Romana neighborhood is very cool, and there is a great market around the corner, but this place was rather depressing and would not recommend it to anyone because it was not even a good deal.

Kelly in Milwaukee, WI USA 05/19/2008

Best: A Casa 5 Terre, Manarola
Why: Claudio runs a great website with pictures of the rooms that he coordinates in Manarola and Riomaggiore. Manarola was a wonderful place to stay - less crowded than Vernazza. We stayed in Maria 1, with a huge terrace overlooking the sea, and a tiny kitchen with refrigerator (perfect for saving the pecorino cheese we'd bought in Tuscany!). Very affordable prices. Claudio speaks great English and is very helpful.

Susan in Boston, MA USA 05/14/2008

Best: Agriturismo Il Sasso/La Falconara - Montepulciano
Why: We planned to stay at Il Sasso, 3 km NW of Montepulciano, down the road from La Falconara. We got completely lost finding it, but finally arrived at 6 pm on a Sunday. There was no proprieter in sight, so we walked down the road to La Falconara, where we found helpful Alex, who spoke fluent English and was able to call Il Sasso's owner, who came and picked us up. Otherwise, it was a wonderful stay and very economical - 50 euros per night for a very nice double room with bath, amidst the olive groves and vineyards outside Montepulciano. No breakfast included, but it's a short drive to town, where there were ample cafes, as well as an excellent supermarket called Conad (where we assembled a fantastic picnic). Of note, La Falconara looked beautiful and Alex was so helpful. We saw him later in town taking his guests to dinner, speaking fluently in Spanish with them!

Susan in Boston, MA USA 05/14/2008

Best: Casa Delfina, Rome
Why: This lovely little convent was a wonderful retreat from the overwhelming busyness of Rome - and very affordable! One of the sisters spoke excellent English and chatted with us every morning at breakfast, and gave helpful directions to the sights. This convent is a 15-20 minute bus ride (#360 bus to Piazzale Muse) north of the heart of the city. Rooms were spotless though simple, and we awoke every morning to the nuns' singing!

Susan in Boston, MA USA 05/14/2008

Best: Ca' San Travaso, Venice
Why: The Dorsoduro neighborhood was beautiful and a welcome escape from the crowds of tourists near the Rialto Bridge or St. Marks - we felt as though we were staying in the "real Venice". The room was very nice, clean and comfortable, breakfast was included. More affordable than many options in Venice.

Worst: Hotel Cannon D'Oro, Siena
Why: Rick warned that it would be loud and it was - our room opened onto the main thoroughfare to Il Campo, thronged with college students and tourists until late at night. Also, the proprietor refused to honor the price guaranteed in Rick's book for a double room and charged us more.

Susan in Boston, MA USA 05/14/2008

Best: Hotel Centrale in Florence
Why: Very quiet room with small view of Duomo. A/C that was functioning. Excellent value and friendly staff. Elevator from ground floor to room. Great location and clean room.

Worst: Hotel Alessandra in Florence
Why: Noisy room on the street side. Bathroom with peeling ceiling. A/C that wasn't "turned on yet". Elevator accessible at first floor. Poor value but friendly staff.

Rhonda Younker in Bellevue , WA USA 05/13/2008

Worst: Hotel Adler, Rome
Why: This hotel should be removed from the guidebook. Not because the desk people had attitude although that is true. Not because we had to ask for a light bulb to be replaced and for additional toilet paper after the room had been made up by housekeeping although that is true. Not because the breakfast items were old and dried out or even non existant although that is true. BUT because there are NO smoke detectors in the rooms and there is no emergency exit diagram in the room. The place is a safety hazard.

M. Ullrick in Arlington Heights, IL USA 05/13/2008

Worst: Page 697 - Hotel Il Faro
Why: In addition to being noisy in the evening with traffic until 11:30pm, hotel allowed a group of school children to take rooms (5 to a room) without adult supervision in each room. As a consequence, we were unable to sleep until 3am due to the noise and commotion. When I called to complain, the owner got mad at me because there was nothing he could do and he was frustrated as well and hung up on me. He later apologized and offered us a bottle of wine. I expected him to take off one-night's payment but he only offered to take off 18 euros from 518 Euros total that we paid. He did give us the 15% discount mentioned in the book.

Scott in Renton, WA USA 05/12/2008

Best: Hotel Campiello in Venice,Hotel Spadari, Milano
Why: Fantastic location, good breakfast and very helpful staff. Could not have had a better hotel for the price. Hotel Spadari was again great location. The breakfast was order what you want. It far surpassed our expictation. Staff were so very help in finding a great resturant and giving direction.

Renee Lee in DeSoto , Tx USA 05/09/2008

Best: Francamaria
Why: We e-mailed Francamaria our request for a room meeting certain criteria. She told were to meet her. Everything was a requested. We chose the large 2 bedroom unit on the harbor just a few steps above ground level with a harbor view. The room was clean and beds comfortable with the view we wanted. we chatted with Francamaria on the street various times during our stay. She is a delightful lady. By the time we left Vernazza we felt we were leaving a friend behind.

Russ in Fresno, Ca USA 05/07/2008

Best: Hotel Sileo in Rome
Why: Our airline lost our luggage and Alessandro went above and beyond the call of duty to call the airport and airline. The numbers we were given did not work, but he persisted. Although the airline was so far gone and our luggage never made it to Rome his compassion and customer service warmed my heart and helped me forget the dirty socks and clothes. He even gave my husband and me his own backpack so we wouldn't need to carry plastic bags onto the plane. He and Maria restored my hope in the Italian work ethic.

Jennifer Barnhill in San Diego, CA USA 05/06/2008

Best: Hotel Maxim, Florence
Why: The staff was friendly, the breakfast was good and the location was perfect!

Worst: Hotel Orion Venice
Why: We made a reservation at Hotel Orion via email. However, when we arrived we were told we had been moved due to water pipe problems on one of the floors. One of the staff escorted us through the crowded streets of Venice and dropped us at another hotel. The other hotel charged the same price but based on the entrance of the Orion this hotel was no where near the quality of the Hotel Orion. We asked to see the room we were going to be in and I would say it was a 1 star, at best. I was disappointed in Hotel Orion for not attempting to contact me before my arrival, via email or phone, and then for not making sure they found a hotel comparable to theirs. We only stayed one night and I stopped by Hotel Orion on the way out of town. I expressed my opinion to the manager but he showed no regret and made no apologies.

Robin Rodrigues in Modesto , CA USA 04/30/2008

Best: Egi Rooms
Why: In November of 2007 we stayed at the family room which is not pictured at www.egirooms.com. This is a very big room with windows facing the major street in Vernazza. His rooms are located right in the heart of Vernazza, One floor up from the main square, so not a lot of climbing. Egi and his wife, Sonia, where very helpful right from the beginning where they met us at the Train station. He gave us his cell number so we could contact him at any time with any questions or problems. Egi also helped us a lot with our travel plans since we had to change at the last minute due to a Train strike in France. His recommendations as to where to go in Italy where great. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Egis.

Ortila & Ben Shamsian in Los Angeles, CA USA 04/19/2008

Worst: Best Hotel -Milan
Why: The bed sank in the middle, the shower smelled moldy, very noisy outside, and my wife swore she heard gunfire in the middle of the night on the street below our window.

Scott Gaulke in Hood River, OR USA 04/18/2008

Best: Egi Rooms
Why: The Orange Room at www.egirooms.com. This very modern space was all one room, but comfortably slept four of us and had a full kitchen. It is located right in the heart of Vernazza, only a few flights up from the main square, so not a lot of climbing. Egi and his wife, Sonia, made the stay extra special by meeting us at the train station and making sure that we had everything we needed. He gave us his cell number so we could contact him at any time with any questions or problems. He also rents two other rooms in the same building that share a bathroom - perfect for friends traveling together but that want some privacy. We were isolated from the noise outside the building, which was nice as the square can be very busy and loud.

Julie in Shoreline, WA USA 04/15/2008

Worst: Hotel Nardizze Americana in Rome
Why: Accomodations and breakfast were the most mediocre of the trip, though the staff was helpful and nice. I still think you should leave it in the book as the price was right, esp. for Rome and the location near Termini was convenient. For a budget traveller, it is adequate.

Mimi Satter in Syracuse , NY USA 04/13/2008

Best: Ostello San Frediano in Lucca and Elisabetta's Villino Azzurro in Vernazza
Why: Ostello San Frediano was SO MUCH nicer than any other Hostel I have ever seen!! It was like a palace! The common areas were nicer than any of the hotels I stayed at! At Elisabetta's rooms I had one of the greatest views I have ever seen! They were so nice and I loved the location!!

Brian Freund in keego harbor, mi USA 04/11/2008

Best: Alma Domus in Siena, BY FAR!
Why: WHAT A VIEW!! WHAT A DEAL!!!! I opened the balcony on my 42 Euro Single and there was the Duomo right there in front of me!! If I looked to my right, there was that postcard of the rolling Tuscan hills with the cyprus trees off in the distance. And to the left was the "Burnt Siena" roofs of one of the great cities I have seen!

Worst: Hotel Posta in Orvieto and Casa Olmata in Rome
Why: They were very nice at the Hotel Posta, and it is in a great location. My problem with it was that, first of all, I had the Torre del Moro right outside my window, which was beautiful, but, they chime EVERY 15 MINUTES ALL NIGHT LONG!!!! I had earplugs, so, it wasnt that bad, but.... Also, they stuck me, because I was a single, in a corner where they are doing construction, so, all of my stuff was covered in dust! It wasnt bad because of just those things, it was a much lower standard of comfort than all the other places, but 1, that I stayed. Casa olmata in Rome was disappointing because they, too were very nice!! I was chose them because I wanted to be on that side of the Termini station and on a fairly nice, quiet side-street. They moved me to their annex on Meraluna St. about 5 blocks further from the train station and on a VERY busy street! It was louder than then church bells! It was also ALOT further from public transportation. I was really disappointed in the whole experience with them.

Brian Freund in keego harbor, MI USA 04/11/2008

Best: Hoel Cervo near Malpensa airport
Why: Very prompt about picking us up at the airport. Restaurant was closed so they drove us to a lovely local place to eat dinner, then picked us up. Nice breakfast too.

Jean Yoder in Ann Arbor, MI USA 04/10/2008

Best: Hotel Florence in Bellagio Lake Como
Why: Great lake views (we shared an enormous balcony with another room) wonderful staff, good prices and reasonably good breakfasts.

Bill Young in San Leandro, CA USA 04/10/2008

Worst: Hotel Pendini in Florence
Why: Poor staff attitudes and poor building maintenance have made this once grand old pension into an indifferent and careworn hotel...keep looking, you will find better.

Bill Young in San Leandro , CA USA 04/10/2008

Best: maria capellini rooms in vernazza, bellevue house florence, alma domus siena, il nido sorrento andhotel canada rome
Why: all were clean, friendly and full of helpful information

bruce lahr in sauk rapids, mi USA 04/03/2008

Best: Ostello 5-Terre
Why: Very well run. Great food. Very hospitable. Enjoyable experience.

Worst: Yellow Hostel in Rome
Why: At 35 I was the oldest there by 15 years! It is clearly a party hostel. They put a lot of emphasis on the Pub Crawl but the basic details of check-in where very sloppy. This was the 4th hostel we stayed in and the only one with problematic service. I would not stay there again.

Scott Hovey in Durham, NC USA 03/31/2008

Best: Casa Astarita B&B, Sorrento
Why: My wife and I prefer simple, clean, good value accommodations in the heart of a city. Casa Astarita has a quirky entrance off the street but wonderful rooms for a budget price, excellent hospitality from Adelida, better than average breakfasts. Also liked Hotel Maxim in Florence and Hotel Nardizzi in Rome (Sami is great!).

Jim & Rita Blattman in Ottawa, On Canada 03/31/2008

Best: La Crocoina - Tenuta Croce di Mezzo
Why: We can't say enough great things about Croce di Mezzo! To start, Barbara, Roberto, and Fiorella are absolutely amazing people and truly treat you like family. We stayed with them for 6 nights in Apartment B and we absolutely loved it. The apartment was very clean, had a small kitchen, a great bathroom, exremely comfortable bed and all the ammenities of home. It was wonderful coming home (and by home we mean home to Apartment B at Croce di Mezzo) to a cozy apartment, light a fire and open a bottle of Croce di Mezzo's amazing wine (we bought a few bottles to take home) to relax and talk about our amazing day traveling in Tuscany. We can't wait to go back and stay with the family ~ we definitely want to go during the summer when we can take cooking lessons with Fiorella and spend quality family time with them at the dinner table. We keep saying "family", but that is how we think of them. We told Barbara and Roberto that when the come back to visit California we would love for them to stay with us! This is absolutely the place to stay!

Laura and Brianna Schuchardt in Redondo Beach, CA USA 03/30/2008

Best: Riomaggiore - Edi's rooms, Vernazza - Rooms by Martina
Why: Both were clean with great views (make sure to ask for the sea or harbor views). We've stayed with Edi many times and he's always been great. He even gave us a bottle of wine this time to help us celebrate our anniversary. In Vernazza, Martina's dad invited us to partake in some of his homemade wine.

Previously, we've only visited the CT in summer months. This time we went in March. The towns were so much more enjoyable - not crowded at all - and the folks were friendly. For our photos (to see what you are in store for, visit:http://www.pbase.com/tsip19/the_ligurian_coast_italy

Thanks, Rick, for your great suggestions!

Rob in Austin, TX USA 03/30/2008

Worst: Egi Rooms, Vernazza
Why: Egi Rooms wasn't horrible, it just wasn't nearly as good as we'd expected [and we felt] it wasn't worth €90 a night. We stayed in the Red Room, which shares a bathroom with the Blue Room. The hot water tank in the shared bathroom ran out of hot water. The walls are extremely thin, we could clearly hear conversation in both other rooms. For two of the four nights there was a family staying in the Orange room below us with a four month old baby that screamed non-stop (not Egi's fault, I realize, but the walls are way too thin to rent the room to traveling infants and their inconsiderate parents). All the light switches for the hall lights and the room lights are in roughly the same location in the outer hall, and un-labeled, so we had a couple of occasions where late arrivers crept in quietly and turned on our overhead light when trying to turn on the hall lights. We enjoyed Cinque Terre and may well go back, but we'll certainly look for somewhere else to stay.

Mark in Madison, WI USA 03/28/2008

Best: Terrapille Agritourismo near Pienza, Hotel Alimandi in Rome, and Silbernagl in Castelrotto
Why: Lucia at Terrapille is like family to her guests! Lovely, quiet estate in the heart of Tuscany, with beautiful view of quaint Pienza above you. The Hotel Alimandi is in a great location for visits to the Vatican, yet still an easy walk to the heart of Rome. Hotel Silbernagl in the lovely alpine village of Castelrotto is run by friendly Petra, and has a wonderful indoor heated pool, and is surrounded by the beautiful Dolomite mountains.

Sue Laabs in Northville, MI USA 03/23/2008

Best: Hotel Campiello, St Mark's Vencie
Why: We booked a quadruple room and they generously upgraded us to the new apartment at no additional charge. My family is my husband, myself and two children. This place has got a GREAT Location!! The accomodations were stunning- Murano glass chandelier, etc. We were very happy here.

Carolyn Sleeper in Phoenix, AZ USA 03/22/2008

Best: Locanda al Leon - Venezia
Why: Charming accomodations, friendly staff, quaint breakfast room, excellent location, wonderful price!

Worst: Hotel Pendini - Firenze
Why: Wasn't horrible, but room was dusty (not dirty), cold, and uninviting. Didn't feel like a value for our money. Staff was friendly, however, and the location was good.

John Novick in Chicago, IL USA 03/21/2008

Best: Il Nido in Sorrento
Why: The hospitality was wonderful. The full breakfast with scrambled eggs and bacon was a welcome surprise and the free shuttle into town was very convenient. This hotel isn't in the 2008 book, but it should be. We loved it.

Sheryl in Fort Worth, TX USA 03/20/2008

Worst: Hotel Pasquale, Monterosso in the Cinque Terre
Why: Rick Steve's guidebook states that noise is not an issue at Hotel Pasquale. Nothing could be further from the truth. My husband and I spent the first weekend of the month there and didn't get much sleep at all during our stay and regretted having chosen to stay there. All rooms are juxtapositioned to the staircase which is mostly wood and you can hear every single person coming and going on the stairs. All of the rooms have tile floors and thin walls so you hear people above, below and next door. We went to bed at ten one night and were woke up by people coming in later than us. Then we tried to sleep in another morning and were awakened by the maids above and next door dragging the furniture across those rooms to clean the floors. The sea views are beautiful but you will get plenty of them on your walks without wasting your money at Hotel Pasquale. I highly recommend that the Rick Steve's entry for Hotel Pasquale regarding the noise level there be revised. I am not a light sleeper nor am I overly finicky. This is just simply something that I believe all readers need to be forewarned about!

Wanda in Seattle, WA USA 03/16/2008

Best: Four good hotels - three in Rick's book
Why: Wife and I are just back from Italy the first half of March. We wanted to minimize hotel costs to maximize other experiences (i.e., museums, shopping, etc.). Stayed 2 nites in Rome at Hotel Corot (not in Rick's book) one block from Termini... very convenient and a nice room at a reasonable price. Then on to Vernazza for four nites at Albergo Barbara (in the book), Room 8 overlooking the Plaza and that was terrific. Then it was Florence and we arrived at Hotel Il Bargellino (in the book) without a reservation and Room 10 was just fine (shared toilet but in-room shower/sink. And finally to Venice and Albergo Doni (in the book), Room 8. Wrote ahead and Nikos changed our reservation by a day and the accommodations were wonderful for the price with very kind service. A great trip made better with a lot of reading of these boards. Looking forward to a return trip someday.

David in Southwest, WA USA 03/15/2008

Best: Ca Del Dose Venice
Why: Family-run, cozy little place in a quiet section of Venice. Near to all the sights and steps from Vaporetti. Loved the extra room of the suite, great for traveling with kids.

Kelly in Milwaukee, WI USA 03/13/2008

Best: Al Ponte Mocenigo - Venice
Why: Clean, comfortable room and beds with nice bathroom. Walter and staff were very pleasant and helpful with any request. Walter chatted with us one afternoon over espresso and tea about the hotel and how they restored it. It was wonderful.

Mark Obergfell in Indianapolis, IN USA 03/06/2008

Best: Hotel Sonya (Rome), Hotel Villa Elda (Siena), Hotel Centrale (Florence)
Why: they were great! rooms and bathrooms were clean, locations were all within walking distance to most of the major sights, and the included breakfasts were more than i expected (especially for italy). Hotel Sonya (75eur/night): 5 min walk to Termini, 3 computers available for free internet access Villa Elda (90eur/night): just outside of siena's old town centre (5 min walk); giorgia and staff were very friendly and helpful; room was big and bright with newly renovated and sparkling clean bathrooms. Hotel Centrale (85eur/night): 3 min away from the Duomo and less than 10min from train station, big room (Giotto rm. No.18), free internet access from 8am-9:30pm in reception area. Thanks for listing such great hotels! we will look for them again (assuming they're still in your guidebooks) the next time we go to italy.

Worst: Hotel Orion (Venice)
Why: I don't like sayin it's the "worst", but of all of the hotels, this one was my least favorite only because of the noise. if you are a light sleeper (which i'm not), this one's probably not for you. the staff was very gracious and the room was very neat and quite spacious for venice, but you can hear EVERYTHING. people walking up and down the stairs, other people watching tv/talking/sneezing, people in the room above you unpacking, toilets flushing, water running... the location (within 30 seconds of St Mark's) is unbeatable and we only paid 75eur/night, so i don't want to sound like i'm complaining because i'd probably stay here again... but next time, i'll be sure to bring my ear plugs :) ps. if you do plan on staying here, quick fyi: the entrance is somewhat discreet. there is no awning or big sign for the hotel, only a small glass door on your left across from a bar that says "hotel orion" towards the end of Spadaria when walking from St Mark's.

miki s bc canada 03/01/2008

Best: Hotel Pallotta in Assisi
Why: See comments above.

Josh Harrison in College Station, TX USA 03/01/2008

Best: 1st Place Tie - La Baia Di Rio in Riomaggiore and B&B Pascucci in Rome / 3rd Place Tie - Camere La Torre in Vernazza and B&B Antonella Landi in Siena
Why: THE ABSOLUTE BEST PLACES we stayed in our 3+ weeks in Europe was our stay at La Baia Di Rio in Riomaggiore and B&B Pascucci in Rome.

At La Baia Di Rio, we reserved the Honeymoon suite (more like an apartment) with 180-degree wrap around balcony, and it was easily the hightlight accomodation of our trip. Each night we had pesto dinners on our balcony and each morning we awoke to views of the hillsides of Riomaggiore - oh yeah, did I mention huge wrap around windows. I know many of us don't go on vacation to stay in our rooms, but that is how nice this was. A year later, my wife and I still dream of being back at this place! The room was large and immaculate, and it came with a kitchen and washer/dryer. The owners are super nice - it was just wonderful! Book early as they are very popular.

You know if we liked that place so much, B&B Pascucci in Rome must be amazing - it was. Our friend, Lucianno was the perfect Roman host. He offers a wonderful, spacious antique-filled room with a comfy bed in his private residence. He makes a nice breakfast and sits down with you to plan your day of sightseeing. He has wonderful advice on all logistics and is super friendly. We were a 5-minute walk from Piazza Navona - yes, in the heart of Rome. He gives you your own set of keys and you come and go as you please. In short - a wonderful private oasis in the heart of Rome. Also book early for this place - he is extremely popular and really fills up fast.

Camere la Torre offers a wonderful little private room with a terrace overlooking Vernazza. This room is small (12ft x 8ft) with seperate bathroom, but it was all we needed. I would only recommed this place for the physically fit - as it is next to the hiking trail from Corniglia and is over 300 steps from Vernazza's main square. If you can handle it - the views are breathtaking.

Antonella, in Siena, offers big, clean rooms within a 5-minute walk of Il Campo. The price is fair, and she offers a nice breakfast. I should also mention that she is super spunky/nice, which makes her place fun. Although not the best place we stayed in Italy - we certainly recommmend her rooms, especially for the location.

Worst: Ca' Angeli - Venice
Why: Before you gasp because I have listed a top five most popular B&B according to another website - hear me out. I went against my Rick Steves judgement (not one of his recommendations) and decided to splurge at this place on our trip, because I wanted to stay on the Grand Canal. We stayed in their Grand Canal suite for part of our stay but had to move, due to the room being previously booked, to another room halfway through out stay. THE GRAND CANAL ROOM WAS GREAT! I didn't mind splurging for it. However, the other room was pitiful. It had no view and was a joke for the price we paid. It put a little damper on our stay there, which is the only reason I listed it as a worst accomodation. It really only speaks to how ecstatic we were with our other stays.

Bottom line - if you splurge for the big room, only stay there. These expensive places aren't worth staying at (in my opinion) unless you get the big perk like a room on the Grand Canal with a spectacular Grand Canal view.

Robert Villigram in St. Louis, MO USA 02/28/2008

Best: Hotel Giardino, Rome
Why: The owner Katie provides a great experience to the visitor. She solves every problem and makes your stay a joy. We've never experienced such personal attention in all our travels. We wouldn't stay anyplace else in Rome then at the Hotel Giardino.

Brian Kuhn in Memphis, Tn USA 02/25/2008

Best: Orangehouse in Varenna, Schildberghof Farmhouse in Seis, Il-Poggiolo Farmhouse in Firenze, Camere Fontana Vecchia in Vernazza, RomaBandB in Rome
Why: the owner of these places were very accomodating and helpful. they made our stay in Italy perfect!

DELIA EPIE in CLOVIS, CA USA 02/12/2008

Best: Hotel Nardizzi in Rome
Why: Quiet, clean, the staff was so friendly and helpful. Good location for public transport everywhere. My nine year old grand daughter (first trip outside of Calif.) absolutely enjoyed the hotel. The airy breakfast room and the breakfasts were great.

Vernette Marsh in DAvis, CA USA 01/24/2008

Best: Villa Margherita Hotel, in Levanto near the Cinque Terre
Why: We visited Italy for 10 days at the end of 2007 for New Year. We went to Rome, Napoli, Firenze and Cinque Terre. Our stay in the Villa Margherita Hotel in Levanto was great.

The hotel is just lovely, located perfectly, designed beautifully, shiny clean, everything is new and fresh and with style, warm on a winter day (it was -2 degrees Celsius outside in Levanto on 30.12.2007), and technologically well-equipped. The staff was real top-level, too. The family which manages and works in the hotel is very kind, friendly, positive, helpful and flexible. It feels like you are among your own family and friends.

Frank Galletti in New York, NY USA 01/16/2008

Best: Hotel Bellevue, Florence
Why: This lovely "home" was beautiful with spacious rooms - so close to the train station that we were able to walk to the hotel from the train station. The best part was the gracious Antonio who was available and extremely accomodating. Our room was very clean, bright..it felt like we were coming to a friend's home - not a cold hotel. Also - we were there at the end of December and begining of January when it was freezing cold - the heat was always on and our room was warm and cozy. When we return to Florence we will definitely stay at Hotel Bellevue. The only possible negative thing that I can say is that it is four floors up and there is no elevator...but I can turn that into a positive because we ate like crazy and actually lost weight on this trip.

Rachel Inclan in Pasadena, Ca USA 01/10/2008

Best: Hotel Castello, Vicenza
Why: The owner, Massimo and his staff were very accommodating, warm and friendly. This was one of the only hotels that would provide an extra bed for our children to sleep in with a minimal charge. The rooms have air conditioning and may only be a little further of a walk to the main sights of the city but well worth. You can also park your car on the street next to the hotel, which was very convenient and they will even assist you in drining your car there.

Greg DiGregorio in Broomfield, CO USA 01/06/2008

Best: Haus Silbernagl
Why: Our family of 4 has stayed at many pensions, B&Bs, albergo, garni..whatever you want to call it,all over Western Europe. Haus Silbernagl in Castelrotto / Kastelruth Italy was the nicest one we have ever been in. It's so lovingly decorated and cared for. It is the CLEANEST placed you will ever find. SPOTLESS. It has a great indoor pool that even the kids can use. Petra very genuinely wants you to feel at home and enjoy yourself. She is very helpful (if you desire help) with the local area. We really felt like she was welcoming us into her home (which she just about is). The family room has 2 big rooms and 2 full bathrooms. It is very comfortable with nice soft beds. We were there in Winter and the temperature inside was always just perfect. We highly recommend Haus Silbernagl.

B Ergeron in Brussels, BE 01/06/2008

Best: Romantica Pucci in Civita di Bagnoreggio Italy
Why: Pucci was the perfect hostess anticipaing all our needs. Her place is spic an span and very well decorated. The epitomy of thoughtfullness.

JOhn USA 01/05/2008

Best: Il Bargellino, Florence
Why: Carmel and Pino were just wonderful hosts. They were so helpful with answers on everything. While we were in Florence we visited the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Scandicci. Carmel researched the bus schedules for us and we got there without a hitch. Their restaurant recommendations were excellent. If ever in Florence, pick Il Bargellino for your accommodations. The rooms were beautiful, reasonably priced, and you can't ask for better hosts.

Pam Scaringe in Dolgeville, NY USA 12/25/2007

Best: Inpiazzadellasignoria, Firenze
Why: Delightful, friendly owners and staff, beautiful room (The Giotto),fantastic location, delicious, bountiful breakfasts. Perfecto!

Laurette Benton in Raleigh, NC USA 12/23/2007

Best: Hotel Star, Milan, Sept,07
Why: Great recommendation Rick, not cheap!,Milan in Sept,is very expensive, Super location,walking distance to all major landmarks,Duomo, La Scala etc,Excellent buffet breakfast included in room price.

John & Rosalind Calder in Sidney, BC Canada 12/22/2007

Best: l Bargellino Florence
Why: One of the best parts of our Florence trip was coming home to Carmel and Pino each night. It felt like coming home to family. They were gracious, warm, funny and friendly hosts. We had great insider tips for where to get great service, great food and good deals. Once in our room we got a glimpse of the Doumo from over the terrace and our stay in Florence got better and better from there. Cannot wait to return and wouldn't stay anywhere else.

Susan DiRocco in Boston, MA USA 12/17/2007

Best: Hotel Aberdeen, Locanda il Maestrale
Why: Friendly, accommodating staff. Clean and charming rooms.

Marie Lavendier in Unionville, Ct USA 12/14/2007

Best: Hotel Adler roma
Why: The staff is wonderful,helpful and a great breakfast and large room.Great location.

Worst: Hotel Piccio in Orvieto
Why: Your book says 53E with a 5percent steves discount.She charged us 55E and would not budge.The room was great and since we dropped our car at Hertz in the morning it was a great location.There was no breakfast either.

John Theune in Sheboygan, Wi USA 12/05/2007

Best: La Crociona--Montalcino
Why: The apartment in a 17th century building was huge and comfortable, and was next to the Brunello vineyard. We received a very detailed and fun wine and olive-oil tasting, along with an interesting tour of the new cellar and winery, while Roberto showed our 9-yr. old son around the vineyard. The family treated us as though we were lifelong friends. The location is close driving distance to Siena and other hill towns, and the Osteria (restaurant) next door was fantastic, with a good selection of authentic Tuscan food. If you're doing a wine trip, you can't beat the location. We will be back!

Chris in Lafayette, CO USA 12/04/2007

Best: Lancelot Hotel, Rome
Why: Wonderful personal service, large, clean rooms, excellent location by the Colosseum

Rebecca Portera in West Point, MS USA 12/03/2007

Best: Edy's - Cinque Terre
Why: Charming man and lovely apartments with outstanding sweeping ocean view. Truly everything you want when you come into town after a long day getting there - a friendly and helpful host, a quaint and comfortable room. We especially enjoyed the very long twisting winding walk up and down stairs over hill and dale to get to our apartment - it was a fun adventure. Appropriately, we were with an elderly couple and they were placed in a close apartment with just a small flight of stairs and no hike to reach. We are younger and loved the windy adventure to reach our place. Seriously, it was probably a five minute walk from the main street to our place down narrow halls etc. but we loved it! Clean and comfy apartments that were spacious and very nice. Great value - the best value of our whole trip at just 60 euro for each apt. Thanks Rick!

Worst: Hotel Nardizzi in Rome.
Why: Although a recommended hotel by you, we found the staff to be incredibly rude to two separate other guests that we witnessed. It was really something. We thought, compared to other hotels we stayed in, it was average and a good value for students and single travelers. There's nothing wrong with it, but the rude staff who will yell or speak down to a guest at the slighest drop of a hat was really appalling. Also the floor of the elevator feels like it's going to collapse. They were nice to us, but we also never asked for anything special and any special requests - like a dinner reservation, help with understanding the bill, etc. would result in some inappropriate comments. We witnessed one (previously nice) staff member get in a screaming match during breakfast, in front of the whole hotel, about a stupid verification of credit card slip. Also another lady who was being ignored upon check-in while the guy behind the desk chatted with some repairment, she asked if she could please be helped with checking in and the guy seriously yelled at her to wait her turn. I don't know what is wrong with them, but I would never recommend going back unless you're desperate and don't ever have special needs.

Taya Rotering in Minneapolis, MN USA 11/30/2007

Best: Hotel Aurora, Verona
Why: By far our favorite hotel during our visit to Italy. The room we were assigned was spacious, well decorated and clean. Staff spoke English well and were extremely helpful with all our questions. The location couldn't have been better, in our opinion. Thanks, Rick, for another great recommendation!

Worst: Hotel Aurora website map, Verona
Why: I don't think this map was made for use by anyone walking from the train station to the hotel. We spent an hour trying to find our hotel and only found it by accident. The hotel itself was great; our favorite of the trip.

Dawn Dawsey in St Paul, MN USA 11/27/2007

Best: Hotel du lac in Varenna
Why: Very clean, great views, yummy cheese at the breakfast buffet

Jill Grigsby in Claremont, CA USA 11/23/2007

Best: Florence Dream Domus, Il Nido in Sorrento, Frances Lodge, Orvieto, Il Gelsomino, La Spezia
Why: Florence Dream...wonderful host, down pillows, very acommodating! Il Nido...good location for the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii, terrific hosts, easy parking, great restaurant!! Frances Lodge, beautiful villa, great hosts, a little hard to find, Il Gelsomino, charming hosts, good location for Cinque Terre.

Carol Dierkes in Hartford, Mi USA 11/19/2007

Best: Hotel Lido - Sorrenot
Why: pleasant, beautiful view, helpful staff, excellent breakfast

Melanie Myers in Whitby, ON Canada 11/19/2007

Best: Residenza il Villino in Florence
Why: Sergio is fluent in English and goes above and beyond in everything he does - the service was excellent.

Shelley in St. Louis , MO USA 11/18/2007

Worst: Albergo Marin in Venice
Why: We stayed at the Albergo Marin 5 years ago and the experience was great. So we returned again this fall for 3 nights in October (10/16-10/18/07) and the experience was not good. We agreed to a double room with a shared bath (not our first choice). The room was on the 3rd floor, was very small and was like a dorm room. No sink just a bed and closet. The hotel staff was very curt and less than welcoming. They served a great warm croissant for breakfast, but were very miserly about ensuring that guests only got one each. It was a very different experience than 5 years ago. It made us wonder if the hotel had changed hands. I realize we were there close to the end of the October (peak) season, but jeeze get out of the business if you can only show thinly disguised contempt when dealing with the tourist public. We've recommended this hotel to many people because of its warm hospitality and great location...but not any more.

Kathy and Joe Cooper in Fullerton, CA USA 11/16/2007

Best: youth hostel in cinque terra
Why: We stayed in youth hostel in cinque terra. It was delightful: staff were friendlly and helpful, entire area was clean and safe, and food was delicious and inexpensive.

Worst: Casa Olmata, Rome
Why: It was nothing like the webpage. Our room was located in a building multiple blocks away from the site advertised. Breakfast was featured on their webpage as cereal, juice, coffee, fruit and croissant, served on a linen covered table overlooking the city. We were actually given a voucher for croissant and coffee at a street level cafe several blocks away. No common area as advertized, and though the weather was "t-shirt perfect" the terrace and patio were closed "due to the weather." The accommodations were so bad that we did not stay there even though we had paid 55 euros (which was not refunded) for a private room. I would strongly suggest that you remove them from your recommended accommodations.

Barbara Hart in Hudson, Mi USA 11/14/2007

Best: Rooms - Soggiorno Baptistery
Why: Very clean. Good breakfast delivered to room exactly when requested. Responsive to a small repair that was needed. Reserved gallery tickets for us.

Jack Bender in Zeeland, MI USA 11/12/2007

Best: Il Bargellino, Florence
Why: Room was delightful, and came with a cat! (OK--the neighbor's cat who made herself at home, but I needed a kitty-fix by then.) We particularly appreciated the terrace, where we could picnic if tired. Also, it was very convenient to sights and to the train station. (Little noise, except for Sta. M. Novella bells.)

Marian in Orange County , CA USA 11/12/2007

Best: Hotel Il Nido - Sorrento
Why: Brothers Dino and Gianni do a wonderful job with this family run hotel. The views of the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius from the rooms and dining room balcony are breathtaking. We stayed there 4 days in October, using it as a base for day trips to Naples, Vesuvius, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. We opted to eat all our dinners there as well and the food was great! Gianni makes the gnocchi-don't miss the gnocchi with smoked salmon. The hotel is well above the town (NOT walking distance), but the free shuttle van from town was easy to cope with.

Ed in Seattle, WA USA 11/11/2007

Best: Albergo Beretta in Varenna
Why: I didn't have a reservation and it was raining when I arrived in Varenna and I was desperarte. The Albergo Beretta gave me a great room facing Lake Como for 58 euros and I was in heaven. Very helpful staff even when I broke off the key in the lock and they kindly gave me another one!

Marc Harrison in Olympia, WA USA 11/11/2007

Best: Hotel Due Torri - Rome
Why: Very nice, clean room with a comfortable bed. The staff was very friendly and the hotel has a great continental breakfast area. Great location, only a few minutes from Piazza Navona.

John in Newtown Square, PA USA 11/11/2007

Best: La Pallotta Hotel, Asssi, Italy
Why: This was by far the best combination of price and quality of any hotel that we stayed in Tuscany. The room has a great city and countryside view and wonderful sunsets. It was quiet, clean and had a wonderful buffet breakfast plus free internet use. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Their nearby restaurant is excellent with high quality food, house wine and service all for a reasonable price. Ask for rooms 12 or 18 with views and enjoy the communal view room upstairs as well.

James Pollock in Portland, OR USA 11/11/2007

Best: Hotel Acesi - Assisi
Why: While this tiny hotel is a little old fashioned, we had a clean comfortable room. It was very inexpensive. Within a couple of minutes of the Basilica and the bus stop.

John in Newtown Square, PA USA 11/11/2007

Worst: Elisabettas Villino Azzurro, Vernazza, Italy
Why: We had email confirmed reservations held by credit card and when we arrived she sent her husband to tell us we they had no room for us. They arranged unacceptable and more expensive rooms(one night in each) with others but more expensive, noisey and no sea view as we reserved. I put a review in tripadvisor.com warning others about this and found listing by others that they had similar problems. She ruined our visit to the Cinque Terre and never even made a personal appearance to explain and appogigize.

James Pollock in Portland, OR USA 11/11/2007

Best: Residenza dei Pucci - Florence
Why: We had a beautiful, modern, clean room for three days and nights. The hotel is a five minute walk from the Duomo. Rossella and Marina were friendly and very helpful.

John in Newtown Square, PA USA 11/11/2007

Best: Casa Cosmo - Venice
Why: This is only a 5 or 6 room hotel (recommended by Rick Steves)within a few minutes walk from the Rialto Bridge. Davide Cosmo and his parents are friendly and very hospitable. The rooms were recently renovated, are very clean and modern. The bed was unbelievably comfortable. The rate was very reasonable and I would definitely stay there again. I was in Venice at the end of September 2007.

John in Newtown Square, PA USA 11/11/2007

Best: Edi's Rooms, Riomaggiore
Why: Edi's charged us 55 Euro for a double(Oct. 22,2007), although the book said 60. The room was comfy and quiet, with a fridge. The check-in gentleman even gave us a shot of lemon liqueur to fortify us for the trek up the steep hill and steps! Nice guy. We ended up staying one more night.

Linda Hornbeck in Torrance, CA USA 11/03/2007

Best: Casa Rabatti in Florence, Italy & Hotel Riva in Venice, Italy
Why: Casa Rabatti: Marcella gave us the warmest welcome we've received at any hotel. She met us halfway on the stairs with her arms wide open for a hug. She made sure that all our needs were met. The room was very clean, sheets were clean, room was spacious, and it was a quiet environment--we slept very well! Hotel Riva: Our room did indeed have a canal view as promised. The room was very clean. We enjoyed the included breakfast. The hotel even let us check in at 8am! My husband and I had taken an overnight train to Venice and had expected to just drop off our bags at the hotel, thinking it was too early to check in. However, they said that the room was ready and no one had occupied it the night before, so they let us check in immediately! We also appreciated the security of the hotel--everyone who came in had to be buzzed in, and all room keys were left at the front desk when leaving the building.

Worst: Casa Olmata in Rome, Italy
Why: Despite our "confirmed reservation" for a double for 3 nights for 56 euro per night, on our first night, due to Casa Olmata's booking errors, my husband and I were forced to upgrade to an 8-bed room by ourselves AND were required to pay 75 euro for the night instead. On the second night, we were moved to an entirely different building down the street, and the room was cold without any extra blankets. We were not able to enjoy the advertised "rooftop terrace with a view of Rome" due to the change in buildings. Then on our last night, a man that would run back and forth between the main hotel and the building that we were now staying in knocked on our door with a note from Casa Olmata to confirm our check-in for the 3rd night. The man asked us for 2 euro more than what we had paid for the previous night. Luckily, we didn't have exact change, so we walked over to Casa Olmata to pay in person and the lady confirmed our rate for the 3rd night--so the man had tried to swindle 2 euro from us! And who knows if the money would have ever gotten to Casa Olmata if we had paid him instead! If I had known all this, I would have kept my reservation at one of the convents in Rome instead! DO NOT STAY AT CASA OLMATA! For a few more euros, you'll likely find better accommodations elsewhere, like at a convent!

Jessie in Chicago, IL USA 11/03/2007

Best: hotel Torcollo in Verona
Why: Sylvia, Diana and Caterina were very welcoming, volonteering excellent infomation and suggestions; they are very well organized, and communicate well between themselves and with the travelers;

francine faribault in Montréal, Qc CANADA 11/02/2007

Best:
Why: We did not stay in any hotels recommended by book. I tried to get a reservation in Rome at two different recommended hotels, one was full and the other never got back to me.

Pat McClung in Mt. Pleasant, TX USA 11/02/2007

Best: Hotel Magliani, Florence
Why: Hostess very friendly and helpful.

Worst: Casa Olmata Roma
Why: I had made reservations for a triple room with shared bath 2 months before our arrival. When we arrived we were told that there was a water leak and they had made reservations for us at a different hotel, Hotel Salus. I should mention that there was a large demonstration in the area. When we got to Hotel Salus, the room reserved for us was "under construction". There were no other rooms available. Our room did not have a working lock so we pushed a small chest against the door. 2 times through the night someone tried to enter our room. The following morning we found accommodations elsewhere.

Mary Lou Kramer in Fort Recovery, Oh USA 11/01/2007

Best: Palazzo Bruchi B and B in Siena
Why: wonderful accomodations, a shared kitchen, very helpful Camilla. She went out of her way to give us information and directions and she has about the cutest baby on the planet.

Chere Weiss in Kelso, WA USA 10/29/2007

Best: Egi Rooms in Vernassa.
Why: IT was a most pleasant place to stay and Egi was a hospitable, helpful, knowledgable and charming host.

David Reiser in Cadillac, Mi USA 10/29/2007

Worst: Hotel Sassi, Matera
Why: Very hard to locate this hotel; the hotel is rather dark, damp (dripping water), and musty; and no parking. Street parking is quite difficult. It's in the heart of the sassi district. If you like staying in a cave go for it; but, it was a nuisance overall.

patricia dolan in san francisco, ca USA 10/28/2007

Best: Il Bargelino, Florence
Why: Carmel and Pino are so hospitable -- and relaxing on their terrace ten days into a very hectic trip was perfect -- like being able to kick back at home! This was a great place!

Rick Peterman in Marion, MD USA 10/27/2007

Best: NA
Why: We tried to book at several of the recommended accommodations a month in advance but all were full: an indicator of success, I suppose. However, our excellent accommodation in Venice was suggested to us by one of Rick's recommended hotels. We used "Venere.com" to book hotels in Rome, Lucca and Florence with good results.

Murray Duke in Ottawa, ON Canada 10/26/2007

Best: Tres Donzella (Siena)
Why: Nice front desk people. Cheap, clean and good location.

Worst: La Luna (Lucca)
Why: We were in a tight spot due to scheduling issue with another hotel (our fault). Called around places in Lucca, with no luck. La Luna only had their 175 euro suite available, so we said we'd take it. FYI-the most we paid anywhere else in Italy was 80 euro per night, so this was obviously a painful decision. We were at least cheered by the "palatial room with frescoed ceilings", as your book described for our $.

Upon arrival, we were escorted to a perfectly nice, but small 2 room accommodation that was definitely not the 175 euro one. Upon questioning the person at the front desk (sorry, forgot his name), we were assured this was indeed the suite. I looked in their own pamphlet that pictured the real suite (big, spacious, frescoed) and showed him your book, and he said yes, there were 2 suites, and both were 175 euro. I find that very hard to believe, and am certain he was lying to us. Our "suite" was labeled room 130, and overlooked the doorway into La Luna and the pizza place across the small piazza, if you care to check it out. While I agree the room was clean and satisfactory, it was no nicer than any 65-75 euro room we stayed in elsewhere in Italy. Please consider warning folks of their dishonest practices.

After 1 night we moved to the very nice Hotel Diana for 70 euro. It is not in your book; please consider assessing it for inclusion.

Anne in Spencer, SC USA 10/23/2007

Best: Hotel London (Milan)
Why: Accomidating (english) took either card or cash. Great location and very nice family.

Frank Washburn in Orogon City, OR USA 10/22/2007

Best: parkhotel laurin Bolzano Dolomites
Why: best service and accomodations on our 2 week stay,clean,large rooms in very nice setting next to park.the friendliest staff in italy who speak german,italian english and french.great breakfest..few if any amercian tourists..

donald nunnari in la canada, ca USA 10/22/2007

Worst: Hotel Santa Caterina, Sienna
Why: I had confirmed reservations far ahead of my trip in September. While traveling I received an email notifying me that they mistakenly written down my reservation in October instead of September and unfortunately there was no room. When I booked they said it was the last room available but when I was in Sienna I checked and found there were many rooms available for the dates in question in October so I think they got a "better deal" and booted us.

Joan Ouderkirk in Vashon, Wa USA 10/22/2007

Best: Hotel Cavallino D' Oro
Why: Very kind and helpful staff

Wanda Thompson in Newton, NC USA 10/21/2007

Best: Honestly, all were great, Edi's rooms in Riomaggiore
Why: Riomaggiore, in the Cinque Terra was great, clean and we had view of the sea. Our bags were carried to our room, laundary facilities were clean and accessible, friendly and helpful service

Linda Cherek in White Bear Lake, MN USA 10/19/2007

Best: Hotel Milano in Pisa
Why: Great location and value. The hotel was close to the train station and convenient. The hotel room was clean and looked much better than a one star hotel.

Worst: Hotel Mary in La Spezia
Why: Walls were paper thin and you could hear noise from other guests. The elevator wasn't working properly.

A. Overen in Montgomery, Al USA 10/19/2007

Best: Pensione Guerrato;Venice
Why: The hotel staff couldn't have been nicer. It was very easy to get to, especially since they have added the Rialto-Mercato stop on the #1 vaporetto,it lets you off about 50 yards from the hotel.

L M Stewman TX USA 10/19/2007

Best: Hotel California in Positano; Sicily hotels: Hotel Condor in Taormina; Diana Brown B&B in Lipari; Hotel La Giara in Cefalu; Pensione Tranchina in Scopello.
Why: HOTEL CALIFORNIA in Positano has wonderful family owners, huge rooms with balconies and gorgeous views, and free parking in a locked garage.

HOTEL CONDOR in Taormina was comfortable, convenient and reasonable for Taormina.

DIANA BROWN's B&B in Lipari is a great value and well run. A South African ExPat, Diana speaks perfect English.

LA GIARA in Cefalu, though impersonal, is definitely an RS-type hotel, right in the heart of the old city. In fact we ran into a RS tour group staying there.

PENSIONE TRANCHINA in Scopello is also a RS-type place with a great location. Managed by Marisin, a gracious English-speaking ExPat, it has recently been renovated and is very comfortable. Marisin also serves wonderful dinners.

Ron in DeWitt, MI USA 10/17/2007

Best: Garni Silbernagl - Castelrotto
Why: Normally when I find a gem in Europe I don't advertise it. But Petra is so helpful that I have to mention this place! The breakfasts are good with eggs cooked anyway that you might like. Some of the jams are homemade. The rooms are clean and spacious. All significantly less than the major hotels just a few minutes away. Best of all, Petra is so wonderfully friendly.

Gerry in Schmitz, wi USA 10/14/2007

Best: Villa Nencini
Why: Great location, charming, large clean rooms and perfect location

Carole Schuster in Ocean Isle Beach, nc USA 10/13/2007

Worst: Casa di Antoinella in Siena
Why: I was disappointed with Casa di Antoinella in Siena. She leaves her B&B unstaffed and when I arrived there another guest did not know what to tell me when I didn't find my name on the door (Antoinella had forgotten our reservation made 2 months previously). We had to struggle to find availability among the relatively small number of hotels in Siena but although she came close, Antoinella did not prevent us from enjoying beautiful Siena.

Caroline Repko in Solon, OH USA 10/13/2007

Worst: Hotel Sonya, Rome, Italy
Why: After spending two nights at Hotel Sonya on our arrival in Rome, we were anxious to come back to spend our last night in Rome. When we arrived for this last night, we were informed that "some Americans" had ruined all of the rooms in one wing of the hotel and we would need to go elsewhere for a room. At first I was told that it was electrical problems and when I suggested that we wouldn't need air conditioning anyway, I was told that it was also plumbing problems. With that in mind, we agreed to go to a hotel which they had arranged for us. This "3 star" hotel was horrible - - - rundown, dirty, and uncomfortable (it was the Republic Hotel). I felt that we had been subjected to a "bait and switch" at the Hotel Sonya since we were only staying one night.

Susan Sith in gilbert, AZ USA 10/11/2007

Best: Tonino Basso Rooms, Cinque Terre
Why: It was the best accomodations we had on the trip, we had tried using Venere and those places fell far short. Tonino is more on the pricey side but well worth it, the rooms are a good size as well as the bathroom. Also very clean.

Cindy Baquiran in Centreville, VA USA 10/09/2007

Best: Villa Margherita, Levanto near Cinque terre
Why: Lovely hotel, 5 minutes from the centre of town. The room was clean and kept like that and had a beautiful balcony. Breakfast was good and staff were friendly and helpful.Can't think of any negatives. I thought it was good value for money and would recommend.

Paul Keane in New York, NY USA 10/09/2007

Best: Eremo Gaudio Hotel, Varenna
Why: Yes, it's a long uphill walk to the place (take a cab up to it with your luggage) but the views are phenomenal and worth it. Very gracious and helpful staff. Good basic breakfast

John & Susan in St Petersburg, FL USA 10/08/2007

Best: Casa San Giuseppe in Rome
Why: Nice & Clean & Quiet. Took us on short notice.

John Watson in Houston, TX USA 10/06/2007

Best: Hotel Pendini-Florence
Why: Centrally located, Barbara has parking all arranged, so we didn't have to worry about it. Lovely, helpful woman, and so was the rest of the staff. Good beds, clean. Breakfast tasty and plentiful. Free computer to use to check your next reservation. Did I mention one block from the Duomo? And she made us reservations for the Uffizi!

Worst: Hotel Villa Liberty--Siena
Why: We got one of the twin bed room upstairs--the beds are virtually cots, competely without back support. I finally had to put the mattress on the floor--thank goodness it was a big room. They need to invest in some box springs.

Diane Flindt in Sugar Land, TX USA 09/30/2007

Best: Hotel Sonya, Rome Hotel St. John, Milan
Why: Hotel Sonya was a delight. Clean, comfey, staffed by caring, hardworking people. Lots of Rick people here too. His tours use this hotel so make sure you get your reservation in early. This place is also close to everything, bankomat right at the end of the block and some nice restaurants close by. Internet in the lobby as well, don't have to venture out to check email or get info if you don't want to.

We found Hotel St. John on the internet. Had trouble getting a hotel in Milan in September due to the conventions. Hotel St. John is a few ticks up the #1 Red Metro at the Sesto Marelli stop and it's a little hard to find but the rooms are great (less than 2 years old)and prices are quite a bit lower than city center. Staff is a little quirkey but for the most part they aim to please.

Furnancefighter in Philadelphia, PA USA 09/29/2007

Best: Hotel Santa Caterina, Siena
Why: The service we received was excellent. From the moment we walked in we were treated in the most friendly manner. The rooms and grounds are just breath-taking beautiful. The breakfast was really a treat. This BB also made a phone call to Hotel Basilea on my behalf to confirm my stay there. We really loved this place.

Worst: Hotel Basilea-Florence
Why: The only nice thing to say about this place is that it's within walking distance 3-4 blocks to the Accademia. Originally, there was a little bit of mix up with my reservation. Simone at Hotel Basilea had said our stay was guaranteed for one night (of the 2 nights) & would try to guarantee a 2nd night. From the U.S.A. since I didn't hear from Simone, I reserved 1 night at their sister Hotel Ritz. A older gentleman who started work at 7:30 a.m. without checking just told me (rudely) there was no availability. I went off to Hotel Ritz who when I got there told me a lady who was in my to-be room was ill & was not leaving. So, I was told by Hotel Ritz I had to go to another hotel because they didn't have any rooms. Remember, I had a one-night reservation here.

Tony Ramirez in Huntington Beach, CA USA 09/29/2007

Best: Ponte a Nappo in San Gimignano
Why: Carla Rossi runs this delightful B&B outside of the city. Very charming with the best coffee we had in Italy during our 12-day trip. Carla is very accommodating. Please note that it is a 15min walk to town. We are walkers, and there are lovely views, so we didn't mind, but some of the other American guests complained of the walk and thus drove. Overall, it was great--I would go back. Clean, new, with great bathroom with excellent water pressure.

Cory in Dallas, TX USA 09/29/2007

Best: Palazzo Rivizza in Sienna
Why: Great service; beautiful garden; excellent restaurant and great location. We wish we had skipped Florence and stayed here longer.

Worst: Hotel Ungherese in Florence
Why: The hotel itself was not bad, however, the map they provided was terrible and even locals had trouble directing us. If you stay here make sure you have very good directions!

Michael Lopez in Rochester, MI USA 09/28/2007

Worst: Hotel Olivedo, Varenna, Italy
Why: The innkeeper, Laura, charged us to replace an already broken sink. Not cheap: €200. Beware - do a "rental car" tour of your room before you stay there, or you will be contributing to her capital upgrades. The porcelain sink in room 35 was cracked when our son checked in. It worked so we thought not too much about it because the hotel is old. One evening a small juice glass fell off the ledge over the sink (no one had touched it). It shattered in the sink, hitting one of the pre-existing cracks. A big chunk of sink broke out; it had obviously been glued in before.

Laura could not be bothered to come up and see it or have someone clean up the glass. She simply demanded on the spot that we pay her €200. I am sure she simply glued the piece back in after we left. Certainly not the kind of treatment you expect. So beware - I would NEVER go back there. Also note that we found cracks in the sink in Room 1 and the lamp in Room 11 had already been broken once and glued back together.

Anne Lawler in Bainbridge Island, WA USA 09/27/2007

Best: Hotel Enza - Florence
Why: The room was very clean and even though our private bathroom was down the hall it wasn't much of an inconvenience. Staff was very friendly.

Worst: Best Hotel - Milan, Italy
Why: It was overpriced due to an exhibition being held. Even at a normal price it would not have been worth it. The hotel appeared to be under renovation with plaster dust everywhere, conduit hanging from the ceiling in the halls, mattresses that didn't stay on the frames and a bathroom that looked like a utility shed. The only way this room looked good was in the dark. Would never stay there again or recommend it to anyone. Also, the staff when first checking in was not that friendly.

Karen in Palatine, IL USA 09/27/2007

Best: Hotel Nardizzi Americana in Roma
Why: Very well kept, with modern fixtures and features in the room. Terrific AC, nice boathroom, inlcuded hair dryer. Accomodating staff who get up early (6:00 AM) to have some coffee and breakfast fare available for early morning travelers.

Worst: Hotel Villa Kinzica' Pisa
Why: Room furnishings broken or barely functional, bathroom shower in disrepair and generally unsanitary. Staff seemed disconcerned by my observations.

John E. White in Altadena, CA USA 09/27/2007

Worst: Mar-Mar Rooms, Rio Maggiore, Cinque Terre
Why: Mar-Mar: A pleasure to deal with, and generally happy with our 4th floor unit. However, the "view" unit was view of other buildings & main street, not the sea. Problem: the happy crowd noise directly below at Bar Centrale, does not stop until about 2:00 a.m. every morning, 6 days a week (somehow, Tuesday stopped at 12 midnight). Don't know how the locals stand it.

Deb Kozak in Redmond, WA USA 09/25/2007

Best: None from book
Why: Used www.europeandestingations.com as they were cheap, $2000 each for the four of us, two rooms, for air, train tickets and rooms in Rome, Siena, Florence and Venice for 12 nights.

Florence: http://hoteldonatellofirenze.com/rooms.asp. Walking distance to everything, but a bit further than Rick's recommendations. Nice hotel.

Siena: http://www.sangalloparkhotel.it/en; modern hotel, outside city walls, even had a pool.

Rome: http://www.gruppoloan.it; near Borghese Park. Nice but not convenient, but with four sharing a taxi not bad.

Venice: http://www.residenzagoldoni.com/en/index.htm, near St. Marks Square, quiet, clean, recommended.

Lowell Houghton in Sylmar, CA USA 09/23/2007

Best: Eremo Gaudio - Varenna, Lake Como
Why: Rooms were very nice and the views were breathtaking. It was a long hike from the train station though. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

Cindy in Fox Island, wa USA 09/22/2007

Best: Albergo Luina in Stresa on Lago Maggiore
Why: The owner, the 6th generation of the family to be born in the house now containing 7 rooms, was a delight. She gave such lovely personal service - made sure we had reservations on the early morning bus to Malpensa even before we arrived.

Worst: Stayed in Florence at a convent on Via Cancelli above the city.
Why: We stayed in recommended places in Florence, Ravenna, Padua, Rome, Siena & Stresa. ALL wonderful except the convent in Florence. Lovely location on hill above city although transportation somewhat difficult. There are only 4 Italian-speaking nuns and 1 English speaking cleaning girl to maintain a large convent building. The nuns were decidely cranky and unhelpful and the food was poor.

Mary in Boulder, CO USA 09/22/2007

Best: Bellevue House in Florence
Why: Clean and close to the sights. Antonio was helpful from parking to museum reservations. He even tuaght us some Italian.

Doug Kruesi in denver, CO USA 09/22/2007

Best: Hotel Adler, Rome
Why: We loved the terrace. The hotel felt so safe. Didn't worry at all about leaving all our valuables in the room. Great staff

Janet Thomson in Buttonwillow, CA USA 09/21/2007

Worst: Albergo California
Why: I booked directly with the hotel (what a mistake...I usually use venere) He stated "we require a deposit for 1 night in advance" I used American Express, this was in February. When I had to cancel in June he said sorry, we can't refund you. His web site states "cancellations accepted 7 days before arrival." I told him that. He stated that he has a small hotel, has to pay taxes, commission on credit card, blah, blah. He finally agreed to credit my 100 euros (of the 150) but only if I sent him my bank information. NO Way! I contacted American Express, I filled out numerous claim forms. I just got their final letter in the mail...they said it had been too long since the original charge so they would not cover it.

Beth Tracy in Rochester, MN USA 09/21/2007

Worst: Hotel Mignon
Why: Air condtioning was poor at best. Loud rooms and okay service.

scott in dallas, tx USA 09/20/2007

Best: Della Arti (Via dei Servi 38/A)
Why: This is not in the book. But it's a fantastic little botique hotel 1 block from L'Accademia and a two minute walk to the Duomo. The location is a little loud, but that's a fucntion of the city. The hotel does a pretty good job muffling it. And the large rooms, super-helpful staff, and incredibly convenient location far outweigh any city noise.

Tiffany Mura in Boston, MA USA 09/18/2007

Best: Hotel La Colonnina
Why: The staff was helpful and friendly. The location in old town Monterosso was wonderful, close to the beach, shops, bars and restaurants. But also very quiet.

The hotel is modern and very clean. The AC in our room worked great. Breakfast was great-NOT your typical Italian breakfast. Only down side is that they don't take credit cards. We sent a deposit in Euro travelers checks and paid the rest in cash at departure.

We will definately stay here again.

Tim in La Crosse, WI USA 09/16/2007

Best: Rome: Santa Maria alle Fornaci/ Orvieto: Hotel Posta/ Siena:Albergo Bernini/ Florence: Hetel Lucia Freda/ Assisi: Albergo Il Duomo/ Rome: from recommended Santa Susanna website - Santa Sofia @ Piazza Madonna dei Monti, 3
Why: We went for your budget selections and we were very pleased. Each place was as you described in location, furniture, ambiance, and proprietors! My husband and I were so glad we saved money on accommodations. We trusted your frank recommendations and were NOT dissapointed!

beth in mackenzie, TX USA 09/15/2007

Worst: Pension Elios in Sorrento
Why: Great view was all... the room (downstairs family room) was filthy, there were cigarette ashes in the shower and dust bunnies in the room, the pull-out bed was a huge struggle, the mattresses were bad, the pillow lumpy and horrible. I barely slept at all... and we may have even picked up a bedbug or 2 there, because my daughter and I both had little rows of bites. Thankfully, the bugs didn't seem to survive the return trip.

Carey Caccavo Wheaton in Sebastopol, CA USA 09/07/2007

Best: Hotel Umbra in Assisi
Why: This is a beautiful and quiet hotel with a great staff. Our room overlooked a convent and had lots of windows. Nice roofop terrace and lovely breakfast.

Worst: Hotel Duomo in Siena
Why: Our room overlooked the front street. Who would have known there would be street noise all night long? Lots of stairs to most rooms though there was an elevator to access the roof terrace. The staff were a bit surly in attitude. Be very careful if you book this hotel for summer because I was informed by the desk clerk the AC is not turned on until weather is unbearable. Her excuse was that AC is very expensive in Italy. Obviously the comfort of guests who are not exactly paying bargain price is not a real issue with Duomo.

Nancy in Atlanta, USA 09/06/2007

Best: Romantica Pucci, Civita de Bagnoreggio
Why: Pucci's home is tranquil and heavenly (and very reasonably priced). She is a fabulous hostess, and made us feel right at home. We stayed in the gorgeous Magnolia Room, and Pucci said to me (after my questioning): "Rick Steves stayed here twice, in your room, Polly."

Worst: None.
Why: Every place we stayed for 3 weeks was selected from your guidebook, and each was a gem in its own way. Lots of street noise at our apartment in Rome, but that appears to be unavoidable. At Palazzo Ravizza in Siena, our bidet overflowed in the bathroom, and the wonderful woman manager moved us to the gorgeous Suite #1 (quiet garden view) at the same rate for our next 3 nights.

Polly in Morro Bay, CA USA 08/28/2007

Best: "Buon Riposo" Farmhouse in Tuscany
Why: 'Exquisite location, divine accommodation, Buon Riposo in Tuscany – pure bliss! Pure Paradiso –!We have enjoyed our week tremendously. My family and I had a wonderful time - the accommodation was all we had expected. It was a delightful place, we aim to return and do some more exploring in the future. Thankyou once again, Christiane.

Christiane Geneth in Detroit, MI USA 08/25/2007

Best: Hotel Giorgione in Venice
Why: The breakfast included with the room was great! This was a good way of loading up on the food since Venice was so expensive.

Abigail Navarro in Belfair, WA USA 08/22/2007

Best: We really loved Casa Astarita
Why: Fabulous bed and breakfast! Six bedrooms and communal living areas, helped us to get to know some wonderful people from all over the world. It is such a homey feeling place! Great location!

Sharon & Leo Marty in Olympia, WA USA 08/21/2007

Best: Suore di Santa Elisabetta
Why: The roof top terrace on a summer Rome night, unbeatable. We spent every evening up there during our stay in Rome. The wine, bread, and cheese tasted better on the rooftop. A peaceful break from fast paced Rome.

Worst: Pensione Agavi
Why: DON'T BOOK HERE! Despite confirming our travel plans twice (including the night before with arrival time)we arrived at 1:30 PM to be turned out on the street by a calloused woman who had given our room away and could have cared less. We were organized, polite, and responsible travelers. If this happened to us, it could happen to you. Don't plan on staying at Pensione Agavi. The receptionist may alter your plans at her discretion.

Tara in Bend, OR USA 08/20/2007

Best: Genius Loci Country Inn, Umbria
Why: How fortunate we were to stumble on this gem of an Inn in Bevagna (Umbria), Italy near the city of Foligno. A short 15 minute drive from the train station in Foligno, the Inn is situated in the central part of Umbria and is convenient to the whole of Umbria, as well as the eastern part of Tuscany. The Inn is located on a hillside just outside of the medieval town of Bevagna an overlooks a broad, fertile valley, brimming with vineyards, olive groves, and fields of sunflowers. The panoramic view from the Inn is breathtaking and is one you never tire of. Within this magnificent vista you can see the old hilltop towns of Assisi, Spello, and Montefalco as well as the walled town of Bevagna and the whole of Foligno.

In its first season of operation, the Inn is a meticulously restored 1880's farmhouse and the result of a 4 year long restoration project. Many of the Inn's furnishings are antique pieces which have been part of the innkeeper's family for generations. Everything was tastefully done and faithful in its recreation, yet modern and up to date. Almost no detail was overlooked. The Innkeeper (Michael Tacconi) and his staff were friendly, helpful, attentive, and very responsive.

Lifelong residents of Foligno, the Tacconi family provides expert advice of what to do and see, and where to go. But the most beautiful part of our stay was the very homey atmosphere at the Inn which made you just want to remain there and enjoy the spirit of the place. No need to rush here and there with a check list of must do or see items. Sitting rooms, reading rooms with a well stocked library, dining room and bar, beautiful patio, and immaculate pool with it's magnificent view all made it difficult to leave even for a day, but yet afforded a comfortable haven upon return. During our two week stay at the Inn, we never lacked for things to do from shopping, to sightseeing, fine dining, exploring the area, or just "vegging out". It was all at our fingertips. We are already planning a return visit in the near future.

Getting to Genius Loci was as effortless as it could be. We flew from Philadelphia to Rome, caught the Leonardo Express train to Termini, the main train station in Rome, and thence from Rome to Foligno by train. An Avis rental car office was located right within the Foligno train station building and we found driving in the local area to be easy and uneventful. Taxi service to the Inn was also available at the train station had we chosen to use it.

Arthur Dervaes in State College, PA United States 08/20/2007

Best: La Scaletta, Florence
Why: We only stayed one night, but we had a very good experience at this hotel. We were a group of 11 (three generations) and we had three rooms altogether, two quads and a triple. The rooms were perfect-quite large and two had separate space for the smaller beds. The terrace at the hotel was lovely; great view of the top of the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio. We had 8:15 AM Ufizzi reservations, and the hotel graciously prepared 11 sack breakfasts for us, so we could have breakfast earlier than they normally served breakfast. I thought that really went above and beyond. I would definitely stay there again.

Kathy in St. Louis, MO USA 08/13/2007

Best: Hotel Valentino, Orvieto
Why: Had a Tb for 100 euros. Great a.c., mini-fridge and very clean and quiet. Parking lot for the car was close by. Friendly staff. Great buffet breakfast.

Denise Beever in Lake Foest, CA USA 08/12/2007

Best: Hotel Punta Mesco, Monterosso Al Mare
Why: It was exactly as recommended, clean, bright, comfortable with a delicious and generous breakfast. The value of the owner's kindness could not be overstated. Diego was helpful, accomodating, honest, funny, and really made us feel that he wanted us in Italy, which was not the case in many restaurants there.

Cindy Nelson in Palo Alto, CA USA 08/12/2007

Best: Elisabetta Camere in Vernazza & Pensione Guerrato in Venice
Why: Elisabetta Camere in Vernazza - Small but clean and accommodating. The 360 view from the uppermost room's rooftop deck is magnificant. They have comfortable deck chairs & tables and is THE place to sit w/your glass of wine and watch the sun set. Staff friendly and checked in with us. Pensione Guerrato in Venice - We stayed in their apartment 2 minutes walk from St. Mark's Sq./10 mins fr Rialto Bridge. Great location, the apartment was large, clean, cool and very quiet, the staff very friendly.

C. Koehler in Los Altos, CA USA 08/06/2007

Best: Residenza dei Pucci - Florence
Why: Beautiful rooms, elegantly furnished - close to everything.

Katie Ruggieri in Greensboro, NC USA 08/04/2007

Best: Hotel Casci, Florence; Hotel al Piave, Venice; Meublè il riccio in Montepulciano
Why: This is our 2nd stay in Hotel Casci. We had gotten the recommendation from 2004 Rick Steves book. This hotel has a great location, is very clean, has air conditioning, a elevator, plus free internet in the lobby. We planned a mini-family reunion there, and they kept track of all us The people that run this hotel are extremely nice, and we would stay there again. We stayed only one night at the Hotel al Piave. But we would stay there again. No elevator, and we were on the top floor, in a GREAT triple room. Our daughter had her own room, we just had to share the bathroom. They have air conditioning, and they arranged for a water taxi to take us to the train station. We stayed at Meuble il Riccio as our base for Tuscany. They are at the very top of the hill, and it took us two passes through town, to find them. Once we found them, we were so happy to be at the top of the hill! What a great view, especially from their upper terrace. They gave us a great suggested driving tour, which we throughly enjoyed. We definitely would stay there again. Another big plus is that they had reserved parking for their guests. Great recommendation from them also for a restaurant just across the square from Meuble il Riccio--Ai Quattro Venti.

Mark and Kathy Kelsey in Santa Clara, CA USA 08/04/2007

Best: Alma Domas in Sienna, Elisabetta Camere in Vernazza
Why: The Alma Domas was clean, quiet, friendly and wonderful view of the town and the Duomo. We also enjoyed the Elisabetta Camere in Vernazza. It was our third trip to the Cinque Terre and the 1st to stay at Elisabetta's. The room was quite nice & QUIET and we enjoyed climbing up to the rooftop deck for the magnificent view of the town and ocean. We were there in late-June.

Worst: none
Why: We have taken 5 trips to Europe with Rick Steve's recommendations and have never been disappointed in a room. I always recommend his books.

Bonnie Reynolds in Manchaca, TX USA 08/03/2007

Best: Hotel La Colonnina, Monterosso
Why: Rooms and personnel first rate. Breatfast outstanding. View, rooftop terrace wonderful. Worth the $$$ rate.

Worst: Hotel Saini Meuble, Stresa
Why: Breatfast limited (only coffee, orange juice, croissant, packaged "toast"), two days to get shower temperature fixed, outside line did not work, small frig in room not working, Visa card charged in US dollars at 3.5% fee without asking permission. Owner/manager helpful in some ways, but trying to do everything himself. I hate to complain, but I couldn't recommend this hotel to a friend in spite of the reasonable rates.

David Lermond in Wilmington, DE USA 07/30/2007

Best: Hotel Riva (Venice) and Casa...alle Fornaci (Rome)
Why: Hotel Riva was everything you said it would be. We had a corner room, furnished like my Nana's house, right on the gondola route. We fell asleep to the sounds of gondoliers and music from Piazza san Marco.

Casa...Fornaci...Trinitari's only fault is their long name. They have great air conditioning, delicious Italian breakfast, very friendly humorous clerks, and the best showers I have ever been in! I like the environs too, a refuge from the fast pace of Rome. There is a great coffee bar across the street and a sandwich/wine shop that made us a simple sandwich fit for the Pope!

Worst: HOtel Ascesi
Why: NO air conditioning in July in oven baked Assisi was not fun.

Rob DiCocco in Broomall, PA USA 07/24/2007

Best: Hotel Oceania in Rome and Locanda Correr in Venice
Why: Loved both the places - fewer rooms in both, but great service. Always had someone in the front. Roberto (LC) and Radu (Oceania) were so wonderful. We also liked San Luca in Cortona, but there was a tour group also staying there, so we did not get to interact much with the staff

Worst: Hotel Basilea in Florence
Why: Really can't say it was the worst - we never stayed there. We got there at 10am and were told that some of their clients decided to stay longer, so we had to go elsewhere. We did see others checking in before and after us and some people checking out. Not sure what their policy was. They were good about getting us another room at another hotel (Donnatella, also three stars, but not Rick Steves recomended) at the same rate. The other hotel was just a hotel -nothing special and far below the hospitality and service of hotels recommended by the guidebook!

Anu and Velu Bala-Subramanian in Westford, Ma USA 07/23/2007

Best: Bellevue House in Florence
Why: Yes, there is a three-story walk-up, but our room was enormous and lovely and there was a great view since we were so high. The windows had huge shutters to keep out the noise. We were able to walk there from the train station, then we were able to walk everywhere we wanted to be in Florence. Extremely helpful and friendly staff, although it is not a "hotel," so there's not someone on site all the time. They were easily reachable by phone, however.

Worst: None
Why: All your recommendations were very good.

Stacey Burzumato in Savannah, GA USA 07/22/2007

Best: Hotel Davazanti
Why: Nice staff, their "happy hour" a real treat, also computers in each room was very nice.

Kathy Brownfield in Stow, OH USA 07/19/2007

Best: Orange House B&B in Varenna
Why: Clean, friendly and a great price. Plus the breakfast was fantastic.

Other honourable mention: great value and clean at Alloggi Barbaria in Venice.

Michael Crichton in Ottawa, ON Canada 07/18/2007

Worst: Tilde's Camera in Vernazza; Cinque Terre, Italy
Why: The day before our reservation, we emailed her in order to re-confirm our reservation and schedule a time and place to meet. We received no response. The next day, we attempted yet another email, to which she never replied, and we then phoned her. At that point, they mistakenly reserved our room for the following two nights, leaving us with no place to stay in the peak of tourist season in Vernazza. They did not even attempt to help us find another place to stay, nor did they even recommend someone else. I spoke with a friend of hers, and she agreed that it was possible Tilde "mistakenly" dropped our reservation in order to make more of a profit off of someone else's booking for a longer stay. If it wasn't for the Canoli Brothers calling people for us at Il Pirate, we would have had nowhere to stay, or at the very least, wasted more precious Honeymoon time searching for a place to sleep!Please take Tilde off the book!

Joel in Port Orange, FL USA 07/18/2007

Best: Hotel La Luna, Lucca
Why: A nice splurge in a charming city. Beware the E11 extra charge for breakfast, though. You might think assume it's included, but it's not.

Mark Adams in Gig Harbor, WA USA 07/17/2007

Best: Locanda Sant Agostino, Lucca Italy
Why: The Locanda Sant Agostino is a very fine upscale but extremely friendly B&B located inside the city walls of Lucca. Our rooms were huge with a very nice bathroom and air conditioning. The breakfast was great- best cappuccino I had in Italy! Sarah is a lovely hostess with great dining and sightseeing recommendations. I also admit that we enjoyed the DVD library - after 3 weeks in Italy and only occasionally looking at Italian TV it made for a pleasant few hours of down time.

Karen Cunliffe in Atlanta, GA USA 07/16/2007

Best: Elizabetta Caro's in Cinque Terre
Why: The views from the roof top terraces were probably the best in Cinque Terre.

John USA 07/14/2007

Best: Casa Rabatti in Florence, Italy
Why: Marcella was warm and welcoming and keeps her place spic and span clean. She even irons the sheets! Our room was also very spacious and comfortable and the rate was great!

John USA 07/14/2007

Best: Hotel Guelfa in Florence
Why: The staff was friendly and helpful, and the room was very nice.

Worst: Antica Locanda del Mercanti in Milan
Why: The room was comfortable enough, but a bit too spartan for my taste. The staff was not always friendly or helpful. The front desk is located in the next building, which ended up being oddly inconvenient. Getting to my room involved going through a series of doors, going up stairs, taking an elevator, and trying to remember how to get there. I really didn't like this place!

Jeff Klein in Cypress, CA USA 07/13/2007

Best: La Magnolia B & B- Orvieto
Why: Beautiful quiet, large room with a large and clean bathroom on one of the main walkways, although they never checked us in and we had only one breakfast during our 3 night stay. They also had a laundry room to use.

Worst: Locando Pitti- Florence
Why: YOU MUST TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE MOLD IN THEIR BATHROOM!!! IT SMELLED SO BAD IN THE ROOM WE STAYED IN!! WE HAD TO LEAVE THE WINDOWS OPEN DURING THE NIGHT ON A STREET THAT IS QUITE NOISY, hot and lots of mosquitos. THEIR CLEANING LADY DID NOT EVEN MOP OR SWEEP THE FLOORS. ALSO, YOU CANNOT LIST THEM AS HAVING A/C IF IT GOES OFF AT NIGHT DUE TO SOME "LAW THAT A/C CANNOT RUN AT NIGHT" This was a very uncomfortable and dirty room and I am not that picky and like the off beat and funky. Interestingly, the owners, Luca and Isabella, were quite nice and on-site often and were helpful in getting us tickets and making recommendations...I just didn't know how to tell them that their room was just awful. We stayed there 6 nights and I would have moved rooms if I could have found other lodgings. We were there the last week of May,07. PLEASE TALK TO THEM!!

Jan Lapetino in Denver, CO USA 07/13/2007

Best: Hotel Saini Meuble in Stresa (Lake Maggiore)
Why: The owner, Mr. Saini, was very accomodating and extremely helpful. Not only did he offer (and followed through) on reserving my bus transfer from Malpensa airport, but he provided me with alot of very hepful information in regards to sightseeing and transportation in and around Stresa. He is multi-lingual (Italian, English, and German, and possibly more), which makes communication quite easy. The room was pleasant and a good deal for the price. Thank you, Rick Steves, for recommending Hotel Saini Meuble in your Italy guide book.

Barbara Buech in Redmond, WA USA 07/09/2007

Best: Hotel Aurora, Verona
Why: I don't know if this hotel is recommended in the guidebook, but we had a wonderful stay there. The location can't be beat- - - right at Piazza Erbe. The room was decent size, had nice furnishings, including ac, and the bathroom looked newly renovated. Everyone on the staff was helpful and friendly. The breakfast buffet was terrific. We paid 140 euros, not cheap, but very reasonable for Verona during the summer opera season. I'd also second what was said below about Hotel Cavallino D'oro in Castelrotto.

Rosalyn Haberkern in Berkeley, CA USA 07/07/2007

Best: Il Bargellino Inn at Florence
Why: Staying with Carmel and Pino in April was one of the high points of our trip. We were literally treated like family. (We heard that you were in Florence then, too.) I also wish to recommend a great pizza place within easy walking called Gusto's. Barbara, the proprietor, is hopeful that you will give her place a try on your next visit.

John Alvin Henningsen in Decatur,, AL USA 07/06/2007

Best: Hotel Silla, Florence
Why: The rooms were great, the breakfast terrace was beautiful, and the staff could not have been more helpful.

Worst: Hotel Riva, Venice
Why: If you get an air-conditioned room, this place is probably nice. We didn't, and got eaten alive by mosquitos, even after spraying ourselves with repellant before bed. If you can't get a room with AC, go somewhere else.

Kevin Fairchild in San Marcos, CA USA 07/05/2007

Best: Hotel Riva, Venice
Why: Excellent hotel near Piazza San Marco, along a canal. My daughter and her friend enjoyed the staff (including Sandro who spoke little English) and the opportunity to sit on the lobby window sill and shake hands with the gondoliers. Breakfast in the morning overlooking the canal was delicious. I would recommend rooms with air conditioning during the summer since they have little cross ventilation. Room finishes were modern and well maintained. Though rooms were tight, one doesn't stay in a room all day in Venice, one explores Venice! This was my eighth trip to Venice and I would stay at Hotel Riva again.

Worst: Hotel Basilea, Florence
Why: Hotel finishes in rooms and corridors were outdated (peeling wall paper, soiled carpet, and stained ceiling tiles). TVs didn't operate well. Though location to Mercato was favorable, area near hotel is hangout for drunks. Felt uncomfortable walking with my daughter during the evenings around the hotel toward the Mercato.

Ken J in Reston, VA USA 07/05/2007

Best: Hotel Cavallino d'Oro in Castelrotto
Why: Besides the delightful local aura of the hotel, we recived a friendly greeting on arrival with a prepared package of local information. In addition to an invitation to an evening Zither performance by some local young ladies, they gave us complimentary drinks at the Hotel bar. They also set aside a reserved table for us for each evening which we could use or not as we wished. The hotel had excellent food at a reasonable price along with a friendly atmosphere. It was a real treat in a relaxing environment.

Frank DeLustro in Charleston, SC USA 07/02/2007

Best: Hotel Santa Caterina, Siena
Why: Gorgeous garden terrace, lovely, comfortable rooms, helpful service; not so near the center that is was very noisy.

L & N Liss in Salem, OR USA 07/02/2007

Best: Casa Astarita, Sorrento
Why: Arrived in Sorrento without reservations on a whim. We found Casa Astarita from the book. Lovely stay! Clean, quiet, breakfast, good value.

Worst: Hotel Nice, Sorrento
Why: They showed us a room for 4 with a broken non-functional, bathroom door, and asked for more than in book. Other couple had trouble with their reservations, but they had print out to help.

Jane FL USA 07/02/2007

Worst: HOTEL LA RESIDENZA IN VENICE
Why: STAFF WAS RUDE, THEY TURNED OFF THE AIR CONDITIONING AND ARGUED WITH YOU IF YOU ASKED TO HAVE IT TURNED ON. IT WAS OVER 90 DEGREES THERE,AND IT WAS A FIGHT EVERY DAY TO GET THE AIR ON. THE "BREAKFAST" WAS STALE BREAD. THE ROOM WAS DINGY, DARK AND DISAPPOINTING. IT RUINED THE STAY IN VENICE BECAUSE WE WERE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE HOTEL. I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED IN IT.

TINA BECCACCIO in HARRISON, OH USA 06/29/2007

Best: Hotel Al Piave in Venice
Why: Lovely rooms, great location, excellent breakfast, and the best and most accomodating staff ever encountered!!

Worst: Hotel Duomo in Siena
Why: I agree with the previous review. Even though the location is great, the staff is absolutely impossible to work with and refuses to assist you with anything!! They act like it is a chore to even call a taxi for you.

Cecelia Wickizer in El Paso, TX USA 06/28/2007

Worst: Hotel Duomo in Sienna
Why: The place is mostly as described and good overall (wonderful view), but we had a very bad experience with one of the front desk people (not Stefania, who was relatively nice). After stuggling to ask for a coke in bad Italian, then switching to English, and (my culminating sin, I guess) then asking for ice, the woman stormed off, hacked away some ice as if she were hacking my head off (the pounding echoed through the lobby from downstairs), slammed the coke down on the counter, and then slammed a paper down to note the purchase. My wife and I were stunned. I'm not exagerrating, these things were _slammed_ down on the counter. I'm guessing that my asking for ice and perhaps my poor efforts at Italian were what did it. Certainly at 2 euros for the coke and 150 euros for the room it seems like uncalled for treatment.

Jeff in Merced, CA USA 06/27/2007

Worst: hotel alla salute
Why: innumerable bug bites (presumably mosquito) at night, owner was not at all receptive to discounts for using your book to find his Hotel, or to using cash, would strongly recommend not to use his Hotel (your description of the owners as "indifferent" is too kind)

david nano in los altos, CA USA 06/26/2007

Best: Hotal Sonya in Rome
Why: They are opening an annex ("Sonya Suites") which is still being finished. Our room was excellent, as will be the new ones when done. Hotel staff was very accommodating (except about getting CNN on our TV, which we could not do).

Jack Johannes in Philadelphia, PA USA 06/25/2007

Best: Pensione Guerrato
Why: Great location and helpful!!

Margaret Ann Burtchaell in St. Petersburg, Fl USA 06/23/2007

Best: Camere Fontana Vecchia, Vermazza
Why: Clean, Clean, Quiet, Comfortable, Friendly, handy location.

Michael G. Huffaker in Chandler, AZ USA 06/21/2007

Worst: Ostello Mamma Rosa
Why: This place was absolutely horrible. Having stayed in numerous hostels and not having terribly high standards while traveling, I was surprised that the sheets were crusty, the shower scalding hot with no cold water, siding for walls and, to top it off, BED BUGS. It was also 5 Euro more than the listed price in the book. Rick, add more detail to this one or take it out. Yuck!

Elizabeth in CHICAGO, IL USA 06/21/2007

Best: Hotel Zaranadelli, near Piazza Navona
Why: centrally located, nice continental breakfast, very accommodating. Not recommended in Italy/Rome book but, the 4 of us recommend this Hotel and would visit again.

Pete Adams in Kennesaw, GA USA 06/20/2007

Best: Hotel Chiusarelli - Siena
Why: We were going to visit Rome after Siena, and the gentleman at the front desk could see how "over our heads" we were (not being able to speak the language), and booked our hotel in Rome for us. Basically, anything about Siena, we love.

Stephen Donovan in Worcester, MA USA 06/18/2007

Best: Venice - Hotel Riva
Why: Great location. Nice corner room with view. (Crumby breakfast)

Carol Fink in Tampa, Fl USA 06/17/2007

Best: Tonino Basso's Rooms in Vernazza
Why: To me this is the perfect place to stay in Vernazza. It is in an apartment building at the top of the town. This is not a strenuous walk at all. The rooms are contempory, extremely clean, air-conditioned,with a computer in every room. There is even an elevator. You could not find a nicer person than Tonino. Another perk is that right beside the building is the wonderful restaurant " Il Pirata" . This place not only has the best breakfasts in town, but you must eat dinner there. The top of the town is the place to be.

Jane Davis in Lebanon, OH USA 06/15/2007

Best: Hotel Olivedo-Varenna, Hotel Riva-Venice, Alma Domus-Sienna, Romantica Pucci-Bagnoregio
Why: Hotel Olivedo - Fabulous location and stunning views from our two windows of our corner room. Very clean. Expensive though! Hotel Riva - location, location, location! Nice accomodating staff. Very clean. Alma Domus - Conventlike setting is quite charming. The view of Sienna from our room couldn't be beat. Spotlessly clean. Excellent price! And the church bells awakening us in the morning were beautiful. Romantica Pucci - Pucci is the best. She's so sweet and helpful. The best part of her place is dinner. Don't miss it!!! She's very understated about it when talking with her customers. Don't be fooled. Dinner at her place is a highlight! Very clean too.

Worst: Hotel Feichter - Bolzano
Why: Although I really did like this hotel and the inn keeper is very charming, there were dust bunnies in my room that could bite me on the ankle. The bathroom was very clean though.

Tracey Allerton-Kuldanek in Edgewood, WA USA 06/12/2007

Best: Hotel Melecchi, Lucca
Why: This hotel isn't in the book. We found it through the Lucca tourist office. We were driving with our 4-year old daughter. The Melicchi has free courtyard parking and gave us a rate of E70/night - with breakfast!.

It's just outside the city walls at Porta Elisa (which is how we got parking). The rooms are spacious and spotless. Double paned windows open with typical Tuscan heavy shutters outside. On a Sunday morning we awoke to a bike race passing through town. At first we thought we might have stumbled on the Giro d'Italia because there were so many riders. But it was just a big Italian amateur event. Very fun for my daughter to hang out the window and cheer. And, by the way, once we had the windows open, the Sunday morning church bells were an absolute chorus!

The Melecchi is proudly run by the family that has owned it since the 1920's. Giovanni is the cheerful young English speaking proprietor. His parents work the desk and keep the grounds and rooms in order. His sister manages housekeeping. Giovannia is the most enthusiastic tourist guide I've encountered. Each day we discussed possible destinations and he had train, road and sightseeing recommendations. He and his family fell over themselves to makes sure we were comfortable - even transferring us to a larger a room when it became available.

If we were train travelling, this hotel wouldn't be so attractive. It's a fifteen minute walk from the train station and, face it, it's not inside the Lucca walls. But with a car, it's perfect. The heart of Lucca is only about a ten minute walk and some of the better restaurants are along the way.

Besides its own considerable charms, Lucca itself is a great base for northern Tuscany day trips; either by car or train. Pisa, for example, is a hop away so you can see the Tower after lunch and be back well before dinner.

Info:

Hotel Melecchi Via Romana 41 55100 Lucca Telephone and fax: 0583 950234

Doug in Marker, OR USA 06/10/2007

Best: Santa Caterina in Siena
Why: Professional, polite, nicely appointed - classy but comfortable, not stiff.

May Kolbe in Hereford, AZ USA 06/09/2007

Best: Hotel Feichter
Why: Friendly staff, nice, quiet room.

Worst: Hotel Valley Milano
Why: Very noisy, leaking shower, leaking sink, exposed electrical wires in bathroom. Terrible. Should not be in the book.

Michael in Swanson, TN USA 06/07/2007

Worst: La Crociona, Montalcino, Tuscany
Why: We just stayed there, and eventhough you are in Tuscany, you won't have a view of the Tuscan hills. You have to stay on the main road inside the complex because the owners don't get along with the neighbors. The bathroom in our apartment smelled terrible like it hasn't been cleaned in months, we could not even keep the door to the bathroom open due to the smell. Like one review said, they don't offer cooking classes, seems like they just want to collect your money so they can get the tax break from the government. We arrived a little early for check in and eventhough they let us check in, they really let us know that we were early and what time we should have been there to check in.

peter oshana in bothell, wa USA 06/05/2007

Worst: Albergo Parma, LaSpezia (gateway to Cinque Terra)
Why: This place was FILTHY. We were somewhat desparate as we were arriving in the Cinque Terra area after dark. Since we had a car and were not sure where to park and how to go about finding a room at night for 4 people (wife and 2 teen age children) We felt it was a better be to stay near the train station at Albergo Parma. We had the 2004 guidebook. I think the hotel must have changed owners as it was NOT "bleachy clean" as stated in the guidebook. We had to get 2 rooms which shared one bath in the hallway. It was so dirty my wife would not bath there. There was urine on the toilet seat and floor and you could tell by the soap wrappers and empty shampoo bottles in the shower it had not been cleaned in days. The beds had cigarette burns in the sheets and mattresses. Truly disgusting. After many years of Rick's great guidebooks this was a loser. Still Rick has a great track record so we were flexible, laughed it off.

Mike Brutz in Barnesville, ga USA 06/04/2007

Best: Hotel Il Bargellino
Why: Several of us chose to visit Florence for six nights and we decided all of us would stay at Hotel Il Bargellino--renting all 10 rooms. We made the plan several months in advance. I am absolutely in love with this hotel and especially it's proprietors, Carmel and Pino, who made us feel totally at home. Carmel made reservations for us at museums prior to our visit and was always prepared with directions and suggestions for restaurants and shops. The hotel is 2 blocks from the train station which made it super easy for excursions. The hotel itself is extremely clean and comfortable and decorated with cool antiques and art. Evenings on the terrace under the stars created such incredible conversation. To top it off--the prices are so reasonable! I will never stay anywhere else when I visit Florence and highly recommend this hotel.

Mary Radice in Spokane, Wa USA 06/01/2007

Best: Hotel Alessandra / Hotel Oceania / A Ca" du Gigante
Why: Alessandra ( Florence)was the top choice in room size, appointments, breakfast quality and staff ( kudo's to Andrea especially). Excellent location and although the highest price we paid- it was the overall best value of RS rooms. Oceania(Rome) has quality rooms , good breakfast and very good staff ( kudo's to Anna)- very good location- rated third of RS rooms. A Ca'Du Gigante ( Montorosso) smaller but very well appointed rooms, excellent breakfast and good staff- rated second of RS rooms. We would return to any of these three hotels.

Worst: Ca' San Trovaso ( Venice)
Why: Only relatively the worst ( it was not a "bad" hotel)- book says " spacious and classy" rooms - certainly not room #2 which was tiny and sparse (bed, tippy table/2 chairs, armoir were the only furnishings).The bathroom had a microscopic shower. Owners and staff were polite, but utterly unhelpful. Breakfast was just as sparse as the room. For a relatively high price ( for a one "$" room) this was the worst value of any place we stayed in Italy, a distant 4th of RS rooms- we would not return.

Steve and Linda Wilhoit in Anacortes, WA USA 05/27/2007

Worst: Florence Dream in Florence
Why: I made a reservation in November for the following May. Five days before we left, I got email from them saying "did you cancel your reservation?" I phoned, and they would not honor the reservation, even though I had everything in email and sent it to them.

William Coffin USA 05/25/2007

Best: Hotel Messner
Why: Away from the touristy areas, clean quiet and reasonably priced.

Elizabeth Armand in Burlingame, CA USA 05/21/2007

Best: Spadari Hotel del Duomo - Milan
Why: This is a great hotel recommemded by Rick Steves. The concierge, Karen was such a nice person and helped us with restaurants. Breakfast - delicious is included with your room.

Caroll Ahern in San Antonio, TX USA 05/21/2007

Best: Casa Per Ferie S.M. Alle Fornaci
Why: It was very neat and clean, had a wonderful breakfast and a "waitress" who was very friendly and doubled as a "maid". The desk clerks were very nice and efficient. One of them helped me use the internet as I was unfamiliar with the keyboard. We were right next to the church and even though the bells rang periodically during the daytime at night they were silent. We met lots of very nice people in the neighborhood which was our intention. We saw the main sights, St. Peter's, Colliseum, etc. but mostly we just walked around with the locals.

Virginia and Wayne Miller in Selma,, CA USA 05/19/2007

Best: Residenza Cellini
Why: We stayed in Rome for five days and then travelled to Tuscany for a week, while in Tuscany we called several hotels looking for a room for two nights when we returned to Rome. We had a difficult time finding one because everyone was booked for the weekend. We finally called Residenza Cellini and talked to Barbara. She didn't have a room, but offered to rent us her brother's rental apartment for less than their family apartment rates. We had no choice but to take it unseen. Barbara met us there on Saturday and let us into the apartment. What a wonderful surprise we had when we saw this about 1,200 sq. foot beautiful apartment. We were blown away. This was much better than any place we had stayed in while we were in Italy and some places were much more than Barbara was charging us. Barbara herself was very accommodating and helpful. She even made a return trip to bring us extra towels, which we told her she didn't have to do. We would definitely stay at the Residenza on our next trip to Rome even if we don't get the apartment. Barbara was a great hostess.

Betty Tabor USA 05/17/2007

Best: Agritourismo Terapille, Pienza
Why: The classic Tuscan scenery from this place is mind blowing. One could spend days just hanging around in the dreamy scenery. And Lucia is just such a wonderful person. She tries to speak as much english as she can for helping out visitors. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

Worst: Albergo Bernini, Siena
Why: Be wary of room #8 and room#10. They are right next to a noisy restaurant and the room windows open up directly to the restaurant outdoor tables. The noise from people talking loudly goes on until midnight. We lost our sleep for the whole night. Apart from the that, the rooms looked a bit tacky and worn out. I wouldnt stay here again.

Sunil in Campbell, CA USA 05/17/2007

Worst: Hotel Riva - Venice
Why: Requested a room with a/c and a canal view room prior to arrival which was confirmed by THEM. Got there, and was told nothing was available but was given a fan and a room that opened up to the late night noise on the sidewalk side. It was so hot (even in early May) that I had no choice but to open the window. Was bitten by mosquitos, didn't get much sleep and breakfast was an unsavory roll. But, they were proud to show off your picture (apparently you were there about a week prior to my arrival).

Linda in Austin, TX USA 05/15/2007

Best: Residenzia Cellini
Why: Helpful, courteous staff--exceeded our expectations. Confortable rooms. I am pleased to share they now have additional space on the 5th floor which will include the addition of a terrace for breakfast. (under construction)

Arthur and Susan Adler in Spokane, WA USA 05/13/2007

Worst: Locanda la Corte, Venice Italy
Why: The literature from the hotel and "Italy 2007" guidebook states the hotel is air conditioned. The literature also states that all rooms have "air-conditioning (included in the price." The staff informed us that the air conditioning will not be turned on until June 1st. We stayed in early May without air conditioning in our rooms.

J P in Tampa, FL USA 05/11/2007

Best: Alla Madonna del Piato agriturismo
Why: Wonderful, long, green view down to Assisi and beyond. Warm and helpful hosts. Very nice cooking classes by pre-arrangement. Knowledgeable and expressive. Simple, comfortable furnishings in a home that is, in part, 500 years old. Sits near the St. Francis Trail of Peace which winds down to Assisi, or further up into the hills.

Worst: Gullivers B and B, Albergo Barbara
Why: While it wasn't bad, the hosts seemed rushed and inattentive. Their directions were helpful and the room was pleasant, but there was not much personal connection, even though we were basically the only guests there. The breakfast was only fair, with croissants, etc., from pre-packaged cartons. Nothing prepared by the hosts. The neighborhood restaurant the hosts recommended to us was also very average.

Albergo Barbara is nicely situated to overlook the harbor in Vernazza. It has a beautiful view, and makes for lovely people-watching. However, the partying which Rick Steves refer to in the guidebook currently relocates, late at night, to a small restaurant or bar just below the windows of our room. Two of the three nights we stayed, the party went on until 3:00 a.m., then the merchants and city workers were out cleaning up the square for the morning trade by 7:00 a.m. Earplugs were only a partial solution. This would not work well for mature people who really want a good night's sleep. Partiers might think it was ideal. There are many, many rooms for rent in the city of Vernazza.

Clay Oglesbee in Northfield, MN USA 05/11/2007

Worst: Hotel Corso-Orvieto
Why: Hotel Corso in Orvieto now has two rooms outside the main hotel that you enter from a side street not the lobby. We were given one of these. They are right on the sidewalk of the main street, no real window that opens for air just a very large frosted glass that is permanently closed because you are really ON THE SIDEWALK of the main street and very loud and a real disappointment. I asked to be moved on another day if possible, but the people at the desk did not accomodate us. When I went up on the terrace one day and saw the beautiful rooms in the main hotel with real windows that opened, I almost cried. It is just greed on their part to put people in such a room and I thought you should know that there are these two substandard rooms which provide a VERY DIFFERENT experience. I have used your books for many trips to Europe and have enjoyed the hotel recommendations. Your descriptions are always quite on target but I think these are rooms you should know about and warn your readers. I made these reservations at least three months in advance. Thank you.

Jan Hayes in Ketchum, ID USA 05/05/2007

Best: Best accomodations: Hotle Olivedo in Varenna and also La Crociona Agriturismo near Montalcino in Tuscany
Why: Hotel Olivedo was the cleanest and most hospitable; La Crociona was the quietest, quaintest and we had the most enchanting little cottage apartment!

Worst: Hotel Provencal in VilleFrancheSur Mer, France and Hotel Ca' SanTrovaso in Venice
Why: Such tiny rooms, almost unable to move around in them!

Laura and Robert Harriman in SAN DIEGO, CA USA 05/05/2007

Best: Residenza il Villino, Florence (in 2007 edition)
Why: It felt so good to feel 'at home'. Although not a large place, there were usually 2 computers to use for free to check email or plan the next leg of the trip. Breakfast was very generous. The owners are very knowledgeable about their city, which means they know how to get you into the places you want to go, and that will enable you to maximize your time. You know it's good when there are copies of Rick Steves' books in the lobby!

Barb and Greg Damon in Portland, OR USA 05/03/2007

Best: Hotel Centrale in Florence
Why: Amazing location just blocks from the Duomo, spacious & newly-renovated rooms/bathrooms, children are free in room with parents which is rare in Italy, very friendly staff, quiet location. What more could you ask for?

Beth in Northridge, CA USA 05/03/2007

Best: Hotel Nardizzi Americana - Rome
Why: Exceeded expectations for comfort, quiet, modern bathroom, cleanliness, friendliness, easy walk to train. Lift made 4th floor easily accessible.

Worst: Locanda "Al Leon" in Venice
Why: My confirmation price was 20 euro higher than 2007 book stated rate because I booked directly on their website as the book suggests. Once I arrived I met another couple whose rate was 20 euro LOWER than the 2007 book rate from B and B.com. I asked for 2007 book rate and they begrudgingly gave me the 140 euro price for Dbl. With no lift and a room three floors up, luggage was a problem. We asked, and management would not turn on air conditioner, even though it was so warm in our room (31) we had to leave windows open at night. We awoke to dozens of mosquitos and I took home bites as lasting souvenirs. The place is lovely, location VERY convenient, but I will not return on our next trip.

Sherryl Nelson in Bellingham, WA USA 05/01/2007

Best: Corte Campana - Venice
Why: The B&B rooms were booked, so we took the 1st floor apartment around the block (b-fast not included, but grocery store near by - easy & interesting to shop/try). Spacious, comfortable for 4 & very quiet, yet only 3 minute walk from San Marco square. Riccardo was fantastic! We had plane, transportation delays - was about 1 hr late, he was waiting in the street/alley for us (& still smiling). He's funny, pleasant, had great sites & dinner recommendations and made reservations for us. Highly recommended!

Ron & Ann Korzun in Clifton Park, NY USA 04/29/2007

Worst: Hotel in Parione - ROME
Why: Be aware that if you cancel your reservation with the Hotel in Parione, they will still charge you for your first night. I gave them 2 weeks notice that I was canceling my trip due to a family illness, and they still charged me. Very disappointing. No other hotels in Italy did this. I have stayed there before and enjoyed myself, but I won't go back now.

Jon Schaeffer in Los Angeles, CA USA 04/24/2007

Best: Hotel Picchio (Orvieto)
Why: Easy walk from the bottom of the funicular. Clean rooms, friendly staff

Robin W. in Richland, WA USA 04/21/2007

Best: Hotel Duomo in Siena Italy
Why: Quiet, quaint, easy access to the city and great views from the rooms. THe hotel is tough to find by car.

Dennis Hanberg in Tacoma, Wa USA 04/21/2007

Best: Hotel Sonya-Rome
Why: Very nice furniture and bathrooms, internet access was a plus. They also have elevators.

Worst: Hotel Riva-Venice
Why: Please take this off of your recommended list asap. We reserved and had all printed confirmations with us from the internet, including e-mails telling us we were getting a Junior Suite with a balcony for $180 euros per night. When we arrived they had no such room. They put us in a single until they could find a triple. We had to move our luggage up and down several flights of narrow stairs. The triple was so small it was difficult to walk from the bed to the bathroom. There is no phone, clock, hairdryer, or anything else. The fan in the bathroom had an inch thick dust collection on it. When we checked out they charged us the rate for the Junior Suite, we promptly asked for an adjustment since we didn't get the room that was confirmed. All of a sudden Sandro couldn't understand or speak English very well. He ended up taking 10 euros off of the bill. They also only take cash, and the breakfast is coffee and a bad roll. The water temperature in the shower varies and is mostly on the cold side.

Hope Oaks in Kokomo, IN USA 04/16/2007

Best: Hotel Al Piave in Venice
Why: Great location and Great staff. Very Clean and well kept. Highly recommend. One caution: We were put in a ground level apartment, "a few doors down," but actually about 200 yards away...with NO phone...so they gave us a cell phone to use. So ask about this when you reserve.

Worst: Hotel Pendini in Florence
Why: Great Location...but the room furnishings and wall paper were very "tired," the carpet was stained and filthy and the paint was peeling. The bathroom and shower were in need of new paint and grout cleaner, AND there was an awful smell coming from the shower basin. We enjoy older, classic hotels, but there were some MAJOR cleanliness issues. Also, the staff were extremely loud when they started to prepare breakfast at 6am. Would remove from recommended list!!

Don in Irvine, CA USA 04/15/2007

Best: Albergo Villa Marta, Lucca
Why: Not in the book, but should be! The best place we stayed in Italy. A fresh, airy villa just outside of Lucca (you need a car) with beautiful grounds including a chapel, olive groves and lawns. Breakfast is excellent. An enthusiastic young couple runs the hotel. The whole place is freshly restored incl. pool, and there are modern bathrooms with lovely toiletries. All for an unbelievalbe E118 per night (website lists E160, but email for better prices). We would stay there again in a heartbeat. www.albergovillamarta.it Also, it's only 15 minutes over the hill to Pisa.

Angela in Sammamish, WA USA 04/15/2007

Best: Hotel Enza in Florence
Why: Very comfortable beds, large room for a single. Private bathroom (with a key). The breakfast was extra but well worth it for the bottomless espressos! Room 29 has its own tiny balcony.

Worst: Hotel Posta in Orvieto
Why: The hotel itself was fine and they do speak english.

The single was really a double and very comfy.

The only BAD thing is that the entire FIRST floor and the garden are ripped up and under contstruction. NOT a good spot at 8am on a weekeday!

thea in San Francisco, CA USA 04/14/2007

Best: Tonino Basso
Why: We spent 4 nights. Wonderful host with a high quality room. The free computer and internet use was a huge positive aspect, but so was the warm welcome, helpful suggestions and services. Would love to come back again.

John and Donna Fabian in Port Ludlow, WA USA 04/13/2007

Best: Hotel Centrale, Florence
Why: Clean, fresh, friendly staff in central location. We even got an "Buona Pasqua" gift as we checked out, a pastry with some chocolate easter eggs!

Lawrence Judy in Evansville, IN USA 04/11/2007

Best: Albergo Bernini, Siena
Why: What a fantastic experience! We loved Mauro and Nadia and their daughter (her name escapes me) and had a beautiful room at the back of the hotel with a terrific view of the hillside. The whole place smelled delicious when we walked in, as they were having lunch in their dining room. Wish we'd stayed in Siena longer!

Beth and Mike Nelson in Cumming, GA USA 04/09/2007

Best: Albergho Olivedo in Varenna ( WE LOVE VARENNA)
Why: Beautiful, the room, the balcony, the view the wonderful breakfast.

One bad note: I fell on the slippery shower floor, hurt head on tile floor and bruised leg badly Tried pulling that string that means you need help,.NOBODY CAME

Worst: The Duomo convent in Siena-not that inexpensive
Why: COLD, no rugs on floor, no soap,no one speaks much english--w\since you are dealing with the public, a little would be helpful We spoke as much Italian as possible

Madlyn Accardo in Shirley, , NY USA 04/09/2007

Best: Hotel Smeraldo in Rome
Why: The location is wonderful and I believe it is a good value for that very reason. Don't forget to check out the cat hospice down the street at the Largo Agentina ruins and take their free tour around 4pm each day. If pressed..I would stay here again. But only after exhausting other hotels/convents first.

Worst: Hotel Smerado in Rome
Why: If you were drooling over the pictures of their rooftop terrace like I was...you might be disappointed. It is closed (according to the front desk person) every night at 7pm (why? I have no idea) and every night I tried to go up there to enjoy a glass of wine..there were no chairs around the table. Also early morning/night staff at the front desk were not particularly friendly with checking out/using Rick's discount/calling a taxi for us.

Windy Hammond in Rodenbach, Germany 04/05/2007

Best: Rome - Hotel Sonya
Why: Great location and the morning dining/front desk service was attentive, personal, and as helpful as they could be. We stayed in the annex half a block down the street, which were very clean, modern, attractive, comfortable. The sleeping area was tight but all amenities were excellent. The bathroom actually was truly beautiful and spacious. Triple was 150 Euros; after one of our party left, we moved to a double for 135 Euros, where the bath was tighter but still beautiful. Breakfast was delicious and convenient, though eating area is tight.

Margaret in Washington, DC USA 04/04/2007

Best: Bellevue House--Florence
Why: Rosanna and Antonio are gracious hosts, and the six rooms are beautiful and comfortable. The hotel is conveniently located, and the area is safe even though it is near the train station. We never felt uncomfortable or vulnerable even when we were out at night.

Marigail and Robert Stamnes in Seattle, WA USA 03/24/2007

Worst: Hotel Canal, Venice
Why: It may not be the worst, but you should definitely be careful about making a reservation at Hotel Canal. We tried to make reservations over their web reservations but received an email from Hotel Canal telling us that they were full and could not accommodate us. We stayed at Hotel Al Sole (excellent). Then Hotel Canal charged us anyway for not showing up. Although we emailed them regarding the mistake, they told us it was our mistake!!!!. They have not told us whether they will credit our credit card and they will not respond to our email request. Be careful with this hotel.

Steve Tackes in Carson City, NV USA 03/23/2007

Best: Hotel Italia, Rome
Why: We hired a car to drive the 4 of us to the hotel. Good choice for just arriving tired, although it is very easy to access with public transportation. There is a deli/grocery across Via Nazionale which was convenient. The staff was gracious and friendly, especiall Sergio in the evenings who worked many years in Michigan. Rooms were nice and the A/C worked very well. There was even an ice machine in the hallway. We stayed 5 nights and enjoyed it very much.

Susan Thurman in Pendleton, OR USA 03/22/2007

Best: Hotel Smeraldo (Dipedenza)
Why: WONDERFUL location! It is pretty much right in the center of everything you want to do in Rome: Colossem, Forum, Vatican, Rick's suggested walking tours (which I recommend). The Dipendenza is the sister hotel to Hotel Smeraldo, which is about 20 paces around the corner. It is also 2 minute walk from the Campo de Fiori, which is a great piazza with many restaurants and cafes (vendors sell fresh fruit, veggies, and flowers during the day and early evening). The hotel is also a one minute walk to a bus stop with several lines that will take you anywhere (the #40 Express is the best, it runs from the Termini to the Vatican and drops you near (not at) most of the sights). Right near the bus stop is a Tobacchi to buy your bus ticket. The room - although a little small- was VERY clean and updated, had a cute balcony, and was quiet. Room service was great. The beds were comfortable enough. Don't expect a lot of space, however--there's just enough room for two twin beds, two night stands, a desk and that's it. The bathroom was a good size, but the shower was narrow. We aren't picky travelers who require lots of space, so if you aren't either, then this hotel is perfect. One minor annoyance was that the room phone did not work. When we asked the gentleman at the front desk, he stated that none of the phones worked in the Dipendenza (they did in the main hotel). I would call before making a reservation to ask whether they fixed the problem or not if having a phone is essential to you. Otherwise, it's a great hotel in the middle of everything. I would stay here again the next time I'm in Rome.

Nita in Washington, DC USA 03/22/2007

Best: Hotel Olivedo
Why: We had a very nice room and later while looking at some friend's slides who visited Varenna a month earlier than we did it turns out they stayed in the same room.

Worst: Hotel la Residenza in Venice
Why: Venice is such an amazing but intense but wierd city and it is important to have your room be a refuge so you can take a break. We spent two nights and only went to our room to sleep as we could not handle being there.

Susan Vander Hoek in Bainbridge Island, WA USA 03/22/2007

Worst: Hotel Enza in Florence
Why: This should not be recommended! We stayed there in March and were extremely disappointed. The rooms were not good. For example, our shower leaked so much there was a small stream in our room. Also, the hotel was unwilling to honor the 10% discount for cash set forth in your guide. They said our rate was good so no discount applied. And it was not in a good part of town.

Ron Ritland MA USA 03/21/2007

Best: Bellevue House
Why: We stayed at the Bellevue House in Florence. The room was nice, the shower was a bit tight, but that wasn't anything new, and Antonio was really hospitable. He recommended some great restaurants and also some great stores to find a new jacket. The only problem was that the room had a peculiar smell, but we opened the window and found that we were directly above a sewer drain. After a little while, our noses adjusted and the smell wasn't so bad. We just made sure the window stayed closed.

Melanie in West Haven, UT USA 03/19/2007

Best: Hotel Duomo, Orvieto
Why: The room was large, airy and the beds were wonderful. The breakfast was to die for.

Worst: Hotel Europa, Florence
Why: Beds were lumpy, view out the window was a wall about 6' away, breakfast had packaged pastries at least three days old

Les Jorgenson in Vancouver, BC Canada 03/16/2007

Best: Dei Mori B&B Via Dante Aligheri 12 in Florence
Why: See comments above. I really can't compare to others in Europe except Palazzo Bruchi B&B in Siena which was also great, but to me it was 5 star!!

Rick Bart in Taunton, MA USA 03/14/2007

Best: Hotel Nardizzi Americana
Why: Our room was clean, the hotel was conveniently located near Termini train station, and the people working there were friendly, helpful, and spoke good English.

David Carter in Stillwater, OK USA 03/05/2007

Best: Alloggi Barbaria in Venice
Why: Fausto and Giorgio provided an excellent retreat for us. Clean rooms, nice breakfasts on the sunny rooftop patio with curious pigeons watching us, within walking distance to anywhere you want to go.

The hotel sits on a quaint narrow street, Like all narrow Venice streets, a very short walk from the Ospedale Vaporetto stop, which is also very near a handy supermarket. We spent three nights here, and enjoyed the very clean, well equipped and air conditioned room.

Mike Frenette in Halifax, NS Canada 03/04/2007

Worst: Hotel Aldobrandini
Why: The woman working there the night we needed accommodations was very hostile to us as soon as we walked in. We were so uncomfortable with the way she "welcomed" us that even though we were starving, we left and found another place.

Tanya Lesser in NYC, NY USA 02/26/2007

Best: Hotel Saini Meuble, Stresa
Why: The owner, Gianni Saini, was a warm, welcoming host and a veritable treasure trove of great information about Stresa - restaraunts, parking, shopping, and the details of the ferry rides. Hotel is nearly refurbished by him and the rooms were very comfortable and quiet. He does great breakfasts and coffees in the mornings too.

Worst: Palazzo Bruchi (Pg 409), Sienna
Why: Horrid little rooms put in a back wing of the building with no views other than her parking lot and a little kitchen with a few dry goods considered breakfast. The advertised elevator was non-existent - instead it was 2 flights of steep stairs outside the building. Attitude was poor too - adversarial from the get-go.

Bob Jaspar in walnut Creek, CA USA 02/26/2007

Best: Hotel Ungherese
Why: I haven't even been there yet, but already I am very impressed with the staff of the hotel. Sabina has been very nice and helpful in booking our room and getting our museum reservations. This has been all through email this past week and I can't wait to meet her when we get there in May.

Mari in Austin, TX USA 02/26/2007

Best: We tried a few in Vernazza, Cinquerre terre
Why: We tried to get an accommodation in Vernazza from your book. All were full. Luckly one the last fellow we called was kind enough to recommend another place he knew. This lady had a single room to rent seperate from her home. It was just wonderful. She spoke no english and we spoke a very limited Italian. Just what we had learned from our phrase book. She treated us like family.

Ron Easson in Brampton, On Canada 02/14/2007

Best: Il Villino, via della Pergola 53, Florence, Italy
Why: The perfect, inviting Tuscan ambiance, location is in quiet section of the city center. Restored 15th C building, Minutes from all attractions, Sergio could not be more helpful and welcoming, modestly prices. Feb. was a fantastic visiting time. Thanks, Rick Steves for this inclusion in your book.

Barbara Graff in Bass Harbor, Ma USA 02/14/2007

Worst: Hotel Due Torri (Vicolo del Leonetto 23, Rome)
Why: After traveling 6 different countries in Europe' usint Rick Steves' Guide Book, "Hotel Due Torri" was the worst hotel. Because I couldn't afford to loose my reservation deposit (worth 1 night stay), I had to put up with most rude people I've ever met. Not only the hotel was noisy and had the worst water pressure for the shower but also the room's safety-box didn't work, and when I asked for a different room (as the safety-box was attached to the wall), they told me to stay in the same room and they aren't thieves. When I mentioned that I prefer a room with working safety-box, the hotel manager got very angry with me, and yelled at me saying that I am accusing them of being thieves!! AND Americans are all suspicious as their government!! Of course I wanted to leave right away but if I had left the hotel, I would've lost my deposit money, 190 Euro so, I had to stay. Moreover, the hotel manager insisted that I remain in the room while the hotel-maid clean the room in the morning, since "I think they are all thieves". Otherwise, they would not let me leave. After traveling 4 different towns in Italy, I came to Rome as my last stop and the people at "Hotel Due Torri" certainly made the worst impression of their own country and people.

Helina in Chicago, IL USA 02/13/2007

Best: Il Nido - Sorrento
Why: Three couples stayed at the Il Nido in February, and I could not recommend this place more highly. The rooms are not fancy, but the views are wonderful. The staff took care of our every need. All we had to do was call, and they would pick us up in town with the shuttle. They even made a special trip to drop off our backpacks at the train station in the afternoon so that we could tour in the morning without worrying about our bags. Also, the restaurant was fantastic and opened just for us. We've traveled to Europe many times, and have never enjoyed a stay more than the Il Nido

Jim Frasher in Milwaukee, WI USA 02/10/2007

Best: Residence la Tavolozza, Positano, Italy
Why: We travelled from Rome to Naples and took a hydrofoil over to Positano, passing by Pompeii and Sorrento. We were so excited when we saw Positano in the late day with multitides of small flickering lights of bars and bistros, restaurants, beautiful boutiques and accommodations. What a beautiful place! Absolutely postcard perfect. Fortunately, we had our Rick Steves Italy 2006 on hand. We made a few calls and accommodations were found at Residence la Tavolozza. Celeste and family welcomed us like "old friends" and the food,room and overall service was intimate, friendly, and charming. It was great to be able to just make two calls and find a place as lovely as this. We hope to make it back again someday through a house exchange.

Bruce Pike in Wasaga Beach, On Canada 02/03/2007

Best: Locanda la Corte in Venice
Why: It was our first trip to Italy. We chose Locanda la Corte and are SO HAPPY that we did!! Marco, Carlo and Rafaella were wonderful (as were all the entire staff)! We arrived, checked in and were welcomed very warmly by Marco...we then went up to our room and were about 5 minutes into unpacking when there was a knock at the door...it was Marco with a bottle of champagne and 2 beautiful champagne flutes hugging me and kissing both of my cheeks wishing me Happy Birthday! I was flabbergasted and thought that my husband had set this up, but no--Marco had noticed my birthdate on my passport when he had made the copies and saw that it indeed was my birthday. We were absolutely floored! What a beautiful way to start celebrating my 50th birthday! Our stay at the Locanda la Corte was wonderful and we will DEFINITELY go back!

Margie Davis in Verona, KY USA 02/01/2007

Best: Hotel Ungherese, Florence
Why: Everything at Hotel Ungherese was great! Nice rooms, wonderful staff, and the garden...a little gem. They took care of us giving all the best suggestions we had on our trip; restaurants, directions. Everything was clean and comfortableand we would stay there again.

kevin hogan in austin, tx USA 01/30/2007

Best: La Crociona, Montalcino, Tuscany
Why: I stayed at the agriturismo La Crociona in Montalcino during my trip to Tuscany. The family was perfectly nice.

Worst: La Crociona, Montalcino, Tuscany
Why: Their website isn't quite correct as there are no cooking classes. There is a wine tasting, but when we asked to taste the wine, the wine maker, Roberto, seemed to be quite annoyed to have to take the time to show us the winery and pour a small taste of the wine for us.

However, our main problem was the cost of heating. We were there in December. Our apartment was 80 Euro per day, and so we were shocked that at the end of our stay when they told us our charge for heat and hot water was 35 Euro per day! Even for 35 Euro, the apartment never got above 55 degrees F, and we took one shower per day. It was so cold in our apartment at night that we had to sleep in our clothes with sweaters on, even with extra blankets on the bed. We resented having to pay 35 Euro for heat that did not even work. I hope you will note this one your website so that other travlers can be aware not to stay there in cold weather.

E. Nelson Frederick in Bridgehampton, NY USA 01/29/2007

Best: A tie between Senior Franco's Residenza Maresca in Sorrento and the Hotel Galleria in Venice
Why: Franco's place was very comfortable and charming at a really good price. Plus, you get a small breakfast at his restaurant (get the OJ, it's fresh squeezed from local groves). The restaraunt is also a good price and he also has a wine bar run by son Luigi. Good, all inclusive base for Sorrento, Pompeii and Amalfi.

The room at the Hotel Galleria was narrow but cozy and was right on the Grand Canal. A small breakfast is served in the morning. Not bad for 90 euros.

Worst: Albergo Tre Donzelle
Why: The room was at a good locaotion near Il Campo, but in retrospect, I would have dished out a few more euro for more cozy factor. I wasn't shocked though because the book said its institutional and not to hang out there (which we did not). The cheapest room on our trip though by far (49 euro).

Jamison Fenderson in Issaquah, WA USA 01/26/2007

Best: All of them are great!
Why: The people are always so friendly, at every single Rick Steves-recommended hotel. I've been to many of them. Great work!

Andrew Horn in San Jose, CA USA 01/22/2007

Best: Residenza Cellini, Rome
Why: I would highly recommend the Residenza Cellini to anyone looking for central accommodations in Rome.

Barbara and the rest of the staff were amazing. My wife and I spent the last 4 days of a 2-week Italian vacation at Residenza Cellini over the '06/'07 winter holidays. Our hotels in Venice and Florence had been nice, but felt more like efficiency rooms than the comfort provided by the Residenza Cellini. For the same price we had paid elsewhere, our room was much larger, had a king-size bed, satellite TV, a beautiful bathroom, was impeccably clean, and adorned by live, fresh orchids.

Beyond the physical aspects of the room, I can not overstate the terrific service we received. One day my wife and I returned from visiting the Vatican and the staff had voluntarily brought a tray of red wine glasses and tableware into our room because they saw we had stopped at a local market the day before to pick up a light, stay-at-home dinner. It really helped to turn a simple night into a fun, romantic treat we will not forget.

Colin Baier in Vernon, CT USA 01/21/2007

Worst: "The Best" Hotel in Milan
Why: This was not "the best" hotel at all. Sketchy neighborhood (scary at night), horrible sheets, uncomfortable bed, tiny bathroom with a leaking shower -- it was the worst night of our trip. Take it out of the guidebook, Rick!

Liz Hansen in Orem, UT USA 01/20/2007

Best: Hotel Florida Milano, Hotel La Meridiana-Sorrento, Hotel Sole-Assisi, Hostel-Levanto, Casa Rezzonico-Venice
Why: Locations were near the train station or easy to get to the train via public transport, Staff english speaking and accomodating, We paid between 36-85 Euro for a double with breakfast in Nov. We had a balcony included at Hotel Florida in Milan and Hotel La Meridiana in Sorrento

Colleen Cooper in River Falls, WI USA 01/16/2007

Best:
Why: We traveled from late April to mid-May 2006. Here are some hotel comments:

Milano Starhotels Anderson, Milan. Right across from the drop off point of the airport bus at the central train station. After three flights in a row, it was nice to be able to walk 30 seconds and be in the hotel. Full breakfast buffet (inclusive) was very tasty and choices were very good.

Albergo Bernini, Siena. We were glad we took a taxi to this hotel as the crooked old streets constantly change names and it's very confusing. Hotel was managed by a very hard working couple and the room we reserved had shower/wc room, which we recommend to everyone. Cost difference is not enough to go other way. Loved the view from the top for breakfast and we really loved the city even though we got lost so many times. The resraurant you recommended was so cosy, very reasonble and yet so tasty.

Hotel il Faro, Sorrento. We walked down to this hotel from the station, not knowing that it is a very winding road, and a lot longer to it than on the map. Take the city bus for 1 Euro. It is worth it, especially if you have a suitcase even if it is a small one. We stayed on the 4th floor, 10 Euro extra/night for view but boy, it was worth it. You wake up, open the window and all you see is the bluest Mediterranean Sea, Mt., Vesuvius, and the clear sky. What more do you want from a hotel room? To go to main plaza, we recommend to take a 1 Euro ride up by bus in front of the hotel and walk down the steepest but quickest (scariest) stairs and 2 minutes to the hotel. Also, we took boats rides to Capri, Naples and Amalfi leaving in front of the hotel. Was extremely convenient. Also since the last ferry leaves way before you get back from dinner, it remains quiet at night, which is fabulous.

Hotel Giardino, Rome. I guess we could have taken a city bus to the hotel from the train station but we do not like to drag suitcases up steps to get on and off. It is very conveniently located and you can take buses for all sightseeing spots. We had the room with the very nice size balcony (I think they have only one), and very quiet because we were facing inside, bathroom nice and clean, and Katie was so wonderful to talk to every morning.

Hotel la Residenza, Venice. At the boat dock we took a boat going the opposite direction, but got there anyway. Quick walk to the hotel from the ferry stop. Very nice lounge where breakfast is served. This is another city that streets are not straight and like Rick says, get a good map. This hotel is not in the sightseeing area, which meant quiet at night and close enough to walk to most sights.

Kazumi Dixon in Seattle, WA USA 01/15/2007

Best: Eremo Gaudio, Varenna
Why: Everything - view, room, funicular experience, management, access to town. A very close second - Casa Arte in Venice and Albergo Settimo Cielo in Sorrento.

Worst: Hotel Villa Steno, Monterosso al Mare
Why: Only complaint - the rooms left me claustrophobic. Small and dark but saved by the balcony and the best of breakfasts.

Margaret McLean in Chilliwack, BC Canada 01/12/2007

Best: The Santa Chiara Hotel (by the Pantheon)
Why: This hotel has an ideal location in central Rome, and was a great base to explore the city. The hotel is indeed a quiet hotel located on a side-street in one of the busiest sections of the city; the hotel staff was top-notch too.

Ryan in Lyons, IL USA 01/08/2007

Worst: Hotel Ungherese
Why: First of all, the owners were rude. We requested a different room and they treated us like we were completely unreasonable. Secondly, the walls are paper thin and the rooms are IN the lobby. Third, you have to shower OVER the toilet!

Clinton in Boston, MA USA 01/05/2007

Best: Il Borgo in Bellagio and the Magnolia B&B in Orvieto
Why: These apartments are in a great location, very comfortable and come at a great price. In the off season we negotiated a 50/night rate and stayed for a week. The Magnolia B&B is great! You get a lovely and spacious apartment for the same money as a drab room down the street. We stayed 3 nights just for the apartment which was like home. A washing machine down the hall was an added bonus. The

Worst: Palazzo Brucchi in Siena
Why: The woman who owns this place definitely has a screw loose. She seemed "bothered and irritated" when we arrived -- I guess it was dinner time --- She showed us 2 rooms at the 65 Euro rate (off season). Neither of the rooms had windows. One was a little box a little bigger than a closet. My friends, who volunteered to take the small one finally asked for a room with a window because the small room was really unacceptable. They ended up paying 90 Euro for a room about the same size but which had a window. Breakfast was a "make your own" in a shared kitchen affair. We strongly recommend that this place be taken out of the book. Not only are there much better places for less money in the area, but we all thought that the owner was crazy and made up the prices as she went.

Ilana Slonim in Blairsden , CA USA 01/01/2007