Hotel Boston - Montecatini Terme, Italy     

Visited the Hotel for a long weekend, from friday to monday.. expectations were quite high but we found the hotel to be very very average (def. NOT 4 stars), the pool is a joke (more a big bath....)...it can hardly fit 5/6 people in it and you would already feel too squeezed..never mind about the sunloungers area and all...a joke really! it's located in the top floor of a building..separated to the hotel!you are almost lead to understand (from the website) it's in the middle of a nice green area with panoramic views...Used the pool only once and was enough! besides, the other days we tried to have a look at the pool area, there were no sits/loungers available (if there are about 10/15 people all together, you can consider the pool "full") did not enjoy the breakfast at all, very poor quality of croissants (brick hard!)..worst i have had so far in a hotel! The food in the restaurant lunch & evening was ok. In my eyes, this hotel is 2 stars and definetely the rooms, the pool and other areas are somehow mischeaving in their pictures from the hotel website. Room is very dully & old looking, the telly in the room is from the 70's, bathroom was ok. Overall, we really enjoyed Montecatini Terme, as well as Lucca, Pisa, Pistoia (the location is ideal to go to all these places with a half day trip)....ah, Montecatini Alto is also really nice, if you go there don't miss "Le Maschere" restaurant for very typical & local food! we loved it and found it not too pricey! enjoy! Loved the area and would go back (of course) but would not stay at this hotel again.

We stayed at the Hotel Boston when we booked a "Tuscany" package in Toronto. Apparently this Transat Holiday package promised staying at either the Hotel Boston or the DaVinci Hotel(across the street). The Davinci looked much nicer and up dated...but everyone in our tour bus was sent to the Hotel Boston (?). The rooms were so small, you had to go out in the hall to change your mind!! Seriously, this place has had very little money put into it, but it is pretty clean. The views from the rooms are a joke...our room looked in to a window well! and we were on the third floor. The package included breakfast and dinner. The breakfast consists of canned peaches, rolled oats, fruit juice (not fresh squeezed), coffee from an industrial machine that brews one cup at a time, some day old croissants and usually the desserts served the previous evening is offered. The location was good, because we were able to easily walk to the train station, city shopping centre, funnicular lift to Montecatini Alto, and the Montecatini Terme water spa. Be sure to go up to Montecatini Alto. There are a few nice restaurants and the view in the evening is fabulous. We didn't go up in the daytime. The town square is quaint (but very sloped!) and we stopped with our fellow tour members to have a cappacino. From this location, it is convenient to head to Florence...train leaves regularly...about every hour. One can also visit Pestoia which is also close by. We took day trips to Cinque Terre, Siena, Florence, and San Gimingnano. All of these trips are recommended! Don't try driving yourself to Cinque Terre...it is really difficult to drive on the steep hillsides amoungst the other racing cars and tour buses on the narrow roads!!! Getting back to the Hotel Boston....the night desk man Marcello (looks kinda like Lurch) is funny. One night I came down to the lobby to find it pitch black. He was in the corner of the lobby in front of the tv set with his shirt and jacket off. He also had a patch over one of his eyes! That was strange!!?