Marchese d'Altavilla - Tropea, Italy     

Als wir ankamen, fanden wir das Haus praktisch leer vor und die Angestellten waren im Höchstfall total desinteressiert an uns. Die Zimmer waren klein, langweilig, kein funktionierender Fernseher und kaputter Safe. Fühlte sich wie eine Herberge an, ohne jeden Charme und Charakter. Ein echter Gräuel für uns als unabhängige Reisende. Zur Stadt läuft man 10 Minuten, zum Strand noch länger. Wir haben uns recht unsicher gefühlt, was aber auch an dem Feuer nebenan gelegen hat, für das sich niemand interessiert hatte. Fahren Sie hier bloß nicht hin!

My husband and I stayed here the 1st week of September, 2006. It was a lovely place to stay. We found the staff very pleasant, knowledgeable and helpful. They helped us arrange a boat trip to the Aeolian islands and even recommended the better company to use (there are 2 who have boat trips from Tropea). There is a free shuttle to one of the paid beaches, which was great. The 7 euro price for an umbrella and two chairs was a great bargain, and the beach restaurant was absolutely delicious. The surrounding gardens were beautiful - lots of flowers and trees. We also really enjoyed the terraces with fabulous views of Tropea and the sea - great place to enjoy a lovely bottle of Ciro. We found the location great. Being just above the town makes the setting very peaceful. It's a 10 minute walk into the historic centre. However, be warned, the 1st 30 metres or so closest to the hotel lacks a sidewalk, and the road is narrow. It gets dark at night, and the hotel provides torches if you walk back at night. There seem to be quite a few taxis in town, however, so, if walking back in the dark is undesirable, it would be a cheap ride back. The room itself was fine - nothing fancy, but it was clean and comfortable. The towels were fluffy by Italy's standards and were replaced regularly. The breakfasts were good, too - yummy bread, croissants, cakes, cereals, etc. My husband's only complaint was that the coffee was from one of those vending-machine style contraptions, where you push a 'cappuccino' button. Otherwise, delish. All in all, we were impressed and had a thoroughly enjoyable time.