Royal - Florence, Italy     

We stayed at the Hotel Royal in 2007 and I was just reading the reviews out of curiosity and am amazed that the hotel has received such poor reviews. We went out of season so the cost was reasonable - ?60 per night for a double including breakfast. We thought the hotel was lovely andthe staff very friendly. The town centre was walking distance. I used to live in Florence and now work in tourism and for ?60 per night I thought this was excellent value for money. Spotlessly clean, ok so the bar wasn't brilliant, but we had a drink, breakfast wasn't brilliant but we ate and we didn't have a car so didn't need to pay for parking. I would definitely stay there again - the hotel is beautiful and old and Florentine and typical.

I booked a single room for 5 days at the Hotel Royal in Florence. The price of the single room was 200$. I was staying to Florence for a conference. I did not have much time available. Disappointment no1: I arrived at the hotel late in the evening. When I saw the room, I was so surprised! The room was literally 2x2 square meters. It was like a wardrobe. It was extremely small and the window was like a small hole in the wall. I could not believe my eyes! So, I went to the reception and asked them if they had a double room available. Disappointment no2: The reception was very rude. He gave me the key of the room and he commanded me: ‘Check the room and bring the key back to me immediately!’ Disappointment no3: This double room was bigger and its price was 270$. I decided to stay. I thought of working on my computer for a while before going to sleep. At my surprise, I noticed that there was no socket to charge my computer! Disappointment no4: I thought then, that I could read instead. I took my book but.... there was no bed-sit lamp next to the bed. Disappointment no5: I said to myself that everything was fine. I needed to call my partner to inform that I had arrived safely in Florence and to tell him how horrible Hotel Royal was. I tried to call but there was no signal. I called the reception to ask what is digit for calling numbers abroad and he did not know. I tried every possible combination and I did not finally manage, leaving my partner worrying. Disappointment no6: I decided to go to sleep. I could not sleep because the light of the street was getting into the room. Disappointment no7: Also, there was a lot of noise from the street, even though I requested a quite room. Disappointment no8: After several hours, I managed to get some sleep. In the morning, I went downstairs to get my breakfast. It was horrible. They did not even have fresh coffee! It was all a joke. Disappointment no9: I decided to stay as I did not have the courage and time to start looking for another hotel. My only concern was my mother who was going to stay with me 2 days in that terrible place. I informed the reception about her arrival. My mother came and she stayed 1 night in my room. When I was about to leave the hotel the next morning, the reception tells me that the charges are higher now that my mother came and she randomly quoted the room for 310$. It was then that I flipped! They wanted more money but they did not even bother to bring a second towel for my mother! (They only provide 1 towel). I expressed my disagreement to the reception who instead of listening to what I had to say, she was replying back to me. After staying 3 nights, I packed my suitcase and I went to another hotel! So, in summary, do not stay in Hotel Royal in Florence! 1. The staff is very rude 2. The rooms do not have sockets to charge your phone/computer 3. The rooms do not have a set of towels 4. The rooms do not have bed-sit lamps 5. The rooms are very noisy especially those looking at the parking of the hotel. 6. The rooms do not always have telephone that works 7. The breakfast is ridiculous 8. The price is expensive for what you get.