We’d like to explain in detail some inaccuracies reported in this review, just to make the situation clearer.
1. The total amount of 880 was in Euro, not in Pound, and it was the result of 4 double room for 4 nights (55 Euro per room per night); this price was communicated to the customer since the first contact we have
2. It wasn’t a last minute booking: on January 30th we receive an email from the customer and the same day we confirm the booking by email
3. The customers have been welcomed at arrival, as it’s normal to do, and they receive all the information they requested, so that they was very friendly in the following days and thanked for the received information and the kindness
4. The first night the guests made noise in the shared parts of the hotel, smoking in not allowed area, also after the Manager asked them to stop and an adult of the group was present, but they continue to disturb the other guests. The following morning there was wine on sheets, blankets and bedspread of one of the rooms and we changed them without any extra charge. We have also to change the sheets in the 2 of the rooms because the guests separated beds and mattresses: they booked 4 double rooms so we putted double sheets and blankets (as all the hotels do to make double beds), instead they moved beds without asking if it was possible to change.
5. The breakfast room has one window (so there’s natural light), one big chandelier and 3 lamps; it’s true it’s not very big but we improved it for one year to offer a comfortable service. The number of seats is proportional to the number of guests we can host.
6. The guest on wheelchair has been informed about all the hotel services and measures before he booked and he knew he can ask the Receptionists to help him in any time. He and his parents was satisfied, so much that they came back some days after (we think they could easily find another hotel in Trieste if ours wouldn’t be suitable for them).
7. Breakfast includes not only “bread rolls, jam, cake and cereal”, but bread rolls, 6 kinds of jam, 3 kinds of cake and 3 of cereals, croissant, fresh fruit and fruit salad, yogurt, honey, chocolate cream, butter, cheese, 2 types of cold drinks, water, 10 types of hot drinks.
8. When a guest ask for train or bus timetable, it’s usual to print them for the guests and it’s what we’ve done when these guests asked for trains to Venice; they also received information about prices and times and suggestions about the best solutions to choose.
9. The day before guests departure the chambermaid found the wall completely spotted of red wine; she tried to clean it but the painting risked to clear so she stopped. No one of the guests informed us about the accident, they just went out as nothing had happened. We put the paper in the room to inform the guests that they have to pay the damage, also considering that we didn’t charge anything for the first day “accident”, when we have to wash all the blankets. The amount has been calculated asking a person who works with us prices of paintings and work. When one of the 2 adults who was there with 6 boys and girls came at the Reception, we explained what was happen and why we putted that paper; this person agreed with us and asked the guys to apologize for what they did, then they tried to clean the wall by their own without saying anything the Receptionist. When they finished, they showed the result and asked if it was okay; the Receptionist first and then the porter said they have to speak with the Hotel manager because it wasn’t a decision they could take, since the wall was better but there were still different colours on it. The guests thanked more than once the receptionist and the porter for their kindness and they were very friendly, as they were in the previous days (they didn’t seem they “felt like we shouldn’t be there”).
10. The morning they have to leave, the Hotel manager checked the wall and saw it had different tones of colour, so that the painting was still necessary so she asked for damages the same. She didn’t say “This is Italy” but she explained the requested amount was the standard rate in this city for paintings, because the guests continued to say that wasn’t the correct price.
We know that “accidents happen” but, if they happen once, we try to understand, as we did the first time, when the guests disturbed in the late night and continued to do it after the Manager intervention, and the first bottle of wine fell on sheets and blankets,; the second time we have to behave differently because the damage was graver and the accident happened nevertheless our first intervention.
It’s always our interest to make the guests feel like at home and if there’s something they don’t like, it’s important for us to know it to improve our service, but the criticism has to be true: it’s not correct to criticize the things that you enjoyed for 4 days only because on the fourth you don’t agree paying a damage you caused.