San Francesco Al Monte

The entrance was not accessible. Reception staff was not willing to help with the luggage. The atmosphere was filled with staff that was there to tell you in a disrespectful way you could not use their chairs to sit on but to rather go to the outdoor pool area and face the heat. They do not care about any circumstances. They have a solid 3pm check in regardless of the reasons and proof you need a medical earlier check in.

This hotel was amazing for my wife, Emily, and I! The breakfast came with the room. We are from America so it was better than anything we have had in any hotel in the States. Morning cappuccinos became a ritual. The rooms are also charming with their historical Italy aesthetic, Emily and I explored the other floors and there was art everywhere!! The best part though was the incredible service at the restaurant and the reception desk. Every single person working at the desk was extremely helpful with guides and logistics as to how to explore different places in Italy! The restaurant had some of the best Italian food in the city and every server there was very kind. The ingredients were so fresh, the view over the city was gorgeous, and the live piano played each night created a beautiful and romantic ambiance. Emily and I got so much joy getting to know each person. Not the mention the view…it can’t be beat!

Amazing views but a disappointing experience. We arrived two hours early before check-in time and were happy to wait in the pool area until 3pm. We had been told our room number and our bags were labelled accordingly. We had a relaxing time on 7th floor enjoying the wonderful view and charging our drinks to our allocated room. So far, so good. We went back to reception to collect our key at 3:10pm only to be told that our room had been given to someone else and there was no other rooms available! Frustratingly, we waited around for about an hour and then were allocated a room at the other end of the hotel which was accessible by a lift that was constantly in use by musicians and staff for a wedding event. In the end, we used the stairs to get to the 4th floor. When we got to our room the windows were wide open, there were flies in the room and the musty, damp smell in the room was overwhelming! We were aware that the building was previously an old monastery but the damp smell was unbearable. Back down the 4 flights of stairs we went to reception. When we explained the problem, the young receptionist said he could put a dehumidifier in the room. We said that it would take many hours to rectify the problem and was there another room we could use instead? To our astonishment, he said we could have the original allocated room but we would have to wait until it was cleaned, as it had been used in the meantime and the guests had left. We were puzzled to what had happened here? Definitely not good practice or satisfactory for a premium hotel. We eventually got our original room and it was fine. The next morning we checked out but were not given any compensation for the inconvenience caused. Considering the delay and the inconvenience we encountered, the drink that we had whilst waiting, would have been a nice gesture in the circumstances. It's obvious that the priority at the hotel is geared towards weddings. It's a shame because paying guests seem to be less of a priority. Be aware that the pool closes at 5pm because of weddings.  A few parasols around the pool would be useful. The breakfast is limited so don't expect too much. This is a lovely hotel in a beautiful location but for us the experience was not what we expect from a 4 star hotel. Be cautious when booking here especially if there are weddings.