This was, without question, the worst hotel experience I have ever had.
After more than 12 hours of travel, we checked into Hotel Boutique Nazionale exhausted and ready to rest. Within five minutes of lying on the bed, I developed a line of bites along my leg and a cluster of bites on the back of that same leg. I immediately took photos because I was deeply concerned they were bed bug bites. As someone who is pregnant and traveling with an infant, this was especially alarming.
I went to the receptionist, showed her the bites, and explained my concern. Rather than taking the situation seriously, she immediately dismissed me, insisting it was “nothing.” She then sent a maid to inspect the room, but the inspection was clearly performative. During the inspection, my husband saw a bug that was already on the bed jump into the air. The maid killed it, and when my husband asked what it was, the receptionist denied it was even a bug and again insisted it was “nothing.” Based on what we observed, it appeared to be a flea.
We were then moved to a second room. Within moments of entering, we found bed bugs on the bed along with bed bug fecal stains covering the white sheets. We photographed everything. At that point, there was absolutely no question that we could not stay there. Based on what we encountered across both rooms, it appeared the hotel was dealing with both fleas and bed bugs.
Even after providing us with two unsanitary rooms, the receptionist continued to deny there was any problem. Despite the photos and the obvious health concerns of exposing a pregnant woman and an infant to these conditions, she refused to acknowledge reality. Instead, she accused us of lying, refused to refund our money, and kept payment for a room that was completely unfit to stay in.
Because we could not safely remain at the property, we were forced to book another hotel that same night. We did not stay a single night at Hotel Boutique Nazionale, yet we are still waiting for a refund.
What makes this experience so appalling isn’t just the condition of the rooms—it’s how we were treated. We were exhausted after 12 hours of travel, genuinely concerned about our health and our baby’s well-being, and instead of receiving even the most basic level of customer service, we were met with denial, dishonesty, and hostility. We had to leave immediately, secure alternative accommodations at our own expense, and worry about bringing pests with us.
Avoid this hotel. Finding pests is bad enough; refusing to take responsibility, calling guests liars, forcing them to find another hotel, and keeping their money despite them never staying a single night is inexcusable. This hotel showed a complete disregard for cleanliness, accountability, guest safety, and basic customer service.
