Circeo Park Hotel

What can I say? When the room is better than what you expect, when the view from the room's terrace is enchanting, when the park is clean, well-kept, and full of beautiful blooms, when room service works like a rocket, when the furnishings are very beautiful without trying to be "too much," when the beach is welcoming and the umbrellas are well-spaced, and the pool practically at the seaside welcomes you? What to say if the price is also reasonable? We had a suite that cost 20% of what a double costs at a Belmond, this hotel is not at that level but it doesn't make you miss anything, a place where we will return in a heartbeat as soon as possible.

Price not in line with the service offered. We returned to this property after having been there several years ago and, unfortunately, this time the experience was clearly below our expectations. We expected to find the same level we remembered, but that was not the case. Let's start with the positive aspects: the property is on the sea, offers beach service with an umbrella and sun loungers, and has a swimming pool. The rooms, moreover, were very clean and on this we have absolutely nothing to report. The problem is that, considering the price of about €230 per night, we expected a significantly higher level of service and attention. Our room had some problems that we consider unacceptable for this price range. The bathroom, for example, would flood during a shower due to the obviously incorrect slope: water would come out of the shower area and end up on the bathroom floor and, consequently, into the room as well, resulting in a wet floor and inevitable footprints. The electrical outlets are also quite old and there were no convenient ones near the bed, which seems like a significant shortcoming today. The breakfast also left us very disappointed. The selection is quite poor and many products are industrial. For those who, like me, need to consume lactose-free products, the available alternatives were practically limited to packaged cookies and packaged croissants. As for the vegan corner, for all four mornings we always found the same tart, of the same flavor. It is understandable that alternatives may be limited, but we ask ourselves: should a vegan person have the exact same breakfast for the entire stay? We also believe the hygienic and organizational aspect of the breakfast deserves more attention. The juicer, for example, had to be prepared independently by the guests: you had to peel the oranges and cut the fruit to put into the machine. It is a pity that, right next to it, there was not even a towel to clean your hands after handling the fruit. As for the hot dishes, we had to hope to see a waitress pass by and get her attention to be able to order. The beach restaurant deserves a separate mention. We didn't go there for a dinner or a special occasion: we were simply at the beach and wanted to stop for a quick lunch, taking advantage of the convenience of the property's restaurant. In this case, too, however, we were perplexed. A spaghetti with clams cost $28, a price that can be understandable if accompanied by a certain level of service and attention. It's a pity that we were assigned a table so small that the plates barely fit. The clean napkin was placed on the plate and, very unpleasantly, while I was in the bathroom someone placed an obviously dirty menu directly on my plate and on top of the napkin with which I was supposed to eat and wipe my hands. Something we found really unhygienic and disrespectful to the customer. Furthermore, upon our arrival we went to the wrong entrance door, the waiters saw us and no one pointed out the correct entrance to us. The result? We preferred to get up and leave, choosing a restaurant not far away, where we ate spaghetti with clams for $18, with a decidedly more attentive service. The point is not to complain about the prices themselves: high prices can be absolutely justified when they are accompanied by quality, service, and attention to the customer. The problem is that, in this case, we believe that the price is not in line with what is offered. We are especially sorry because we already knew this property and remembered a much better experience. Precisely for this reason, the comparison with the past was even more evident. Ultimately, the location is certainly a strong point and the cleanliness of the rooms was excellent, but in our opinion there are too many shortcomings in the services and especially in the attention to detail to be able to consider a price of about $230 per night adequate.

We stayed at this hotel toward the end of August and it was a terrible experience. The hotel calls itself a 4-star hotel and has 1950s furnishings, just like the rooms, which do not reflect the standards of a 4-star hotel in the slightest. Furthermore, upon our arrival, we found more than one hair in both areas of the room. Not to mention the fact that the day after we arrived, our year-and-a-half-old daughter got a high fever and we had to leave, and we weren't given any voucher (at first we were offered a voucher to use by December in the middle of winter!!!) but only a minimal price reduction, and they charged us for all 5 days, even though it involved a small child and an emergency situation. Our attempts to reach a compromise were to no avail. Never again