Hotel Birillo

What I liked: — location. Close to all kinds of dining/supermarkets; 12-min walk fr main train station — nice Front Desk staff. Clarissa helped carry my bigger bag up TWO flights of stairs to my first floor room — the crisp white bed linens — the fluffy towels What I didn’t like: — lugging bags up two flights of stairs — a shower stall so small that I had to open the doors (two sliding panels that meet at a corner) to stick my tush out in order to pick up something that fell to the floor! This is a dealbreaker for me. — a very narrow bathroom that seriously needs updating — a strict 11am checkout time that had Housekeeping rapping loudly on my door at 10:40 and a visit from a staffer at 10:50 saying housekeeping hadn’t understood me (I had yelled: Just a minute, I’m dressing!)

I felt absolutely wonderful. The hotel is very central, clean, and the room (I took a single) was perfect and equipped with everything (air conditioning, wifi, TV, etc.). The service is courteous and impeccable. I felt at home and relaxed even though I was in Spezia for work. I gave 5 stars, but they deserve 6. The quality-price ratio is almost unbelievable. I will always return here whenever I need to go back to Spezia.

We stayed in this facility booked through Booking, where from the photographs it seemed like a modern, well-kept hotel. That is precisely why we chose it without any particular doubts, convinced of finding a welcoming environment in good condition. Unfortunately, once we arrived, the reality turned out to be completely different from our expectations, resulting in what is probably the biggest disappointment of the entire experience. The difference between what is shown online and what one encounters in person is truly remarkable, leaving the feeling of having been deceived by the published images, which convey a much more positive impression compared to the actual conditions of the facility. The only element that can be defined as 'modern' is the parquet-effect flooring. For the rest, the rooms feature dated wooden doors, extremely thin walls that do not provide any sound insulation, visibly dirty white curtains with even insects stuck to them, and deteriorated plaster in various places throughout the facility. Even the external doors leading to a small balcony are very old, and in my case, as soon as they were opened, four mosquitoes immediately entered the room. The bathroom is extremely small, about 2 meters by 2, and inside the shower, there was evident black mold, a sign of inadequate maintenance and cleaning. To give an idea of the dimensions, there were about 20 cm between the toilet and the wall in front, so that to sit on the toilet, I had to position myself sideways; otherwise, I would not have been comfortable with my legs. Moreover, in my friend's room, also in the same hotel, to access the toilet, one had to first pass through the shower, and only then could one reach the toilet and sink, with the risk, especially at night, of tripping over the shower door tracks: a truly absurd solution. The facility is also lacking an elevator, and upon climbing to the second floor, one immediately notices the general state of the building: on the first flight of stairs, there is a carpet, which then disappears, leaving dirt in the corners, damaged walls, and broken plaster. I also noticed the Wi-Fi modem fixed to the wall with a simple zip tie, placed in a rather makeshift manner. In the hallway, instead of normal hotel lighting, there was a lamp that resembled more of a garage or carport light. Overall, this is a facility that I personally do not feel comfortable recommending, especially considering the significant discrepancy between the image presented online and the actual conditions of the hotel. I sincerely find it unfair to create such high expectations through carefully curated and well-selected photographs, only to offer a facility that does not reflect at all what was advertised. The only truly positive aspect was the girl who welcomed us: very kind, helpful, and friendly even over the phone while we were still traveling. Another point in favor is the location, as the hotel is about three minutes from the center.