We are 6 people who stayed at this hotel from August 16 to 20. They imposed a minimum stay of 4 nights on us because they say that is what they do during this period. We arrive at the hotel at 12:30 PM, awake since 6:00 AM and exhausted from the trip. They tell us that the rooms will not be ready before 3:00 PM. We are not very enthusiastic and ask to check in earlier, especially because we have two children and two elderly people with us. The older lady at the reception, not at all friendly, says that they could even give them to us at 5:00 PM and tells us that the manager is asking if we have anything in writing that states that, in general, rooms should be provided earlier.
A young couple who arrived with us complains, as do another couple who arrived even earlier and who waited the whole time in the lobby without air conditioning. The reason there is no air conditioning in the common areas is that the doors are open. We decide to have lunch at the hotel because, obviously, we cannot go looking for a restaurant in the center. They tell us that we cannot use the indoor dining room with air conditioning, so, much to our dismay, we sit under some umbrellas in the outdoor area. We will eat dripping with sweat. Despite the cold drink they offer us, we cannot find much relief. Food is expensive and not good: the mussels do not taste like mussels and we will pay 18 euros for these plates of spaghetti. Meanwhile, it is almost 2:00 PM and we see another gentleman getting impatient waiting for his room and saying that they must give it to him immediately, otherwise he wants a refund of his deposit. My elderly mother also insisted, and finally, around 2:00 PM, they delivered it to us, only after these definitely avoidable arguments. My mother felt sick all afternoon because of how much heat she had endured during the day. They had not informed us that my parents' room on the first floor involved 40 steps. No one asked me if this solution was okay. Fortunately, they walk well.
Once in the room (triple, pool area), we noticed that the furniture was really dated and that in the bathroom there was a tube hair dryer, therefore attached to the wall, composed of a tube that gets very hot when turned on. Drying your hair will be really complicated both because you burn your hands and because the hot air (no button to adjust temperature, etc.) comes out of a small hole, and therefore the time is prolonged.
In the bathroom, there is also a sort of very old, crooked beige coat rack. Practically, under the weight of the towels, it collapses onto the toilet. We asked for a replacement, but they insisted that the maintenance worker had to fix it. We understood that the situation was hopeless, but we let it go. Obviously, the result was the same as before, and we insisted that it be replaced. They told us that all the rooms were occupied and therefore they could not take one from somewhere else, that they would have to order it, and who knows when it would arrive given the summer season. The solution for them was that we had to be careful to balance the weight.
The next morning we brought up the problem again because there were 4 of us who had to place our towels on the beds or suitcases. At noon they delivered a low object with 3 arms.
I would also add a truly disproportionate use of plastic in the bathroom products, namely shower caps, body wash, and soap bars. The room door was also very... peculiar, let's say, and the key was even more so. You need both hands to lock the room.
We moved up our departure from Lipari by 5 hours, paying the penalty to the Liberty Lines hydrofoil company, just to avoid repeating the same experience as the first day, namely having lunch outdoors and waiting in the lobby without air conditioning until the afternoon, also because they would have strictly made us leave the rooms at 10:00 AM.
Cute property, the restaurant and pool area are nice. Warm greetings to all the dining room staff and to the maitre d' Santo. Too bad about the two older ladies at the reception, not at all professional or helpful with the customers.
