Domus La Quercia

“Fabulous place to stay but ruined by NOISY Italian kids”

Having read the reviews on the website, I was really keen to experience this place. I can't fault the helpfulness of the staff or the room, which was spacious, clean and comfortable but unfortunately my stay was ruined by two coachloads of Italian kids who swept through the place like locusts and b… more

Having read the reviews on the website, I was really keen to experience this place. I can't fault the helpfulness of the staff or the room, which was spacious, clean and comfortable but unfortunately my stay was ruined by two coachloads of Italian kids who swept through the place like locusts and banged on my door repeatedly as they passed by late in the evening, which was pretty intimidating, especially as they were (in theory) accompanied by teachers! I managed to tackle one of the teachers the following morning about it and have her say so that she would speak to the group - by then it was too late. So on the whole I would say, go and stay there, but do ask if any groups are being hosted there and avoid those times if possible. It was such a shame as it could be a great place to spend some time. There is an excellent restaurant, and the breakfast buffet is more than sufficient. The location is 2 km outside Viterbo, but there is a regular bus service (local bus number 6) going from La Quercia right to the centre of Viterbo and back, every 20 minutes or so in rush hour and about every 30 minutes at other times. You can buy a bus ticket at the local newsagents/bars (cost 1 euro). The Sanctuary church of La Quercia is well worth a look (the hotel is part of the complex).

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“Very good value for money”

The reason why you would pick this hotel is obvious: it is cheap. On the downside, the place makes you think a bit of a hospital, rather than a monastery. The rooms are really kept as they were, even with the original furniture. Viterbo is a short drive (2km) away. Impossible to get there on foot … more

The reason why you would pick this hotel is obvious: it is cheap. On the downside, the place makes you think a bit of a hospital, rather than a monastery. The rooms are really kept as they were, even with the original furniture. Viterbo is a short drive (2km) away. Impossible to get there on foot though, as it is a busy road. By the way Viterbo is absolutely stunning, especially in the evening you think you are back in medieval times. Free parking available. Breakfast is included and quite nice, you can also eat outside in an inner courtyard. All in all, adequate hotel for a very good price.

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“Fair value, friendly staff, but.....”

We stayed at ODV for a week in June because we thought it would be interesting to stay in a former convent, many TA reviewers liked it and the rate is reasonable. It is also very close to Bagnaia, a nice small town where Villa Lante is located. Parking at the hotel was free and plenty, but it was q… more

We stayed at ODV for a week in June because we thought it would be interesting to stay in a former convent, many TA reviewers liked it and the rate is reasonable. It is also very close to Bagnaia, a nice small town where Villa Lante is located. Parking at the hotel was free and plenty, but it was quite full when we arrived because there was a Green Energy Conference taking place. The hotel is sufficiently furnished, staff are nice and helpful. Other parts of the property are exactly as shown by TA photos. We asked for and got a room (it was number H5) with easy access – i.e. very close to the reception. Because of this location, it got pretty noisy when patron traffic was heavy; sound insulation is not great in this part of the hotel. The furnishing was basic, and the room was quite clean. The bathroom was spacious; but as mentioned by one of the TA reviewers, there was indeed black mold in the shower stall, and the drain was also slow. The remote control for the flat screen TV was falling apart and taped together; however this did not bother us because we did not come to Italy to watch TV. The room could become quite hot in early evening; I do not think it has air-con. The room overlooks the inner courtyard (see photos), which is very nice and peaceful as many birds congregate there and there is a beautiful bell tolling in the morning. However, the hotel does hold functions/parties in the courtyard; luckily they finished around 12 am and do not take place every night. There was free Wi-Fi for the first few days, but then Domus changed the system and we had to get a password from reception to access the internet, and the password was only valid for 1 hour. Breakfast was included with the room, it was self served continental, consisted of boiled eggs, cereals, juices, bread and pastries, yogurt, fruits, an amazing machine that makes different kinds of hot beverages. TA reviewers’ photos depict the setting very well, and staff keeps everything clean and orderly. My wife was Ok with the quality of the breakfast. We had supper in the dining room one night, the food was good but not outstanding, and it included house wine, a set of appetizer, primi, secondi, and desert. The cost was 22 Euro per person. Again, the staff was very nice despite our inability to communicate in Italian. When we checked out, the reception charged us for the room again, although I already paid for it when booking through Expedia. During our flight back, they called and emailed me apologizing for the mistake, asking me to send them my bank account so that they could wire me back the amount. I called and emailed them back to say that I neither wish to disclose my bank account number, nor pay for transaction and currency conversion fees, and that they could correct their mistake by crediting my credit card. They claimed they would need my credit card physically to do so. Two weeks after our return home, Ora Domus has still not credited my account, therefore I advised my credit card company and the charge was treated as a disputed transaction. It is unfortunate that our experience ended this way.

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