B&B Sant'angelo 42

“Good location, bad service”

The one good thing about this property is that it has a convenient location. Having said that, however, it is a bit hard to find. We also found that the owner was not there when we arrived, having sent a substitute to let us in and collect our money. He did not give us Wifi or any other info, di… more

The one good thing about this property is that it has a convenient location. Having said that, however, it is a bit hard to find. We also found that the owner was not there when we arrived, having sent a substitute to let us in and collect our money. He did not give us Wifi or any other info, did not help with luggage to get our suitcases up to the third floor room, he just left. With the owner absent, there was no security, front door often unlocked. The owner came back in the morning to set out a limited breakfast and was surly when we asked for anything, to complete our breakfast. We generally have much nicer, friendlier service when visiting in Italy. Cannot recommend.

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“Hmmmmmm”

If you read the reviews for this B&B you find a number that found the host to be helpful and friendly. You’ll also find several from credible reviewers who had a rather negative experience. We are among them, I’m afraid. Before either dismissing or accepting our comments, you might check our revi… more

If you read the reviews for this B&B you find a number that found the host to be helpful and friendly. You’ll also find several from credible reviewers who had a rather negative experience. We are among them, I’m afraid. Before either dismissing or accepting our comments, you might check our review history, where you’ll find we’ve traveled extensively and stay in a range of places, and we aren’t snobs when in comes to our expectations for accommodations and the treatment we receive. There have been only a handful of times over the years when we haven’t felt welcome in a place, and only a couple where we were actually denigrated. The Sant Angelo was one of those, unfortunately. The problem was that we arrived about 1.5 hours after the time we had indicated we were likely to check in. This was because there were heavy thunderstorms along our route from Assisi, and we then had difficulty finding a place to park in Orvieto. It seems that when you indicate a probable check-in time here, it is more of a binding appointment that an advisory notice, as is it is in most other places we have stayed. There was no one at the B&B (as other reviewers note, it is unattended most of the time), the door was locked, and no indication of what we were to do. We managed to contact the host by phone and she arrived in about 10 minutes, admonishing us that we were late, she had properties all over town, and that she had other people to check in. She had no sympathy for our explanation, and seemed to blame us entirely for inconveniencing her. Check-in was brusque and she required full payment up front, then gave as a coupon for breakfast the next morning at a café 10-minutes walk away, good for a coffee and a pastry (juice extra). Needless to say, this wasn’t a great start to our Orvieto stay, but things did improve, and we even got a fair breakfast at the B&B the 2nd and 3rd mornings – packaged cereal, fruit juice, yogurt, pastries, etc. Still, our initial negative treatment made subsequent positive interactions seem disingenuous. The facility itself is fairly nice. It’s about a 10-minute walk from the main square, and an easy roll with luggage from the nearest parking area (Piazza Marconi). This parking area can be full at times, and so it might require more than one attempt to find a spot. Also, it requires payment via machine, unless you download a convenient app that lets you extend coverage on your phone, which we did. Our room (top of the stairs, on the right) overlooked the quiet neighborhood street and was very large and attractively decorated in a tasteful, modern style. It had high ceilings and exposed beams, a nice feature. It had a comfortable king bed, a shelf on each side with a power strip on one side, an armoire with one drawer but no shelves. There was also a table with 3 chairs, a sofa, an upholstered chair, and a small fridge which curiously was a wine cooler only. The bathroom was large with a jacuzzi tub and a hand-held shower, a bidet, and a fair amount of counter space around the sink. There was no light above the vanity, however, which made the mirror less useful. Overall, we have mixed feelings about the B&B Sant Angelo. While others have had positive experiences, we did not and would not stay here again. There are other, more welcoming places to stay in Orvieto.

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