Residenza Antica

NOT THE BEST IF YOU'RE HANDICAPPED

THE STAFF AT THE HOTEL WERE VERY HELPFUL, BUT SOMETIMES IMPATIENT WITH THE TOURISTS. I LINGERED AROUND THE WELCOMING AREA, FOR A WHILE, TO NOTICE HOW THEY TREATED CUSTOMERS. AFTER A 9 HOUR FLIGHT FROM CHICAGO TO ITALY, I WAS REALLY TIRED WHEN I ARRIVED WITH MY MOM. IT WASN'T CHECK IN TIME, AND WE HAD BAD "JET LAG", BUT THEY MADE ACCOMMODATIONS, AND ALLOWED US TO CHECK IN BEFORE TIME. WE FOUND POP, BEER, JUICE IN THE FRIDGE. IT WAS MY FIRST TIME ENCOUNTERING SOMETHING LIKE THIS, AND I THOUGHT THEY WERE COMPLIMENTS OF THE HOUSE. I LATER FOUND OUT, EACH DRINK WAS GOING TO COST ME 4 EUROS (AT 1.50 USD PER EURO). THIS BUILDING HAD TONS OF STAIRS FROM THE FIRST TO SECOND FLOOR; THE ELEVATOR WAS SMALL ENOUGH TO FIT TWO PEOPLE, STANDING NEXT TO EACH OTHER. IF YOU HAD A WHEELCHAIR (WHICH I DID), YOU COULD BARELY FIT IN THE ELEVATOR WITH IT. I BROUGHT A LOCK ALONG, AND LEFT IT IN THEIR STORAGE ROOM. I HAD A HARD TIME COMMUNICATING WITH MY FAMILY. THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE ROOM EXPLAINING HOW THINGS WORKED (I.E., THE TV, THE PHONE, SERVICES AVAILABLE; THOUGH WE DID GET A FREE MAP OF THE VICINITY). BREAKFAST WAS GREAT, AND DONNATELLA WAS REALLY ACCOMMODATING AND ALWAYS WENT OUT OF HER WAY TO HELP US. I EVEN LEFT HER A TIP ON OUR LAST DAY. THE HOTEL WAS BUILT IN THE 15TH CENTURY, FROM WHAT I READ ON THEIR WEB SITE, SO WHILE WE WERE THERE, THEY HAD MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH PLUMBING AND ROOFING LEAKS IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE BUILDING, SO WE WERE ALWAYS UP EARLY, TO THE SOUND OF SOMEONE POUNDING ON THE CEILING, OR TRYING TO REMOVE A PIPE. OVERALL, I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND THE PLACE TO SOMEONE WHO IS SEVERELY HANDICAPPED. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THE STAFF (IN GENERAL) BE A BIT FRIENDLIER, SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE MORE BUSINESS.

Unique Quality: I'VE MENTIONED THEM ABOVE. WE WERE CENTRALLY LOCATED, AND EVERYTHING WAS WITHIN AN HOUR'S REACH. WE DIDN'T SPEND MUCH ON TAXI. WHEN WE ARRIVED TO ITALY, THE HOTEL SENT SOMEONE TO PICK US UP; WHEN WE RETURNED TO CHICAGO, A DRIVER TOOK US TO THE AIRPORT ALSO. THE PLACE WAS VERY CLEAN THOUGH, EXCEPT FOR WHENEVER THEY WERE DOING CONSTRUCTION, AND THERE WERE BAGS OF CONCRETE MIX, ALL OVER THE PLACE (WHICH WAS OFTEN A HAZARD IF YOU'RE AN ELDERLY PERSON AND CAN'T MANEUVER AROUND AS IF YOU WERE YOUNGER).