celeste

We just come back from a very pleasant trip in Italy except for the Hotel Chiusarelli fiasco, everything went fine, thanks to my fellow Fodorites tips. We placed our e-mail reservation with Hotel Chiusarelli in Siena on Jan. 20, 2000 based on the many recommendations that we got from this forum. Unfortunately, we had a very bad experience with them. A week before our arrival in Italy, I e-mailed again to confirm our reservation and got back confirmation. However, when we arrive at the hotel, we were told that they do not have a room for us, that the hotel is booked solid and that they cannot honor our reservation anyway because it does not have the stamp of the hotel and signature. This is redundant as I mentioned above, the reservation/confirmation was done through e-mail. To make matters worse, the receptionist was rude, he won't give us his real name. He gave us three names and when finally pressed, he admitted none of those are his. He tried to book us in another hotel and when I told him that I want to know more about the hotel we are staying, he told us that most hotels are booked and that our only choice is take the hotel he's recommending or SLEEP IN OUR CAR!!!!!! He also keep on mentioning that the internet is to be blamed and that eventhough I brought with me a hard copy of the e-mail communications, he won't honor it as according to him, it is not showing in their sytem. Please take note of this and if you have to stay at the Hotel Chiusarelli, it might be better to communicate through fax and to have a standby hotel, just in case you'll have a problem. For us, it is not so much about the mistake, but the way the hotel treated the situation. The hotel indeed is centrally located if you do not have the car but noisy and looks worn outside. We stayed in Hotel Moderna which provides parking, is nearby the lift going up Siena center, clean, good buffet breakfast and very professional, helpful management. All in all, it was good we got bumped off Hotel Chiusarelli because we ended up staying in a better hotel at less price. So fellow Fodorites, beware of Hotel Chiusarelli!

Paulo

I'm sorry for your bad experience with the Chiusarelli, Celeste, and glad on the other hand that things turned out well after all. <BR> <BR>The events as you described show that the Chiusarelli erred twice: once when their system didn't show your e-mail reservation and then when they put their rudest receptionist to deal with THEIR mistake. Errors do happen from time to time ... one would expect, though, that who's responsible for it to admit it and to do his best to fix the situation. There's a chance, though, that there was no mistake ... I wouldn't be surprised to hear that hotels in Italy are practicing overbooking policy during the Jubilaeum year. Too bad! <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>We've used the hotel twice. Both times we asked the reservation confirmation by fax (I don't like to send my credit card data by email using unsecure servers) and had no problems (though the hotel was booked up in both occasions). <BR> <BR>In one other thread you mention that they wouldn't accept reservations without breakfast ... this is strange. Their page states that one may exclude breakfast. In fact, once we reserved without breakfast. The other time we asked for a night without breakfast and a 2nd one with breakfast. They booked us 2 nights without breakfast and said we could pay extra in case we decided to have breakfast in the hotel. <BR> <BR>As for the hotel condition, you're right regarding the external facade (overlooking Via Curatone). it's indeed somewhat worn out (it's an old villa). Alos, one would guess that rooms with windows to the street should indeed be somewhat noisy. Most rooms, though, overlook the internal garden and are very quiet. When we were there last, they were renovating quite a few rooms. Since (I heard) they also installed an a/c system without increasing their prices that much (though I never found Siena unbearably hot in the summer, it's nice to have an a/c in the room just in case). Compared to the last time we were there, therefore, things should have improved ... but that's to no avail if the staff keeps getting worse. <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>

Dawn

I'm glad that the rest of your trip went well. I had booked a room there but a few days later cancelled it (which now I'm glad I did) and decided to stay at a farm in Pienza (it had nothing to do with the hotel or Siena) What were the highlights of your trip that you could pass along?

celeste

Paolo, I am confirming, Hotel Chiusarelli turned down my request for breakfast exclusion. I was told that their breakfast is buffet and is good. <BR>Dawn, I am still collecting my thoughts, as I am still dazed with the beauty of Italy, her people, imo, it's a feast for the eyes, stomach and soul. I just borrowed books from the library (Italy Paintings and Francis Mayes Bella Tuscany) to jar my memory. Once, I settle down, I will try to describe Italy - truly belissimo!

Billy

One good suggestion that I might offer is for everyone reading this and offended by it, send this frame via e-mail to the hotel. their email address is :[email protected] <BR>If they get enough of these maybe they will change their ways, or at least fire the desk clerk. <BR>

KT

Not to excuse the Chiusarelli (and especially not to excuse the rudeness), but to put this in perspective, I have had more than one comparable experience at budget hotels in Italy, over the course of about six trips. For example, after reserving in advance at a hotel in Milan *and* calling the morning before arrival to confirm, when I arrived a few hours later they told me my room was already booked and they couldn't do anything about it. At a budget hotel in Venice (which I otherwise liked, and which has gotten good reviews on this board), they completely tangled up which nights I'd reserved, and I was just lucky that they could fit me in on the nights I'd reserved. In Siena, the hotel that had told me in their written confirmation that they would accept Visa and that had a Visa sticker on the door told me at checkout that they didn't take credit cards. (They also didn't convey a phone message for me from a doctor, but that's another story.) And the "you have to pay for breakfast" thing has happened at a number of hotels that claim that breakfast is charged separately. I should add that at the timne of these "misunderstandings" I spoke pretty decent Italian, and in one case, my arrangements were made by an Italian friend, so I doubt that the mix-ups were caused by a language problem. Oh well, la vita e cosi. <BR> <BR>BTW, "walking" guests, i.e., overbooking to compensate for no-shows and then not having a room available, also happens at some very large, expensive, and well-respected hotels in the US and elsewhere. I guess they learned this trick from the airlines. <BR> <BR>

Bobbi

Celeste, <BR>Sorry to hear of your difficulties at the Hotel Chirusarelli. Especially so, because I have a confirmed reservation there for this October. I too was told breakfast could not be excluded. Can anyone else share a better experience? I'm hoping I won't have to change as I've read so many positive things about this hotel in previous postings but if things have changed . . . <BR>Bobbi

celeste

KT, as you said let's keep things in perspective, mistakes happen, problems occur but what makes a big difference is attitude. If the hotel desk just apologized instead of blaming the internet, other hotel personnel and proceeded to find a hotel that best fits our needs, then that will be the end of it. FYI - I sent an e-mail to the hotel management, i might or might not get a reply but hopefully, something positive happens that will benefit others.

celeste

Further to my warning re Hotel Chiusarelli, I thought I should pass some annoyances which I heard about in this forum, was prepared for it and just passed them as mere trivialities. Experienced being approached at the Rome termini and offered a taxi to hotel for 50,000 L (we just went straight to the taxi stand and was charged 15,000 L) and gypsies w/ the cardboard in (just loudly said Vada Via, go away in English, they meekly disappeared real fast), resturant tourist trap in Venice (learned from it, just happened once and was never repeated), shortchanging in Padua McDonald's (went back to cashier and got back the correct change right away), tabacchia in Siena sold us a used prepaid card (went back and got a new prepaid card without protest from the owner);a hotel owner offering us a choice of public and private parking (we took the public one and realized the next day that they have a separate hotel parking for free which we used for the next few days), a hotel desk upon asking for water sold me a bottle for a restaurant price (i realize that the hotel is about 2 stores away from a grocery), when buying pizza, which they often sold by weight, I keep on repeating piccolo, small in english, the vendor pretended he does not understand (I heard him later speaking english),gave me double of what we can eat and of course, paid for it, if you're not a water drinker, try to avoid bottle of water in restaurant as they charged much, much more than vino, always tell vendors how much you're giving them before handing the money and always be aware of your surrounding. Hope above help, as I said those are minor annoyances did not bother us a bit, took them with the grain of salt and did not in any way stop us from appreciating the beauty of Italy. Given another chance, we will not have a second of hesitation. IMO, some dishonest people of Italy are aware of the tourist influx and try to take advantage of it but as we see it, it can happen anywhere, just be very aware and enjoy Italy at her fullest!

KT

Celeste: I entirely agree with you. Sorry if I implied otherwise. -- KT

susan

I stayed at the Hotel Chiusarelli last June. The room was pleasant. I had no problems except when checking out/paying the bill. They tried to charge me for breakfast even though I did not eat breakfast and booked a room without breakfast. Luckily after showing them my hard copy of my faxed confirmation and after about 10 minutes of discussion, they charged me the correct amount...room without breakfast. I would stay there again but would make sure when I checked in that the price of the room is the price confirmed when the reservation was made.

Holly

I stayed at the Chiusarelli in '98 and again 3 weeks ago. When I checked in this last time, they put me into a room with a balcony. Which was lovely, until I stepped outside and realized it was shared with the person or people in the next room. And the lighting over the sink in the bathroom didn't work at all. When I requested a room change for security reasons, the guy at the desk just said "What's the matter? This is Siena." As for the bathroom lighting, that would have to wait til morning (it was only 1 in the afternoon at the time). Morning came, there was no hot water in the shower at 5:30 a.m. even though there was hot water coming out of the tub spicket, but the hand hose didn't work. Fortunately the woman at the desk - I suspect she's the owner or at least manager - sympathized with the shower situation and the (different) guy working the desk while she was standing there immediately put me into a new room. Which was remodeled with new flooring, shower, tile, all the lights worked, I was very happy. I guess it's a crap shoot with that hotel these days. As for their breakfast, it's 1 of the better ones I've had in Italy.