1 and 2 star hotels in Italy - okay?
 

I have recently read some posts that advised against staying in 1 and 2 star hotels in Italy. I am a little freaked out by this, as we are leaving in three weeks for our trip and have booked all our hotels, and most are 1 or 2 stars. Are they going to be dirty and wet and most importantly, are they going to have mosquitos? I wasn't really worried until now, but we have made reservations everywhere and could pay a penalty for cancellation if we cancel too close to the reservation date. Please give me any thoughts on staying in the "cheap" hotels in Italy. Also, here is a list of some of the places where we are staying, so if you have heard anything good or bad about any of these, I would love to hear it!

Sorrento - Casa Susy B&B
Florence - Hotel Giappone
Venice - Hotel Caprera
Menaggio - Hotel Garni Corona

Not worried about Rome accomodations, as we are renting a private apartment.

Only you can judge your tolerance for comfort and convenience. If you are under 50 and adaptable I suspect you will be fine. Good luck !

I've never stayed in 1*, but have stayed in 2* (Hotel Casci in FLorence). It was delightful. Check TripAdvisor for comments on your hotels. There definitely are some very respectable 2* hotels. The * system has more to do with amenities than hotel quality.

We have only stayed in 1 & 2 star hotels and they have been some of the most charming I have ever been to. I looked at the web site for the hotel in Venice. I advise against staying so close to the train. It is all tourists. Try Hotel Galleria. Very charming and in a lovely area, Dorsuduro. I think their rates are still under $100.

I often stay in 2-star hotels in Italy. They will not be luxurious, and they will lack some of the ammenities of hotels with more stars. But all of my accomodations have been spotlessly clean, and some have been quite charming.

Mosquitos can be a problem anywhere, and screens are not common in Italy, regardless of the number of stars the hotel may have.

I'm not specifically familiar with any of your hotels, but the Hotel Giappone is recommended on eurocheapo.com, which personally inspects its listings and has gotten good feedback.

I have stayed in 1 and 2 star hotels in Italy, since hotels there are quite expensive. We were taken aback at first at the lack of AC and the rickety elevator in one hotel. And in one hotel, some people in our group had to use a communal bathroom. That was in Rome. Our 1 star hotel in Venice (forgot the name) was actually quite charming as was the 2 star (I think) in Florence. As long as you are willing to do without AC (and even in the summer, the evenings usually bring nice breezes), use stairs instead of elevators in some cases, and don't expect top quality (but clean) linens, you will be fine.

Wow, such quick replies! Thanks! That has definitely reassured me a bit. I saw the review for Hotel Giappone on eurocheapo.com, and I had picked this hotel from Let's Go because they said it had "immaculate" shared baths, which is a must.

All the other hotels I listed seem okay from their pictures, but who knows? I am still hoping someone in this forum has heard something about them. I swear,this forum is a lifesaver for travel planning!

Wow, such quick replies! Thanks! That has definitely reassured me a bit. I saw the review for Hotel Giappone on eurocheapo.com, and I had picked this hotel from Let's Go because they said it had "immaculate" shared baths, which is a must.

oops... that posted twice, sorry...

Stars aren't provided for cleanliness, lack of bugs, comfort, ambiance, charm, etc. I've stayed in terrible 3 and 4 star hotels, and wonderful 1 and 2 and no star hotels. Just depends which amenities you want--hotels gain stars for things like swimming pools, formal lobbies, and meeting rooms that don't matter to us at all.

For example, in Italy if a hotel has a reception area that is separate from the entrance actually used by the hotel's guests, it is automatically a one star hotel--it could be the fanciest, cleanest, best located, most excellent hotel in every other way you can imagine, but in Italy it can never be anything but a one star hotel.

So when researching your 1 and 2 star hotels, be sure to note the amenities that it has--it could be better than many 3 and 4 star hotels.

Rufus has it right,

The number of stars aren't related to things that really matter.

(To me, anyway)






I wonder how long it will take for someone to flame me for being arrogant and not knowing what I am talking about.

My limited experience with 1* and 2* hotels in Italy I found through guide books before my last trip--lots of stairs, odd shaped rooms, mismatched furniture, hard and soft beds, tiny baths with varying water pressure/temp, and my favorite was the fire exit sign over the door to our room.

One location we had over a pedestrian mall was really noisy from the cafes--seemed like such a nice atmosphere until we wanted to sleep. It was hot in Florence in June and we thought it was nice to hear the church bells through the open windows, but we were terribly bitten by mosquitos that night.

I've booked all budget hotels again for my upcoming visit. The only change is I am booking the cheapest recommended place with air conditioning in case I need to close the windows at night.

Kay2 -
booking hotels with air conditioning may not solve your problem. In some hotels in Italy (more frequently budget hotels) the air conditioning is centrally controlled and is only available during the heat of the day.

A 2* hotel is considered a normal, medium class hotel here in the US, the star systems in Europe are not like the star systems here. I always stay in 2* places (even pensiones- which are lower!) and have had great stays each time. Cheap there does not mean bad. Often many include a breakfast too - check with your hotels. I use the "Let's Go" guides which have great recommendations for "budget" places that have been on the mark each and every time.

<<Only you can judge your tolerance for comfort and convenience. If you are under 50 and adaptable I suspect you will be fine. Good luck !>>

Under 50 is a requirement to enjoy a 2 star hotel? Yikes! I am getting older than I realized!

:)

Best wishes,

Rex