Just back ...
 

Just returned from 2 week in Italy (Florence, Rome and Tuscany) Had terrible experience at Rick Steves suggested place - Albbrtho La Scaletta - $130/nite. Treated us very rude. I left and will more than likely still have to pay for reservation. Live and learn. To have stayed there after the incident would have ruined the start of our vacation. Stayed at MOST WONDERFUL, small apt.in Montepulciano. Owners couldn't have been nicer. Wonderful, view with balcony. Totally private, yet within steps of the town - Very good value. http://web.tiscali.it/no-redirect/po...po_inghome.htm

Can you elaborate on how this hotel treated you rudely as it may help others. Thanks.
It would help to post your comments also on tripadvisor.com

I fail to understand why people recommend the use of Trip Advisor

I find it to be about the most useless website. The same hotel can have GREAT reviews and horrid reviews. (And sometimes it appears the same reviewer posts 10 times just to "change" the rating!)

Did I miss something? Who recommended Trip Advisor?

Marcielee, I copied and pasted the apartment URL but got an "errore sito." Could you check it and post again?

Francofiles suggestion to the OP was to post a review of trip advisor. My point (not well made, I admit) was that you would do better just to post here then to waste your time posting there.

I disagree. TripAdvisor reviews are not entirely helpful, but they do show the full gamut of possibilities. The reason there may be 10 positive and 10 negative reviews is that different guests might get different rooms and different staff and have different expectations. It wouldn't make sense if all reviews were the same. On occasion I have been unnecessarily scared by the TripAdvisor reviews, but I've always been glad to know in advance what the potential problems are.

My point was to post the comments in as many sites as possible. You don't consider that helpful to other prospective guests? Maybe you don't care about reading comments on tripadvisor.com but there are others who check that site but don't know about Fodor's (or others).

Not really.

I have seen proof over on Trip Advisor that the 10 positives and/or 10 negatives could ALL be from the same source (including the owner!) I find message boards like this much more trustworthy.

Just because Fodor's requires registration you trust the comments here? Hey, that's your opinion. I've got mine too.

Let me clarify further. Fodor's registration does not mean that the comments will be any more truthful than ones on tripadvisor.com. Yes, the majority are trustworthy-I have no doubt about that!!
But there have been more than several instances where a new poster has posted one-sided comments (recall the one for Le Madison where this one-time poster says he/she stays at the Madison each month for a ridiculous no. of years and was saying how great the hotel was, etc.??). So how can you say comments seen on Fodors are absolutely trustworthy?

Reason, I hastily posted message was to put down this establishment in Florence, Albergo La Scaletta, reccomended by Rick Steves. Man indicated per gestures and mutterings that I was extremely dumb when I sighed some paper for him in my married name, rather than the name that the passport had been orginally issued in. Owner got up in my husbands face and even made fun of him after we told them we were leaving. People there very volitile !
Found apt on message board - "apartamenti al poggiolo"<[email protected]>. You won't be sorry - Apt #3 best. While here = want to recommend highly Reale Scale Tours in Rome - $ but oh, so worth it !

CarolA--one person can (and some probably do) use several different identities to post positives or negatives here as well.

Whate we have NOT YET HEARD is the nature of this bad experience and no amount of negative, or positive, "reviews" matters a whit as much as knowing what happened, even if it is only one side of the story. "Treated us very rude" is kinda non-specific.

The reason has been posted now. In my opinion, that is reason enough to post a negative comment.

Reviews on TripAdvisor are not so great either:
http://www.tripadviser.com/Hotel_Rev...e_Tuscany.html

I'm sure marcielee appreciates all these fine comments.

Marcielee: I am staying in the same apt. in Montelpuciano - Poggiolo #3 (the one with the little terrace)in early Oct. Is the location good? Can you easily walk to stores, restaurants in the town? I've heard the owners are very nice and helpful. Did you have a car? How is parking there? Any helpful tidbits re the apt. would be greatly appreciated. I think Patrick is staying there too.

Barb - Put your fears away - the place is heaven. + to all that you want.

Hi, Marcielee:
I was delighted to read how much you enjoyed the Poggiolo apt. #3. My husband and I will be in that one in early Sept. (I guess - after Patrick and before Barb).....maybe we should have a reunion of renters in #3!
Mary Jean