Panic Mode: Albergo Cesari, Rome Just Cancelled Our Reservations!
 

I just received notification that our room reservations have been cancelled in June due to extensive hotel renovations. The hotel expects to be closed until November, 2006.

I am so wired right now because I have to find rooms for 10 people, (which includes two quad rooms per night).

I sent an e-mail to the Albergo Cesari, asking them for help in relocating our group, but right now I've got to hustle to find rooms (with air conditioning) for our visit.

I just needed to vent.

I'm very sorry to hear about what this hotel did last minute. What? They just now realized that renovations would last until November?! The hotel didn't even offer to rebook your group? How awful.

This is the e-mail message from the hotel:

"We wish to express our sincere appreciation for the preference given to the Hotel Cesàri and are proud to announce that as of June 27th, 2006, the Hotel will undergo important renovation works in order to optimize the quality of hotel services for the best comfort of our Clientele.

The renovation works will include a new air conditioning and heating system, the creation of a roof garden, and remodeling of the hotel façade.

However, due to the complexity of the renovation works, the Hotel will have to be completely closed out from June 27th to November 15th, 2006 included."

I have all the hotels I was interested in on an Excel spreadsheet, plus I kept all the e-mail responses from the hotels I queried in a "Rome" file folder in my e-mail. I'm in for a lot of work today.

francophile03, thank you for the sympathetic response. Right now I'm feeling sorry for myself.

Good luck with your search. I'm sure it'll all work out in the end.

I am really, really sorry to hear this. How aggravating! I know you probably have your heart set on the P. Navona area, but if you're looking else, you may want to try the Hotel San Carlo. Faxing them is the fastest way to get a reservation. Here's their website:

http://www.hotelsancarloroma.com/

I offer my sincere best wishes in find a new place for next month.

BC

Hotel Portoghesi?

Check out Hotel Genio--right at the Piazza Navona.

We had five rooms there several years ago. We really enjoyed the rooftop terrace.

http://www.leonardihotels.com/Genio/index.jsp

Good luck!

Byrd

What a bummer, imK.

I'm sure that you will get it worked out.

((I))

Inexcusable... thoughtless really

bookchick,

I previously had problems with the San Carlo's responses to my requests, and I gave up on them. I know you highly recommend this hotel, and it looks lovely.

However, I just received an e-mail from them confirming a one-night reservation that we need for Friday, July 7th,the night before our departure from Rome (we will be returning to Rome from the Amalfi Coast.)

They do not have availability for June 29 - July 3, so I am still scrambling for those dates.

byrd,

I had sent a REPLY to an old e-mail message I had received from Hotel Genio. The e-mail I responded to was: [email protected]. (Hotel Genio is part of a group of hotels.)

Twice this morning I received an undeliverable message from the "Postmaster." Do you have a different e-mail address that I can try?

Have you stayed at the Hotel Genio? The location looks good.

Hi Ira,

Yes, that old Yankee ingenuity is kicking in!

Dear IAK,
So sorry to hear this.

My next door neighbor stayed at the Hotel Genio for part of his honeymoon and was very happy with their service, location and price.

Again, sincere best wishes,
BC

I just got an e-mail from another Fodorite. She has also had her room reservations cancelled at the Albergo Cesari.

kane,

This is the e-mail listed on the website. Hope it works for you.

[email protected]

Our little group of five couples stayed at the Genio a few years ago.

We had five rooms, and they varied in size, so you might ask for larger roomes.

We really enjoyed staying there. The location, of course, is unbeatable, the staff were helpful, and, as I said, the rooftop terrace afforded wonderful views of the city. It's a perfect place for a late afternoon glass of wine

Again, good luck!

Byrd

byrd,

Thank you for the new e-mail address. I just sent a request. I like what you had to say about this hotel.

What would induce a hotel to close for an entire high season? Can you say "Condemnation Notice?" Maybe you're better off somewhere else, no matter what it takes.

I suggest you stop by and see how the renovations are progressing - then report back here (and a dozen other travel forums) if the hotel is open for business as usual. Sounds fishy.

Robespierre,

I was just on the phone with my DIL, and she had the same thoughts as you...are they being shut down for violations?

It does seem fishy that they would close their doors in high season. I will definitely check this hotel out when in Rome, and report on this forum and tripadvisor.

Sorry this happened. Good luck, Kane!

Kane, what is surprising is that with their notice to you of the cancellation the hotel didn't included alternative accommodations for you. I certainly would be VENTING in all "capital letters" if I were in your position.

Isn't it helpful to have this forum for times just like this. Would checking out www.venere.com be of any help? Good luck, Deborah

DeborahAnn,

In all fairness to the hotel, I just received this second e-mail from them:

Dear Mrs.Kane

With reference to your last e-mail, we would like to inform you that we will do our best to find for you the best soloution, the nearest accomodation.

At this moment we are working for you.
Tomorrow you will recive more clearer informations.

Hoping to satisfy you, we send you our best regards.

We stayed at Hotel Santa Maria in Trastevere last September. If I remember correctly, they did have quad rooms. If interested, see if they still give a discount if you bring either the Rick Steves Rome or Italy book (we got 45 euros off website price per night). Good hotel. It's popular, so it might be sold out, but you might want to give it a shot. Good luck!

((H))

Kane, fingers crossed for you and yours.

maitaitom,

Yes, I had forgotten about the Santa Maria in Trastevere because it wasn't my first choice as a location.

I did send the hotel an e-mail about accommodations (including 2 quad rooms per night).

Is this adversity supposed to make me a stronger person?

Kane, Well, I don't know about you but I certainly feel alot better about the hotel's integrity after the second email ;;) I would think they have some connections with other hotels, who knows with any luck you might end up with better accommodations than you originally expected. Best of luck to you. Deborah

Try Utell.com. A few years ago, we booked Hotel Genio through them and it was great. Hotel Genio is part of Utell...Good luck!

What price range are you hoping for?

"Is this adversity supposed to make me a stronger person?"

Definitely, yes! Whatever doesn't kill you ;)

Sorry Kane, I wish I could be helpful.

"Is this adversity supposed to make me a stronger person?"

No, that's what the vino is for.

I understand about Trastevere not being your first choice. Trastevere is an acquired taste. When we first arrived, I wondered where the hell I had booked us. There was quite a bit of graffiti.

However, as we acclimated to the surroundings, we found the area to be vibrant and alive. It's not a bad walk to most of the major areas, and we really enjoyed the nightlife in T. The hotel was terrific with a great food spread at "Happy Hour" and a nice bar to relax after a day of sightseeing. The people working there were great.

Wherever you end up, have a great time. If you stay in Trastevere, be sure to go to the Enoteca with the great chocolate dessert.

((H))

Oh no! I have reservations there for this September. I have not received an e-mail yet . . .

Well, that makes the hotel seem even more suspicious since abby97 hasn't received an email from them yet.

francophile03,

Not that I want to see abby97 in the same predicament that I am, but it is odd she hasn't received a notification. Unless she didn't correspond with them via e-mail.

abby97 how did you communicate originally with the hotel?

The other Fodorite who received the cancellation notice is daffy173.

There's more to this story...when I first booked these reservations, the room rate was high, and even after my asking for a lower rate, the hotel didn't budge.

Then, unexpectedly, about two weeks later, I received an e-mail from the Albergo Cesari offering me a discount on the room rate, which was $900 to my favor. Of course, I accepted, and there were at least 3-4 subsequent e-mails after that offer (confirming, firming up the reservation, etc.)

My husband first thought the cancellaton was a price issue, but when I received the e-mail from daffy173, I discarded that thought.

Got to get back to sending e-mails to Rome hotels.

Thanks everyone for the kind remarks.

I corresponded with them via e-mail. My last correspondence with them is an e-mail dated 1/20/06 that is a "reconfirmation" of my reservation.

I'll update here if I receive anything. In the meantime, I am going to start looking at other hotels.

Well, we also had our reservation cancelled. There go our plans to meet, i_am_kane!

I saw this post earlier in the day and called my husband who checked his email but had not received anything. He then checked mine and there it was - a cancellation "proudly announcing the renovations"! I am so upset by this. I just can't believe it!

My husband called them and they confirmed the cancellation with great apologies. I emailed and was also told that they would help us find a hotel. I doubt it!

They gave us a very good rate also. I hope that is not the reason for this situation.

We'll be up all night trying to find a hotel with two available rooms for a busy time period.

Good luck to all who are dealing with this disappointing problem!

What a nightmare, especially with 10 people in high season and any kind of budget restrictions...Good luck...I'll pray it works out for you.

"There go our plans to meet, i_am_kane! "

I'm sure there is a good wine bar in Roma where you guys will be able to commiserate over the bad happenings of today. Just like when we put the wrong gas in our rental car, things have a way of working themselves out. Good luck!

((H))

maitaitom,

You are always good for a laugh, and I need it right now.

marianna,

I sent you an e-mail message this morning about this problem. Maybe you didn't receive it?

victoria,

I think we are going to be handing out sympathies to a lot more people who booked at this hotel.

Y'all can do it! Just keep e-mailing, e-mailing. And you might try places like Orbitz.

We found four hotels in Verona, Balogna, Venice, and at Malpensa airport in three days last month when we decided to take a last-minute trip.

I (who usually spend hours reading reviews, looking at maps, etc.) found that when I have,to, I can lower my standards considerably.

And actually all our hotels were really nice and well priced.

The hotel in Bologna we reserved through Orbitz, since no other hotels there answered my e-mails.

Keep trying.. the perfect hotel is there somewhere waiting for you. Listen to Maitaitom. It will all work out.

Byrd

We have reservations from June 24 -29 at Albergo Cesari. Haven't heard from them yet, but will send them an e-mail and start cracking on a new hotel. Bummer!! We had the quad room - probably won't find another one of those.

You are right, maitaitom, maybe i_am_kane and I will still be able to meet eachother anyway. However, we had just a brief few hours of overlapping time in Rome. Who knows, it may still work out as things sometimes do! You are such a positive(not to mention humorous)influence here and for that I thank you.

I_am_kane, I did not pick up email today from hotmail. I was at work anyway, but when I got home , my (really) DH bought me a new PC for my birthday and I don't have all my "stuff" on it yet. I figured that you had emailed me though. I wish you all the best with this. We are only 4 while you are 10!

I wish I had relatives in Rome as well as in Ercolano!