Five Star Hotels in Italy

The usual policy is to book budget accommodation & spend money on attractions, bars and restaurants in Italian cities. But are bathroom goodies & mini-bar worth it?

Five Star Hotels in Italy

When I’m off on my travel, I don’t tend to spend all that much time in my hotel. Hence I tend to veer more towards good value budget accommodation than five star hotels. After all, the point of urban travel is seeing the city, not some kind of interchangeable hotel room. I’m happy to forgo the luxury accommodation, chocolates on the pillow, mini-bar and free bathroom goodies if it means I’ve got more money to spend on attractions, sight-seeing, bars and restaurants.

Luxury Hotel

However, on a recent trip to Italy, I was put up in a five star hotel (there is the occasional perk for travel writers, in case you hadn’t guessed). I was quite excited about this, as it was a first for me. I’ve stayed in the occasional luxury hotel before, but not one that breaks through the five star barrier.

Ratings system

Well, all I can say after the experience (I won’t mention in which Italian city this five star hotel was; it’s fairly irrelevant to the point) is that the ratings system is a perplexing beast. I’d stayed in three star hotels that appear better equipped and more luxurious. There was nothing particularly wrong with it – apart from pushing two single beds together to make a double, my ultimate hotel no-no – but it was hardly as special I was expecting. Perhaps I just lucked out, but when I’m travelling on my own dollar (or pound), I’m going to stick to my guns, go for the good value, and spend it on the bars, restaurants and attractions of Italian cities.