Two disappointing days of our otherwise very enjoyable 10-day trip around Sicily.
As requested in the Hotels.com booking instructions, I sent a photo of our car registration via WhatsApp ahead of arrival. Because the hotel was located on a mostly pedestrian street accessible only with permission, I called to confirm directions. Instead of helping, I was immediately told off for “not sending the car registration number,” despite the fact that I had already sent it in the same WhatsApp chat I was calling from.
Rather than giving directions, the woman on the phone spent several minutes berating me for “not contacting sooner” and for “booking through Hotels.com instead of directly.”
The place itself looked tired. The toilet seat was broken, there was visible mould in the bathroom, and despite staying two nights, there was no room cleaning or servicing.
When checking out, we confirmed that we could briefly park outside to load the car. Again, we were scolded for “not sharing” the registration number, which had already been provided.
A couple of hours after checkout, I received an angry phone call from the same woman accusing us of taking the room key. I explained several times that I had left it on the reception desk. After a couple of minutes, she found the key exactly where I had said it was. No apology followed.
Unfortunately, the entire experience felt unnecessarily hostile and stressful from start to finish