HOTEL ANTARES (****) VIA POSTUMA, 88 1-37069 VILLAFRANCA DI VERONA TEL: +39 045 6301879 FAX: +39 045 6303722 www.hotelantares.com info@hotelantares.com
Please do not be fooled by flashy web page presented by the management of this Hotel near Villa Franca, approximately 20min by car from Verona city, Italy. It is situated on a very busy (noisy) main road, right next to a bird farm that was easy to smell from the room we occupied. The farm ensures a continuos supply of insects reaches the hotel, day and night; they enter the bathrooms through the air vents above. The entire front of the hotel is finished in dry cement, which the management have attempted to camouflage using big posters. There is another building site next to the hotel (that was the view from our room). There is a bus stop in front of the hotel but they run 1 per hour and are not on time. It is too far to walk to Verona but Villa Franca (a small town), is approximately 40 min. walking.
The hotel has two parts, of which only the second, modern part can be said to resemble a 4 star building. If you book a package holiday (e.g. Ebookers.com), you will almost certainly be placed in the older part which is characterised by the following:
A dirty, tiny single lift for all 5 floors (wait forever for it..). Faulty / non-operating air-conditioning (and the area is quite humid - we had to leave the insect inviting windows open at night). Worn / dirty wallpaper (splash stains on the wall next to our bed). Analogue TV with poor reception. Only 3 channels were watchable. Faulty furniture (door handles that come off, etc). There was a phone in the room which is useless because we were unable to figure out how to use it. There was a knackered minibar that was totally empty apart from a few bottles of water. Toiletries consist entirely of a few packets of shower gel intended for hair and body use and white towels. There was no information in the room (leaflefts etc) explaining the services available (presumably because there are none).
The service offered is poor regardless of the building you are allocated to: We were not shown to our rooms and finding the light mechanism was a challenge in the dark. The hot buffet advertised consists entirely of eggs and bacon (which runs out within the first 40 min.), some cakes and fruit salad. No laundry service. No room service whatsoever. No in-room tea / coffee facilities. A soft drink anywhere within the hotel will cost upwards of 2 Euros (£1.50). Alcohol is prohibitively expensive. The 'shuttle' offered as part of their '4 star' service is a van driven by one of the employees who knocks off work at 5pm sharp, so if you're flight is after that time, 'there are taxis available', as the German smart alek receptionist told us.. they will not collect you from the Airport (just 3 km away) either. The swiming-pool was 'out of order' and out of bounds - I assume they did not want the extra expense of cleaning it.
In conclusion, I have to warn you of the arrogant receptionists and the fact that, being a road motel, the Hotel Antares caters mainly for coach-loads of German tourists who stopover on cheap tours. I've stayed in 2 star motels with better style and service.
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Welcome to Ciao!. Fionaxx
ice_pink 06.10.2006 17:35
What a shame....thanks for the warning and welcome to Ciao x
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