Hotel Gresi, Catania

Advantages: Very comfortable beds
Disadvantages: Location, Poor room service

...I wondered where the taxi was taking me on my way from the airport to the hotel. The area seemed to get worse as we went on and I was really surprised when I saw the hotel. The entrance on the website looks very impressive, the reality is very different( see photo). The location of the hotel wasn’t what I expected, and it seemed to be very run down and seedy, definitely not a tourist area. There were large open rubbish bins in the street, sometimes overflowing and surrounded by rubbish. Filthy pavements, when you could walk on them and they weren’t being used for parked cars. There were a few supermarkets, a bakery and a take away pizza place, but hardly any cafes nearby. There was traffic noise during the morning and evening rush hours. There was a 10-15 minute walk to what I would term the normal tourist areas with shops, cafes... Read review

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Advantages: near city centre
Disadvantages: very dangerous area

...Catania is a rough city in Sicily and the Liberty Hotel is in a bad area of the city. I tried to stay there but was carjacked right outside the Liberty Hotel!!! A man blocked the road while his team of thieves opened my car doors and stole our bags. Because of this incident, I drove off and didn't stay at the hotel that night. My girlfriend was terrified. When I told the hotel about this incident, they would not refund my money for that night. The manager said it was not his fault that I was robbed and that I should have stopped at the hotel to "discuss what happened" even though the hotel was a few feet from where I was robbed!!! That is the craziest thing I have ever heard. Pathetic how bad their customer service is. Please do not stay at the Liberty Hotel. I don't like supporting people that profit on other's misfortunes... Read review

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Advantages: Location, breakfasts
Disadvantages: Poor rooms

...I recently went on a cultural girlie trip with a friend to Paris. I was left to do all the booking. I was looking for a reasonable hotel, near a metro stop, which included breakfast. I came across the Hotel International on various travel sites and it seemed fairly highly rated so I booked us in for three nights. LOCATION: The hotel is located 6 Rue Auguste Barbier in the 11th Arrondissement. The nearest Metro stop is Garcourt which was a two minute walk away and it was a five minute walk to Republique which gives good links to other lines. It's not really central enough to avoid the Metro and walk to the attractions but it was located so close to a stop that it seemed ideal. PRICE: Prices vary depending on size of room and season. There are singles, doubles and triples available. We paid Euro254 for the whole time... Read review

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