Hotel Viola

Disappointing
Traveller Type: Solo Traveler
  : I stayed in this hotel & pizzeria in November 2022 for the first weekend of Il Babbo Natale di Caramanico. The hotel looked attractive with a covered veranda; located on a one-way street with parking directly outside and just a short walk into the centre. The staff were very pleasant. There was a small seating area and bar with a TV in the reception. My single room was functional but with the narrowest of en-suites I have ever seen, possibly no more than 50-70 cm deep. I am 5'2" and weigh 49kg but I still head-butted the wall when using the toilet. I had to step over the bidet to use the shower which had an old leaky shower head and soaked the floor. I couldn't open the shower sachet. I hoped to eat in the pizzeria they advertise on their website that night but there was a birthday party on (I wish that I had been informed when booking. I am a single woman and prefer to eat in my hotel at night) and the party took over the entire ground floor including the seating area. I think all the guests must have logged on because the slow internet connection kept giving up. I spent the evening in my room because it was raining but I did go down to get a glass of wine and then a second one. I didn't know the price until I was home. It was 4 a glass (8 in total)!! I know how much local wine is because I live in Abruzzo and can buy 5 LITRES of wine for 7 from my cantina. It's extortionate to charge that much especially to a paying guest and it wasnt room service either. Breakfast was ample and well-presented however none of it was covered and there was a fly enjoying its own brekkie. I informed the pleasant waitress as she brought me a coffee but she didnt seem interested. I have given a Fair score because the staff and location was good.

Very Good
Traveller Type: Solo Traveler
  : This is a very traditional Italian provincial hotel, so don't expect the Hyatt and you won't be disappointed. As others have said, the staff are very friendly and helpful, and the breakfasts are excellent. So is the pizza restaurant (although I only got to eat there once because it is closed on Wednesdays). The single room was simple but not Spartan, and very clean. Caramanico Terme is a pretty town, well-placed for the Maiella National Park. There was a particular walk I wanted to do and the tourist information office in town was not yet open, but the hotel proprietor gave me detailed and accurate directions. The "free parking" in the listing turned out to be in the street outside, but I never had any problem finding a spot close by.
  : There is very little to complain about. The WiFi speed is consistent with the old-fashioned vibe, but adequate for e-mail. Hot water takes a while to arrive, but does eventually. A small refrigerator in the room would have been nice, but I wasn't expecting one.

Good
Traveller Type: Traveling as Couple
  : Very clean, good location, ok breakfast, great staff, their pizza and beer are excellent!
  : No mountain view even though it said so on booking and my reservation, the owner said booking didn't contact them about that and they don't have one, well it is not my job to sort out this problem. WiFi is not connected to the internet, I have a Samsung Z fold 3 and a Samsung Tab S7+, and my wife has iPhone 12 pro max, all not connected to the internet. I imagine it is the router's problem but the owner doesn't bother to resolve that, he did give us a another WiFi connection which is not very stable in my room, often disconnected then we have to go to the balcony or corridor near the stairs to reconnect, otherwise we can not even find that WiFi signal in my room.Given my vacation is all about playing my phone on a balcony with mountain view, this left so much to be desire. The staff are all really welcoming though.

Disappointing
Traveller Type: Solo Traveler
  : Breakfast was very good and the location was great.
  : The Wi-Fi only worked in the hotel lobby. The bed was too soft. The lighting in the room was terrible. It was noisy. There were not sufficient outlets in the room. It took a long time to get hot water.