II Chiostro del Carmine

Absolutely disgraceful. This was, without question, the worst hotel experience I’ve ever had. The room smelled putrid, the air-conditioning reeked of mold, the floors were filthy, most of the outlets didn’t work, and the WiFi was completely useless. Every part of the stay was miserable. What made it even worse was Ester. The day before, she agreed that the issues were serious and told us we would be moved to a different room. The next day, she completely changed her story, refused to honor what she had promised, and tried to blame us for the situation. Instead of taking responsibility for the hotel’s failures, she acted as though we were the problem. It was frustrating, insulting, and completely unprofessional. The air conditioning unit was visibly covered in green mold which is a serious health hazard. Breathing in hot mold just like that will Give anybody with a weak immune system, legionnaires disease, and possibly kill them. I’ve stayed in budget hotels, hostels, and roadside motels that were cleaner, better maintained, and had far more respectful staff. This hotel managed to fail on cleanliness, maintenance, internet service, and customer service all at once. Save your money, save your time, and stay literally anywhere else. You will be better off sleeping outside than In this slop.

I have never in my life felt more compelled to warn the public about a business than I do after my recent stay at this absolute disaster of a hotel. If you value your health, your sanity, and your hard-earned money, do yourself a massive favor and book literally anywhere else. From the moment we unlocked the door, we were hit with a stench so foul it made us gag. Our room was located directly next to the public bathrooms, which would be bad enough on its own, but the real nightmare was the air conditioning unit. The scent of raw sewage was actively being pumped directly into our room from the sewage canal up through the AC. Upon closer inspection, the entire inside of the AC unit was covered in thick, black mold. Breathing this air felt like a safety hazard, and honestly, with that level of stagnant moisture and filth, we were genuinely terrified of the possibility of contracting Legionnaires' disease. The AC barely even worked to cool the room anyway, leaving us trapped in a hot, humid, moldy, sewage-scented box. The issues didn't stop with the air quality. The Floors: The floors were visibly unclean. There were mysterious sticky patches, layers of dust, and debris from whoever stayed there before us. It clearly hadn't been vacuumed or mopped in weeks. The Outlets: Not a single electrical outlet in the room worked. We couldn't charge our phones, laptops, or cameras, which made communication and planning our trip completely impossible. The Wi-Fi: Even if our devices had batteries, the Wi-Fi would not connect throughout the rooms at all. We were entirely cut off. The Shower: The bathroom was another disaster zone. The shower had absolutely zero temperature control. It would violently fluctuate between freezing ice water and scalding, burning hot water periodically. Taking a shower was less about getting clean and more about trying to survive without getting a first-degree burn. The absolute worst part of this entire ordeal was the front desk staff, specifically a worker named Ester. When we went down to calmly explain the situation and ask for a room change or some form of accommodation, Ester was extremely, unapologetically rude. She did absolutely nothing to help accommodate our problems. Instead of showing an ounce of empathy or professionalism, she rolled her eyes and repeatedly told us that she simply didn’t care. It is mind-blowing that someone with that level of hostility is allowed to work in customer service. This hotel is an unsanitary, broken-down health hazard managed by staff who openly despise their guests. Do not risk your health or peace of mind here. Ester and this establishment should be ashamed.

This hotel was one of the biggest disappointments of our trip. It absolutely does not deserve a 4-star rating. Without question, this was the worst hotel experience I’ve ever had. Room 2 smelled putrid, the air-conditioning reeked of mold, the floors were filthy, most of the outlets barely worked, and the WiFi was essentially useless. Every part of the stay felt dirty, neglected, and uncomfortable. What made it even worse was Ester. The day before, she acknowledged the problems and promised we would be moved to a different room. The next day, she completely changed her story, refused to honor what she had promised, and then tried to blame us for the situation. Instead of taking responsibility for the hotel’s condition, she treated us like we were the inconvenience. It was frustrating, insulting, and shockingly unprofessional. The moldy smell coming from the air-conditioning unit was so bad that we were genuinely uncomfortable sleeping in the room. No guest should have to wonder whether the air they’re breathing is safe. Save your money, save your vacation, and stay literally anywhere else. The only thing “4-star” about this hotel is the imagination required to give it that rating.

4/5. A lovely old hotel a 5 min walk from the Duomo. A great place to stay in old Siena. Our third time in Siena and I’m still in awe of the place. Arrival 4/5. We arrived by train from Pisa via Empoli. Too far to walk from the station to the hotel, so we got Taxi. Approx 15 mins and 16 euro. How they get their taxi’s through the narrow Siena streets I do not know? The entrance hall is very interesting and looks like a Crusader castle cellar. Check in was swift and staff friendly. The only slight downside is no lift, so carrying the cases (my job of course) was a bit of a challenge. Only 2 floors thankfully. There’s a lovely courtyard by the entrance too. Very atmospheric. Location 5/5. On a very quiet street, where everywhere you look there are old buildings. Great for access to the Duomo area and Piazza Del Campo. There’s a well stocked Carrefour mini market 30m away for water, wine etc. Lots of nice sliced meats and cheeses too. Plenty of small Tuscan restaurants within 5 min stroll. Room 5/5. Very spacious room 25 with a huge and very comfy bed. Large sofa and 2 comfy chairs. Desk and chair. Kettle and tea/coffee. TV, but no English news channel that we could find - understandably really, as we are in Italy!! Large bedside tables with wall lamps above. Large wardrobe with plenty of storage. Good and easy to use aircon. Great black out curtains. A very quiet area - we didn’t hear any noise at all. We slept great. Everywhere was clean, tidy and well maintained. Bathroom 4/5. Toilet, bidet and a nice shower. Interesting red tiles. All very clean and tidy. We did find that it did steam up a bit. Breakfast 4/5. A pleasant breakfast. Fresh fruit, cereal choices, pastries, breads, cold meats, cheeses, salads? Juices and some hot food too. No decaf coffee unfortunately, buy plenty of tea choices. Overall 4/5. More like 4 1/2. A lovely historic hotel in a quiet area close to the Duomo, with friendly and helpful staff. We had a very pleasant stay here and I have no hesitation in recommending this hotel.

Completely misleading photos of the place when I booked compare to reality, the pits. The excuse for every problem is that the place was a former convent. I’ve seen other convents becoming beautiful hotels and this one is not the case. Old and tired needs a different operator to give it a lift. If you are over 60 years old, do not stay here, there is no lift moreover when you take the stairs up they have a sliding pendency down, extremely difficult to go upstairs. They say there is a porter for your bags we stayed 2 nights and saw no one. Reception never picks up the phone had to do up and down several times. The room we had was very small and had drummy tiles not too consider the size of the shower being built exclusively for very skinny people. Never stay here again not even for free.