Global_Tourists
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We were spending a weekend in Pisa and reserved a Junior Suite at the hotel, with balcony and river view. As experienced independent travellers we had done some homework and realised that the Royal Victoria Hotel claims to be Italy's oldest hotel, which in a previous era had hosted royalty, literary figures as well as stars of stage and screen. We got a great deal through Booking.com for £255 for two nights.||We flew into Pisa's delightful provincial airport with a direct flight from Birmingham. There is a taxi rank outside the arrivals hall, from which we caught a cab for the 10 minute ride to the hotel (20 euros).||Externally, the property presents as a 5 storey vintage hotel, set in a street of similarly aged properties directly overlooking the River Arno. It is the only hotel on on the river in Pisa. We had checked-in on-line the previous evening and had uploaded our passports etc. We entered the doorway into a marble-tiled hall, with a reception desk to the left. The lobby was furnished with shabby-chic period furniture, framed sepia-tone pictures on the wall and oddments of antiques on display (an old cash register, old suitcases and trunks, an old telephone kiosk etc). With minimal welcome, we were handed the key to our Junior Suite (room 102) and we made our way to a small lift which took us to the first floor. We exited the lift into a lobby, with nearby breakfast room and several residents lounges, each furnished with country-style vintage furniture, old framed photos and the same ambience of shabby-chic, which blended well with the overall 'museum' feel of the hotel. Other floors at the property had similar furnishings which displayed interesting collections of curios.||We walked to the door to our Junior Suite and entered. We found ourselves in a long L-shaped room with parquetry flooring. We had a comfortable king size bed, two bedside cabinets, two high-back chairs, a sideboard (with modern flat-screen TV) and a large period wardrobe. Walking down to the sitting-room area, it was furnished with a small table, a small fridge, two vintage easy chairs and an antique sofa - all of which had new upholstery. There was a standard lamp - which was ideal for reading. The walls were hung with old photos and pictures, together with a large gilt-framed mirror. Some parts of the otherwise plastered wall showed exposed parts of the old stone walls of the building. Rather rickety and poorly maintained French doors (with shutters) opened onto our private balcony, which was furnished with a table and two chairs and gave an eye-catching view of the river together with the parades of old buildings stretching along the riverbank. At the rear of the Junior Suite was a rather dated bathroom, accessed through glazed old wooden doors. It had very old fittings, comprising a WC, bidet, washbasin and bath with over-bath shower. An array of white towels were provided along with pump action dispensers for soap/ shampoo. There was a wall-mounted hairdryer. Note that there is no in-room safe (but I understand that security boxes are available in reception) and no clothes iron.||In terms of housekeeping, the aircon remote control was missing, one bed-side lamp did not work and the two iron chandeliers had mismatched odd-coloured lampshades, with one of the candle-fittings leaning rather more to one side than the famous tower of Pisa. There was also some black mold above the bath tiles and patches of what seemed like penetrating damp on some of the walls. Many of the public areas of the hotel were, upon looking closely, rather dusty.||Breakfast is served at a buffet - on the same floor as our room. It comprised hams, salamis, cheese, breads, rolls, croissants, yoghurts along with hot drinks and fruit squash (not juice). I brought a tray of breakfast things back to our room, which we enjoyed on our balcony in the morning sunshine.||In terms of what's nearby - if you cross over bridge outside the hotel - it brings you to Pisa's principal shopping street with boutiques and various stores. Take either of the alleyways at the side of the hotel - and you'll emerge into a series of squares and streets which are lined with endless restaurants and bars. The 'leaning tower' is a pleasant 15 minute walk and is actually the bell-tower of the adjoining Cathedral. It is set in Piazza Dei Miracoli (Miracle Square) which houses the Cathedral, a Baptistry, a Museum, impressive Cloisters along with the Leaning Tower. These buildings are quite spectacular and are encircled by walled ramparts. You should buy your ticket for all of these attractions on line from the Cathedral's official website - 27 euros (for a combined ticket which includes a timed admission for the Leaning Tower, allowing you, if you wish, to climb the 252 steps to the top. There is no lift.). Buy your ticket as soon as you book your holiday - as they often sell-out weeks in advance. When you visit the Piazza Dei Miracoli, you'll find the streets nearby full of tourist souvenir shops, bars and restaurants galore.||The Royal Victoria Hotel is a faded jewel - a rather unique experience offering the ability to stay in a quirky, rather shambolic and shabby-chic property, with rooms in need of updated facilities to cater for the requirements of modern travellers.
