Royal Victoria Hotel

We booked a short break, four days, three nights at the Royal Victoria. Not really knowing what to expect I remained open minded, but it didn't live up to expectations. We chose it for its location, midway between the tourist sites and the cenrtal rail station as we had planned days out in Florence and Lucca. Whilst it is sold on its history and quantness,which was nice to see and experience however, it was sadly lacking in other ways. Although we went late October, the aircon would have been useful early evening but the remote was missing. The TV in the room had a remote but wouldn't work and the shower pressure was almost none exisitant. The furniture was all period and looked the part but functionally, it was hardly fit for purpose. There was an old double sized wardrobe with a hanging section on one side and five or six drawers on the other. Despite having the key, none of the drawers would open so had to keep cloths in the suitcase. On the positive side, the staff were excellent, welcoming and helpful. Our last day was a wash out with the weather. Our flight wasn't until 8pm but check out was noon. We were able to leave our cases while we returned later for the taxi but by the time we got back, we were soaked to the skin, even with having the plastic rain covers. The staff allowed us to use an upstairs bathroom to change in to dry clothes before we caught our taxi.|If you want history and a taste of another era, this is for you but beware, its not for everyone. There are very few mod-cons. Had we been there longer and were spending more time in the room, then it would have been an issue but we only used the room for sleep and getting changed so we managed well.

Returned from a weekend break. 2 rooms booked- 401 and 403, my adult children got a room at the front of the hotel, overlooking the river- absolutely stunning sights! The room itself was large, 2 rooms in 1 with an archway to walk through; old but on themed decor- yes it's dated but really quirky! 2 double beds, plenty of storage and just bags of space and character. The other room was next door but 1- large, views of the leaning tower and a courtyard. Smallest bathroom ever- but again quirky and unique. |Check in was quick- completed this online and could check in early. The rooms were cold but heated up at night. |The lift, although stated it could fit 5- we stuck to 3 as it was tiny and slow.|We did walk downstairs and it was amazing to see the character throughout. |Breakfast- not the best, food was running out, people waiting for cutlery, crockery and drinks- but it was fair and there was only 2 staff, sorting the continental breakfast, drinks and pot washing and replenishing.|It was in a prime spot and fair for the cost.

Over the past 25 years or so we have stayed here many times. It's a bit shabby but rather faded glory with excellent staff and reasonable prices. This time we were charged Euros 440 for 2 nights. I foolishly assumed that for this price they had upgraded the rooms. Wrong. Previously, had we arrived early, reception would see if our room was free and if not offer to look after our bags. This time we were brusquely told that checkin wasn't until 15:30. No offer to take the luggage. We asked and did leave leave the luggage. The room: bedside light only worked if we jiggled the exposed wiring, wifi was almost non existent, doors onto the balcony were rotting with peeling paint, shower gel was located over the wash hand basin and not by the shower, one of the ceiling lights was falling off, the washbasin was blocked and took forever to empty, there was no hot water for a shower in the moring and the lavatory to more than 5 minutes to refill. To cap it all we had to carry our luggage downstairs on the way out as the lift didn't work. That'll be the last time we stay here.

We stayed just for one night as this hotel is best located to see most attractions in Pisa. The staff were friendly and helpful, check in and check out went smoothly. I love the charm of the hotel and also the breakfast was beautiful. The building itself is in much need of some love, the walls are damp and cracked. I paid a little extra for the river view room but that was a mistake as it was right next to the main street which gets SUPER NOISY at night. I could not sleep for a single minute the entire night before our early morning flight. Not sure if the other rooms would have been quieter as the windows are old so if you're looking for a restful sleep, I would not recommend this hotel for any longer than 1 night.

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.

Lord Byron's Domain - 4,5/5 Bienvenue, Welcome! Step right this way. We've got dancing girls, we've got dancing boys, the night is young, and the evening has just begun. Let our velvet drapes entice you and green languorous swirls of absinthe soothe you. Have you met Mr Lee, Mr Price and Mr Oldman? Please make their acquaintance, as they have looked forward to meeting you. Young master Byron. I trust everything is to your liking. He swam the entire river one dusky night, and is all the better for it. He lives here now as he does not care to leave, declaiming nightly in stately tones, a resounding drone rising to the scarlet heavens. And the fleet dark young master in the red jacket, his name escapes me, it is no jest. They say he is quite the dancer, as multitudes bow, following his swift feet as they would follow a king, so it is said. From far and wide they come. From New Orleans the gentlemen over there, dressed in Parisian velvet en couleur, talking softly with madame Carmilla, whose gaze lingers. For the blood is the life. Let our house of hospitality and merriment provide repose and be a comfort to you in times of change. The piano slowly playing. Lay down now on purple silken sheets and let all worldly matters dissipate as the hours pass, as the night deepens. When Lord Morpheus arrives at your doorstep welcome him inside. Talk with him. Drink with him the last of the wine. Embrace him and rejoice in his ways. Give yourself to him. Thoughts dissolving and meandering. A thin nebulous vapour. The warm midnight breeze bathed in the brighte light of the September moon and distant music played. A harsh mistress of mortals. That orbed maiden with white fire laden…

Wheelchair users beware. The hotel will alert you that the lift is small and guests are to use the hotel’s wheelchair, but that wheelchair is a transport chair not a manual wheelchair so the user cannot self propel. The hotel will book you a room with a river view because it is larger and will fail to tell you there is a step into the bathroom. The hotel is old and lovely and centrally located. Some of the staff are kind and helpful and others are less than gracious.

The hotel is in a great location for the tower and Pisa centre but thats where the plus points end.|The noise from the partying outside is horrendous and didn't stop until after 4am. People seem to gather on the river bank outside to drink and sing and shout. The windows and shutters are rotten and don't fit the windows so offer no sound proofing from the noise outside. Ive never had a worse night's sleep in my life.|The hotel could be ok if it had a face-lift. Its not full of Italian charm but full of dust and tat. |The breakfast was ok, plenty of cold continental options but the coffee was dishwater which is not what I expected from Italian coffee.|My advice woukd be to book a different hotel.

I am very mixed on this hotel. Keep in mind, this hotel is the oldest hotel in Italy and one of the oldest in the world. With that in mind, the rooms show their age and so does the hotel itself. The most amazing thing to do is randomly explore the many floors of the hotel. It is truly a beautiful hotel with so many cool relics everywhere. Now the room: The bed is one of the hardest beds I have ever slept on. There is one air conditioner unit. Which is nice except the rooms are so huge that this little unit will not cool down the whole room. The bathroom door is very weird that there is the possibility of getting accidentally locked inside the bathroom. The shower and sink have very strange water pressure in them. While the decor and size of the room is amazing, it had a lot that was wrong with it. The one great thing was the view overlooking the river. Such a great view! This hotel is centrally located a 15 minute walk from the leaning tower and the train station. It's a very flat and easy walk. Nearby there are so many amazing restaurants to try as well. Added bonus to this hotel is breakfast is free in one of the most beautiful rooms in the hotel. I love this hotel because it gives that nostalgia feeling. I hate this hotel cause of the awful living experience in the rooms.

Centrally located with a beautiful rooftop garden. When my husband told me we were going to stay here, I was skeptical. Shared bathroom... words that strike fear in my heart. What if I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night? What if I run into ghosts because this place is old? What if I get transported back in time... or worse yet, to like Narnia or something because I went through the wrong door? No, not on drugs... just a vivid imagination. We get a taxi from the airport... it came to twelve euros, plus an extra charge for baggage. Our friends were really upset in London when they did that. We took an afternoon flight so it's already dark when we get there. Check-in goes fine. They spoke English, but I was all ready with my dictionary... and if need be, I could use the wifi to type phrases into Google Translate. There is an elevator. It was tiny, but it fit my new luggage, me, my hubby and his two backpacks. Our room is off to the corner. This place is beautiful. Our room is really nice. There is a tv that I used a lot while we were in the room. I tried watching some of the Italian channels, but ended up on an English channel and watched a movie. While we did have to use the shared toilet (that was on our floor) and the shared shower on the fourth, I didn't mind it. There was a sink in our room, so we could brush our teeth... that was helpful. Breakfast is really good. There's a cold buffet and a server bringing out coffee. From the cold buffet, I had cereal and buns... there were cheeses and a charcuterie plate... Everything was yummy. I was really happy with the food and the server was really nice... same lady the two mornings we were there. We spent one early evening at the rooftop garden. We got a glass of wine and a bottle of beer delivered... it was a nice place to sit, while I read my Lonely Planet. The location is really central to everything. We walked to everything... the Leaning Tower isn't that far away... the train station wasn't either. We were able to walk there, hauling our luggage to catch our train. Plus, plus, plus... lovely ice cream shop half a block away with really reasonable prices and servings. We also ate at a pizza place in the same square... and had a drink at the coffee bar next to it...

Nice place. It has the charm of an old decadent belle époque hotel. Everything is old in it. Nice if you appreciate this kind of places. Service is nice and professional. Great location in Pisa. Be aware that several have shared bathrooms.