Hotel San Giorgio in Civitavecchia, suggestions?

[travelgenie]

We are staying one night pre-cruise at the Hotel San Giorgio in Civitavecchia in September. We should arrive before noon and was wondering if anyone had suggestions on how to spend the afternoon and evening there, after a cat nap. What is the beach like there? How about shopping and restaurants? Around what time should we leave for the port, to beat the crowds?

[bluwes]

We are staying one night pre-cruise at the Hotel San Giorgio in Civitavecchia in September. We should arrive before noon and was wondering if anyone had suggestions on how to spend the afternoon and evening there, after a cat nap. What is the beach like there? How about shopping and restaurants? Around what time should we leave for the port, to beat the crowds?

 

Not stayed in the San Giorgio, so cant help with location. However, from main shopping area which is traffic free follow the signs down to the port. At the corner opposite the port entrance turn right along the sea front and walk towards the railway station, there are plenty of restaraunts and sea front cafes along that route. Never did try the beach but sat with a drink and watched the world go by.

If you have come in from a long haul flight, you will need more than a catnap !!!

 

There is one restaraunt called 'Aqua' which is on the top road back from the sea front. It gets lots of recommendations on here and Trip Advisor. We ate there in 2007 and will be going back in September , when we are staying one night pre cruise in the Hotel Taiano.

 

Ships usually start embarkation earlier than the Florida ports so look to around 10.30-1100am. Our hotel does a free shuttle to the ship, so check with yours

 

Hope this helps

[travelgenie]

Thanks for your help...it sounds like you have been there before and actually we have to, but only as a port for the day and was whisked off to Rome for a tour. This time we are round trip from Civitavecchia and wanted to go a day early to try to recoup from flying. We are in no hurry to board the ship, would rather meander through Civitavecchia, have a nice lunch and maybe head to the ship around 2, do you happen to know if that would be wise or should we head out early, I don't know what kind of crowds to expect. Is there really anything worthwhile to see, or a cafe near the beach?

[bluwes]

To be honest there isnt a lot to do there. Its a small town with a few bars and restaraunts along the front. Some shopping, nothing special

In my original post I said turn right by the port entrance . I should have said turn left and walk towards the railway station, you will find plenty of bars and cafes around there.

[xenagurl]

I've nothing to help the above traveler as this was an old post. But I've recently had a VERY bad experience with this hotel and want to warn others so that they aren't ripped off. Please see below.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I booked with this hotel over a MONTH ago with booking.com for a reservation in mid-November. They charged me within days of booking. While I thought this was odd, I did read on the Booking.com site that sometimes hotels will do this. Fine. I let the charge of over $120 go through.

 

TODAY I receive a call 4 days before I leave from Italy from Booking.com that the HOTEL cancelled my reservation with no reason given and planned on moving me to another one without asking me. They didn't even state this "other" hotels name.

 

I wrote them and told them to refund my money as they STOLE it from me. Do you want to know what they said? (see the below quoted) so apparently a $10 shuttle ride and some obscure hotel is supposed to make up for the fact that they cancelled my reservation and don't want to refund my money. That's called stealing, apparently they're not familiar with the term.

 

They've totally ruined my trip. I don't even want to step foot in this country anymore and now I have to arrive a day early to file a complaint with the Polizia de Stato and possibly find a lawyer, report fraud to my credit card company and post with about 10 others hotel review sites so that they no one else is taken in by this "hotel" and their shady practices, when I should be thinking about going on my vacation.

 

DO NOT book Hotel San Giorgio, just read their other negative reviews. I did but thought I'd give them a chance. More fool me, I've learned my lesson.

 

------------------Letter from Hotel San Giorgio Civitavecchia ------------------

 

"Dear Mr Gxxxxxx,

 

Thank you for your e-mail,

 

Please kindly note that we ‘ve already provided to reallocate your reservation in another 4 stars hotel lasting only hundred meters from us.

 

In order to minimize this unpleasant episode we’ll be pleased to offer you a free Hotel shuttle service to the Port the morning of the 16th of November.

 

We would like to apologise again for what happened.

 

We remain at your complete disposal for any assistance or information you should need.

 

Best Regards

 

Paolo Colle "

[CruiserBruce]

Hmmmmm....

 

Is the site you booked with a site that commonly takes payment at time of booking? Many discount and last minute sites are that way.

 

Don't know what caused the move.... maybe overbooking, in which "walking" (that is what it is called in the hotel business, and happens at the best hotels in many countries occaisionally) you to another hotel is a solution. Some people have been happy with their new digs, some not so much. But it also could be a water leak damaging rooms, a fire, many things.

 

Sorry this has affected you. But is absolutely not a reason to hate Italy, Italians or Europeans. If it is in fact fraud, it could have happened in your home town. Would you thus hate your fellow Americans?

[letsgo39]

I am so sorry you are so upset. Please do not let this ruin your vacation as it will probably turn out just fine.We have traveled to Europe many times and I have seen this happen a lot when booking through a booking company and not directly through the hotel web site.They must have overbooked the hotel.We have had it happen to us and the new hotel was even nicer than the original hotel and right across the street..It is very common to be billed for the first night particularly when only staying one night. You will not be charged again for your new hotel.Don't even bother filing anything at a police department in Italy as I am sure you will be ignored. That's Italy and I love Italy. Just take a deep breathe,relax and enjoy your cruise.You don't want to end up with no place to stay and if the hotel is still 4 * as they say it will be just fine and it is only 1 night.. If you are still unhappy with the charge after your hotel stay than you can file a complaint with your credit card company when you get back home.

 

Letsgo39

 

PS......I hope you have arranged to spend some time in Rome.

[Fblack]

I have stayed at the Hotel Traiano twice. It's not near the beach but they never charged my credit card in advance. It's about 8 blocks to the center of town. And they have a free shuttle to the port and a free continental breakfast. I would sure press the first hotel for the name of the place they plan to move you.

[agabbymama]

Other countries operate differently than the US or wherever you are from.

I had one B&B in Arnhem Holland actually want money wired to their bank account (try finding a bank here in the US to do it).

 

I had a B&B in Rome I booked direct on their website. I received a confirmation. The next morning I received an email that they were sorry there had been an overbooking and they would not be able to honor my reservation. No charges were placed against my credit card. I searched for another hotel and made the reservation directly with the new hotel. About three days before our departure, at about 2:00 am in the morning, I received a phone call from the first B&B wanting to confirm my booking. I told him no, I had booked elsewhere. He actually became angry and abusive on the phone and couldn't understand why I was cancelling my booking. I told him "he had cancelled the booking 6 months before".

 

We arrived in Perth Australia to be told the hotel DID NOT even have our booking (booked direct) and that they had no availability. Try locating a hotel in a foreign town on your own. Thankfully the shuttle bus driver did have a couple of suggestions and we found a room.

 

So if you are going to travel, you have to be prepared for all kinds of things to happen. Don't expect things to be "like they are at home".

Be prepared to roll with the punches. Good luck on getting your money back!

[xenagurl]

Thanks for the replies and input everyone. Much appreciated. The hotel says that they will refund me. I will continue to check my credit card and see. :)

[xenagurl]

I don't hate anyone, I've simply run into this situation before only in Italy.

As it so happens I'll be staying with my Italian friends in Rome.

 

If it happened in my home town. I'd file a small claims suit. Not as easy for me to do in Italy unfortunately.

 

No most hotels on this site do not take payment before booking. I don't use sites like that for that specific reason. I'm often a solo female traveler, so I try to book the best hotels in the area, and make sure that I can cancel if I find something that I prefer in a better area or safer neighborhood. So I don't use Expedia, Travelocity etc unless I'm traveling with my husband. The customer representative for Booking.com found it odd. I've since heard back from them and they're not pleased with the latest email the hotel sent me (rude and nasty) hopefully they'll be dropped.

 

Hmmmmm....

 

Is the site you booked with a site that commonly takes payment at time of booking? Many discount and last minute sites are that way.

 

Don't know what caused the move.... maybe overbooking, in which "walking" (that is what it is called in the hotel business, and happens at the best hotels in many countries occaisionally) you to another hotel is a solution. Some people have been happy with their new digs, some not so much. But it also could be a water leak damaging rooms, a fire, many things.

 

Sorry this has affected you. But is absolutely not a reason to hate Italy, Italians or Europeans. If it is in fact fraud, it could have happened in your home town. Would you thus hate your fellow Americans?

[xenagurl]

Thank you. Thankfully some friends of mine from Rome have been amazingly kind. They asked me why I didn't tell them I was in the area in the first place, will be picking me up from the airport and letting me stay in a spare bedroom. All is well that ends well.

 

I've requested a refund about 10 times now. We'll see if it happens.

 

There is no other hotel in that exact area nicer, which was why I had booked this one. I don't have a problem with the change, just a problem with them making me force them to give me a refund.

 

I'll be hanging out with friends in Rome, all in all I've been to Rome enough times to no longer find it very interesting and so I'll be heading to Venice because I've amazingly not been there yet.

 

I am so sorry you are so upset. Please do not let this ruin your vacation as it will probably turn out just fine.We have traveled to Europe many times and I have seen this happen a lot when booking through a booking company and not directly through the hotel web site.They must have overbooked the hotel.We have had it happen to us and the new hotel was even nicer than the original hotel and right across the street..It is very common to be billed for the first night particularly when only staying one night. You will not be charged again for your new hotel.Don't even bother filing anything at a police department in Italy as I am sure you will be ignored. That's Italy and I love Italy. Just take a deep breathe,relax and enjoy your cruise.You don't want to end up with no place to stay and if the hotel is still 4 * as they say it will be just fine and it is only 1 night.. If you are still unhappy with the charge after your hotel stay than you can file a complaint with your credit card company when you get back home.

 

Letsgo39

 

PS......I hope you have arranged to spend some time in Rome.

[xenagurl]

Thanks. :) The thing is I've been around the world and back again. I've been to Australia so many time in the past 3 years I can't even remember, but I've never run into this exact type of nonsense this hotel has put my though. I've booked an American chain hotel for Venice, it wasn't my first choice, but hopefully I'll have more recourse if they try anything sub par.

I don't care about the cancellation, just getting my money back.

 

Regarding the bold. That's the sign of a reputable hotel.

 

Other countries operate differently than the US or wherever you are from.

I had one B&B in Arnhem Holland actually want money wired to their bank account (try finding a bank here in the US to do it).

 

I had a B&B in Rome I booked direct on their website. I received a confirmation. The next morning I received an email that they were sorry there had been an overbooking and they would not be able to honor my reservation. No charges were placed against my credit card. I searched for another hotel and made the reservation directly with the new hotel. About three days before our departure, at about 2:00 am in the morning, I received a phone call from the first B&B wanting to confirm my booking. I told him no, I had booked elsewhere. He actually became angry and abusive on the phone and couldn't understand why I was cancelling my booking. I told him "he had cancelled the booking 6 months before".

 

We arrived in Perth Australia to be told the hotel DID NOT even have our booking (booked direct) and that they had no availability. Try locating a hotel in a foreign town on your own. Thankfully the shuttle bus driver did have a couple of suggestions and we found a room.

 

So if you are going to travel, you have to be prepared for all kinds of things to happen. Don't expect things to be "like they are at home".

Be prepared to roll with the punches. Good luck on getting your money back!

[xenagurl]

I agree.

It was very shady that they refused to mention it in any subsequent email. Thankfully I'll be able to stay with friends and avoid this and any hotel in the area.

 

I have stayed at the Hotel Traiano twice. It's not near the beach but they never charged my credit card in advance. It's about 8 blocks to the center of town. And they have a free shuttle to the port and a free continental breakfast. I would sure press the first hotel for the name of the place they plan to move you.

[letsgo39]

I agree.

It was very shady that they refused to mention it in any subsequent email. Thankfully I'll be able to stay with friends and avoid this and any hotel in the area.

 

The positive is that now you will have more time in Rome. That is a good thing.I think you will find in Venice that although the name is an American chain it is still a Italian hotel run by Italians in the Italian way. This must be your first trip to Italy..Italy is Italy.Unique! It is not Australia or the U.S.,thank goodness for those of us who adore Italy.:D

[letsgo39]

The positive is that now you will have more time in Rome. That is a good thing.I think you will find in Venice that although the name is an American chain it is still a Italian hotel run by Italians in the Italian way. This must be your first trip to Italy..Italy is Italy.Unique! It is not Australia or the U.S.,thank goodness for those of us who adore Italy.:D

 

Oh sorry, Now I read that you have been to Rome so much that you don't find it interesting. Wow! Really? Well different strokes! Hope you have a wonderful cruise.Venice is unique,I wonder if you will find it interesting?:)

[xenagurl]

Oh sorry, Now I read that you have been to Rome so much that you don't find it interesting. Wow! Really? Well different strokes! Hope you have a wonderful cruise.Venice is unique,I wonder if you will find it interesting?:)

 

 

Hopefully! :) It looks quite beautiful.

[LauraS]

I've nothing to help the above traveler as this was an old post. But I've recently had a VERY bad experience with this hotel and want to warn others so that they aren't ripped off. Please see below.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I booked with this hotel over a MONTH ago with booking.com for a reservation in mid-November. They charged me within days of booking. While I thought this was odd, I did read on the Booking.com site that sometimes hotels will do this. Fine. I let the charge of over $120 go through.

 

TODAY I receive a call 4 days before I leave from Italy from Booking.com that the HOTEL cancelled my reservation with no reason given and planned on moving me to another one without asking me. They didn't even state this "other" hotels name.

 

I wrote them and told them to refund my money as they STOLE it from me. Do you want to know what they said? (see the below quoted) so apparently a $10 shuttle ride and some obscure hotel is supposed to make up for the fact that they cancelled my reservation and don't want to refund my money. That's called stealing, apparently they're not familiar with the term.

 

They've totally ruined my trip. I don't even want to step foot in this country anymore and now I have to arrive a day early to file a complaint with the Polizia de Stato and possibly find a lawyer, report fraud to my credit card company and post with about 10 others hotel review sites so that they no one else is taken in by this "hotel" and their shady practices, when I should be thinking about going on my vacation.

 

DO NOT book Hotel San Giorgio, just read their other negative reviews. I did but thought I'd give them a chance. More fool me, I've learned my lesson.

 

------------------Letter from Hotel San Giorgio Civitavecchia ------------------

 

"Dear Mr Gxxxxxx,

 

Thank you for your e-mail,

 

Please kindly note that we ‘ve already provided to reallocate your reservation in another 4 stars hotel lasting only hundred meters from us.

 

In order to minimize this unpleasant episode we’ll be pleased to offer you a free Hotel shuttle service to the Port the morning of the 16th of November.

 

We would like to apologise again for what happened.

 

We remain at your complete disposal for any assistance or information you should need.

 

Best Regards

 

Paolo Colle "

 

 

Hello:

 

We have received the following official reply from Hotel San Giorgio. We are posting exactly as received in its entirety:

 

"Dear client and community

 

We wanted to give a public response to the client on this forum as we were accused of stealing money, trying to explain all the facts better as we could starting from the beginning.

 

On the October 8, 2010 a non refundable rate room was booked by the client trough one of the websites we appear on, as confirmed on the payment policy we have taken the total amount from the customers given credit card. On the 09,11,2011 following an internal no solvable problem the hotel is no longer able to honor this reservation and we inform the client of this problem. Following normal procedures (in these unpleasant occasions, that happen very rarely in our Hotel ) we informed the client that we would have arranged for a room in another 4 star hotel 50 meters from us and a free shuttle going to the ship if needed along with all our sincere apologizes for this situation.

 

 

The client than contacted us with a first e-mail, keep inmind that it was already 10:00PM in Italy so our receptionists couldn’t properly give a complete answer to a such important matter( we have a booking office that deal with such delicate matters). After this e-mail that you also saw the response on this forum the client sent other e-mails with a very alterated tone telling us that we stole money from him. We don't want to copy those e-mails respecting the clients privacy. As soon as our director examined all the situation we gave the final response to the client, also telling her that giving a refund was one of the options in these cases. Normally in such a situation we always give the opportunity co continue the trip as planned and that was our first option we never said that a refund was not a possibility.

 

We absolutely don't accept the accusations that the client made towards our brand without giving us the time to respond, and discrediting our name that along these years became more and more relevant in our region (this took all of us a hard work). We thank this forum for giving us the opportunity to reply and once again reassure the client the she will get refunded. Our best regards to all of you.

 

Hotel San Giorgio **** Civitavecchia

Front Office

 

Hotel San Giorgio

Viale Garibaldi, 34

00053 – Civitavecchia

Phone + 39.0766.5991

Fax + 39.0766.599230

 

www.sangiorgiohotel.biz

info@sangiorgiohotel.biz

[Karennella]

1) We stayed at the San Georgio hotel in September and were pleased with it. Excellent breakfast, lovely room.

2) In response to other questions asked, there are lots of restaurants and bars along the waterfront; walk along to the left when leaving the hotel quite a way and you come the areas where local young people frequent.

3) we chose to eat in the restaurant at the hotel and it was very nice indeed.

4) We booked directly with the hotel but paid about $US240, for what it is worth.

5) I would just like to say that when we last visited New York City, there was a bad mix up with our booking. Without going into all the boring details, they booked four of us into a room suitable for two and a child even though we'd had calls from the US to here in Australia assuring us that we would have a suite with separate bed-room, suitable for four. In the end we chose to take the room, my son-in-law slept on the floor for three nights. Why? We had not seen my daughter and son-in-law for six months as they live in London and we in Sydney. It was not worth wasting time and emotional energy continuuing with the issue. Son-in-law has been in the army reserve and made himself comfortable. These things happen to all travellers, and in ALL countries.

[Fblack]

Well at least the hotel answered some questions as shown in their email. And it seems to me they tried to make it right. What they failed to mention is:

 

1. Why cancel ANY reservation a mere 4 days before the arrival? What good is a refund when a traveler has only a few days to reschedule and find a new place to stay.

 

2. Why not explain the reason for the cancellation? Was it a simple over-booking problem, or something else.

 

3. While the offer to move the guest to another hotel is pretty standard in the hotel business, why not give the guest the name of the new hotel.

 

Maybe a more open and informative answer to the guests at the start would have prevented the whole problem.

[kuldalai]

1. We stay at Hotel Miramare in Civitavecchia .

 

2. Its best to book direct with each Hotel's own website rather than through other website consolidators. You usually get the best price going direct, as the consolidators mark the hotel rate up to cover their commission .

[Clarea]

1. We stay at Hotel Miramare in Civitavecchia .

 

2. Its best to book direct with each Hotel's own website rather than through other website consolidators. You usually get the best price going direct, as the consolidators mark the hotel rate up to cover their commission .

We have read some positive reviews about the Hotel Miramare and were considering booking it. Do you recall if the Internet was included with the room rate?

 

Bob

[xenagurl]

Wow this is old. LOL I figured I'd follow up on this though. Thankfully this experience is way in the past but as future warning I'd still advise people away from this hotel. I received follow up nastiness from them via email and it took way, way too long to resolve this issue. With a lot of shadiness on their part. I decided not to get the police involved as they might not have been able to help me anyway. It's just sad that they're not professional enough to own up to it. I did take another cruise out of Cita' port since then but stayed in Rome pre-cruise.