Grand Hotel Terme & Spa — Hotel in Montegrotto Terme

Not the best and unlikely to return...

Food & dining experience:

Restaurant dishes were mainly great but when we asked to change the table the waiter screamed at us and then said maybe another day- it was forgotten about. Other guests changed tables without any issues! The tables are squashed together and they sit people one on top of another leaving other areas empty. It was uncomfortable and unpleasant sitting so close to a bunch of strangers. The waiters were mostly professional and friendly though sometimes favoured some guests whilst ignoring the others.

Breakfast was mostly disappointing - little fruit choice, almost no fresh pastry. Noone told us we could order things until we see other people doing so. You have to ask for everything yourself. Before we finished breakfast, they were moving all the tables and chairs for lunch - extremely noisy and uncomfortable. Guests were allowed to smoke around others eating at the very few outside tables- extremely unpleasant!!

There's no ventilation anywhere- lifts, corridors, the restaurant - you have no air to breathe!

SPA services:

Facilities were good but no information about water composition and how long to stay in the water, no one to ask...

Some people attending spa were extremely badly behaved , making too much noise in areas the were supposed to be quiet...noone bothered to enforce the rules! Some were drinking from glasses by the pool or even smoking in the pool... Management didn't stop them, walked by and said nothing!

As for the treatments, DON'T book facial or a so called lympho drainage massage - both are just gentle touching. The actual massage offered in lieu for a wasted time and money lympho drainage was only half the time good, again wouldn't recommend spending money on it but thank you for at least partially compensating me.

Rooms:

The balconies had a partially beautiful view but also there was a massive carpark underneath, meaning my sleep was continuously disturbed by 5 am deliveries and people arriving/leaving. The balcony itself was disappointing ( at least there is one!) - very poor furniture, no decor or flowers, nowhere to dry your clothes!

Sleep quality was poor because of poor quality mattress & pillow ( I had superior room) , constant noise from neighbours - no noise cancellation, very old furniture and doors also making awful noise.

Some staff at reception were unfriendly, even a little arrogant - others were lovely though.

Entertainment:

Also, I enjoyed the live music concert in the hotel, a nice touch. The piano dinner was ruined by a loud conference crowd - noone asked them to be quieter for the sake of other guests. Poor management!

Bikes for rent were great and appreciated! Lovely cycling...

The hotel has definitely seen its better days. It’s not a five star hotel anymore. Feels it froze in time in early 1990’s. It feels like a retirement home. If you’re used to proper modern European 5-star hotels, this will disappoint. But frankly, you get what you pay for.

Few things/incidents to note: -. By far something that ruined my impression. Unprofessional staff. Unwelcoming and unapproachable reception staff. Waiters at breakfast audibly called our east-european family “russian”. They always lack English speakers. Calling a bar or reception by phone will only lead to them passing their responsibilities to each other instead of tending to your needs. They need to grow up. -subpar and disappointing breakfast quality. I had better breakfast in a random bnb in Nepal. -SMOKING INSIDE. Stench of cigarettes everywhere. -all of the facilities but the spa are extremely aged. -amenities in the room are disappointing. Despite walk-in wardrobe present the room did not provide a kettle, any tea/coffee, or anything to be expected from the hotel. -abysmal wifi -tap water is pure chlorine. All while they charge you for bottled water. This is embarrassing. They often forget to replenish minibar with water as well. -pool is too cold for a “hot” spring or terme. -guests mostly consist of extremely old people who really don’t mind being extremely mound next to you in a quiet zone. Inconsiderate, rude, judgemental and obnoxiously entitled. -town is really sad. Half of hotels are standing closed. Very depressing, often Chornobyl-esque type of vibe

Good stuff: -Spa is ok -disposables provided in rooms -rooms are reasonably spacious. -if you have a car, staying here is amazing because you can travel to Bologna or Venice. -parking present. Though beware as during busy times it’s impossible to find spot.

Also it definitely does not look like the photosz borderline scam.

The pretentious aura is present. Feels like it’s a great circus show where instead of proper 5 stars you get disappointment mixed with waiters wearing tuxedos at dinner. Really funny to look at from the side, quite sad and annoying when you experience it. Yikes.

They need to figure themselves out. This is definitely not 5 stars.

If you are used to actual 5 stars, please manage...

I was quite disappointed! I expected way more attention to detail from a 5-star hotel because, in my opinion and experience, that's precisely the difference between — the details.

I was surprised that hardly anyone on the team spoke English first off all. During booking, we requested a champagne bottle in the room upon arrival, but it was completely ignored. When we tried to book massages and treatments, the pressure to decide was ridiculously high from a staff member who spoke little to no English. I clearly felt the rudeness in her tone and simply ignored it because I wasn't there to argue.

At lunchtime, we went to the hotel buffet. Apparently, it closed at 2 PM, and no one informed us when we arrived to eat at 1:45 PM. The buffet simply closed, and once again, the rush was evident, leaving me feeling poorly served.

I found both the breakfast and lunch offerings to be very industrialized, with very few fresh options and of much lower quality than expected.

The spa facilities met expectations. However, there were clear signs of lack or poor hygiene and cleanliness.

Regarding the room (we stayed in a suite), it was clean, and the bed was comfortable with plenty of space. However, it was odd that on the second day, they removed all options from the minibar and left only water.

For me, the breaking point was when we went to dinner (not to mention that the restaurant is open from 7:30 PM to 9 PM, which is absurd in a Latin culture, but okay). The waiter who received us asked my husband if he didn't have any pants in the room? Like, seriously? With 35 degrees, on vacation, who even cares about that? Believe me, it was not at all the place where I felt obligated to comply with etiquette and protocol, or even a dress code and if there is one, should be communicated. It was simply very out of place, inappropriate, and unnecessarily embarrassing—I found it super outdated and overall, very disappointing...