Hotel Smeraldo — Hotel in Sirmione

Rooms ok for the price, personell on the reception also very nice and proffesionall. Staff at the bistro where you eat breakfest are very unfriendly and they get immediatly loud when you do something that they dont like. Room was clean but the balcony was very messy and had spider webs all over the table and stools.But we could get past those things for the price. The worst thing was the parking spaces. You have to pay daily tarif for the space. One day all the spaces infront of the hotel where we paid to park were full. At the check in they informed us that we could park infront of the Villa next to the hotel. That one was also full accept for 1 space, but those spaces war very small and tight, as was the whole parking around, that i spent 10 minutes with my big car trying in and out, at the process also damaging my front bumper on several places. 15 min later a person came out the villa (probably an employee) and said he saw me by the chance on the camera, and wanted to help, and told me that i should try and park over the street at the partner hotel La paul. That information we didnt have! We made an official complaint at the reception next day, they wanted to see what they can do. We had no feedback further due. I sent a written complaint to the hotel via booking app, (english and italian written), demanding at least a refund on paid parking fee, and eventually a good will action for the damage on my car. I got NO Answer what so ever. At the check out i said this to the staff, and he wanted to communicate it to the people responsible. Still no feedback or answer.That part was a no-go for me, and thats why this critical review from my side.

Edit in Response of the Owner:

Dear Owner,

Thanks for your reply. I’m fully aware that parking in Sirmione can be tricky, especially with a larger car. My issue isn’t that—it’s that I paid for parking, was directed to a clearly unsuitable spot, damaged my car trying to follow your staff’s guidance, and then received no follow-up despite reporting it multiple times in person and in writing.

I never claimed someone else damaged my car—I said the situation I was put in led to it. The real frustration is the complete lack of response or accountability afterward. I didn’t even receive a basic acknowledgment of my complaint, let alone a gesture of understanding or an offer to refund the parking fee.

Gentile Proprietario,

Grazie per la risposta. So bene che parcheggiare a Sirmione può essere complicato, soprattutto con un’auto grande. Il problema non è questo: ho pagato per un posto auto, sono stato indirizzato verso uno spazio chiaramente inadatto, ho danneggiato la mia auto cercando di seguire le indicazioni del vostro staff, e non ho ricevuto alcun riscontro nonostante abbia segnalato il problema più volte, di persona e per iscritto.

Non ho mai affermato che qualcun altro abbia danneggiato la mia auto—ho detto che è stata la situazione in cui mi sono trovato a causarlo. Ciò che trovo davvero frustrante è la totale mancanza di risposta o di responsabilità. Non ho ricevuto nemmeno un semplice riscontro alla mia segnalazione, figuriamoci un gesto di comprensione o un rimborso della tariffa del...

This hotel is a good example of you get what you pay for. For the price we paid, I think it was perfect! It’s on the cheaper side compared to other places in Sirmione but had everything we needed. Good location for the price point, it was about a 15 minute walk to the old town and where the sunset Sirmione boat tours leave from. They have parking onsite and if their parking is full they gave us 2 other alternative parking lots which were also basically onsite or next door. The reception desk was manned for most of the day (from about 7.30am-10pm I think) so check in and check out was easy. Reception staff were friendly. You have to put down 100 euro hold with either cash or a credit card pre-authorization, which is very standard at most hotels and you are warned about this at the time of booking. They take quick photos of your passport which is also standard across Europe when staying at accommodation. There is a working elevator so nobody has to carry their suitcases upstairs. We booked a Panorama room which had a balcony and a view of the lake. We didn’t spend much time at the hotel so we didn’t even use the balcony or enjoy the view as we were out all day. There is also a significant insect issue (I think it was midgies?) across Sirmione so you don’t want to leave the balcony door open. It also stops the air con from working anyway. There were ants in the room but they are harmless, and not a reflection on cleanliness: Ants will be ants, they would be very hard to eradicate from an old building so don’t get upset about it. Just make sure not to leave open food anywhere. The room was spacious enough, old in some areas but clean. There was a closet to hang and store clothing if you wanted. Good air con. Very reliable wifi. Our bed was 2 single beds pushed together and made up as one, this worked well for us, it was spacious and comfortable. Two different pillow choices. Bathroom was clean, shower typically European, got the job done. Some basic toiletries were provided. Beach towels provided if you need for swimming or a water tour etc. Our room had a small fridge and complimentary bottled water which was nice but you can also just drink the tap water in Italy. Some guests were quite noisy in the hallways and it was quite audible in the room but otherwise seemed quiet at night time. Breakfast was very basic but again matched the price point (cereal, yoghurt/milk, fruit cordial, small selection of pastries, muffins, small selection of sliced cured meat and cheese, scrambled eggs, and some bread/toast). At one point our toilet cistern malfunctioned but we just lifted the lid up and fixed it ourselves. Overall I think this was a good find in Sirmione if you are looking for a medium priced accommodation with a lake view (note some rooms don’t have a lake view) and within walking distance to the old town. There is also a gelato store next door, not the most authentic but...

We booked a room called "Panorama laterale"(see video&picture). When we walked into the room, there was no view. Nothing! A big tree, roofs, maybe 5% of the view was a far mountain/sky above the lake. But no lake! We went back to reception, saying that we paid extra for the "partial view", but there was nothing to see. We asked a refund, or a room with the view. He said at 5 PM he could do nothing. He had 2 rooms with a full view, but he could not give one of them to us. We asked for a manager. He called her (Concetta). She said the same - nothing they could do! M husband asked to talk to her, and she was mad that we bothered her after 5 PM. 1 hour later they said we could have the panoramic view room for 150 Euros more! It was on the 1st floor, view on half-naked people on the beach. We refused to pay extra for something we were supposed to already have with our booking. We kept the same room with a view on the roofs with no refund offered (40 Euros/night extra). In the morning, during breakfast, my daughter asked for orange juice. They said they do not have it, and my husband asked to show what juices thy had in a cabinet. While reaching there one juice carton fell on the flour. 2 min later Concetta came to us to the breakfast table and told us loudly to leave the hotel in 1 hour (humiliation!). My husband tried to explain what happened at breakfast but she said he was lying! Expedia, Booking.com, TripAdvisor, the receptionist said all their PARTIAL VIEW rooms are like that – nothing!!! Do not sell their rooms as if they...