Palace Hotel — Restaurant in Unione dei comuni della Versilia

We stayed in a triple room since this was the only available option for 2 adults and 1 kid. Considering the price they charge per night in a hot season ($500), this was certainly not worth it. The room rate was 2x higher because we had a 6 year old kid with us, although the space was the same as the standard room, with the only difference of having a side bed a set up. The room was too small, with no space to unpack 3 suite cases each of us had. Not to mention an ironing board when needed. Most importantly our room was facing the other building so the location next to the beach and with the view of the mountains (one of the main selling points of the property) was not there for us. We could have booked the same room at half the price. The property positions itself as a luxury one but it is far from that level of you look at the details. The service is great, and breakfast is outstanding but overall the vibes we got to experience were not to our taste. I expressed our concerns about the room to the front desk but did not get this resolved when we came back after a short trip to Florence, although we were assured we would get a nicer room. In addition, the beach club (Le Pace) associated with the hotel is quite worn out. We made a day trip to Lido di Camaiore (next town) and were pleasantly surprised to find a much better beach with better amenities and much greater service. All in all, quite disappointing, would never get back.

In address the hotel’s response, we paid ~$500 per night for a standard size room without a view just because we had a child with us. Should we only include 2 people, the rate would be half of that (and currently is during the hot August season). That said, for such a difference in the nightly rate, we were expecting at least a larger room or some sort of a view, but not facing the other buildings on the first floor. With all due respect, the rate we paid and accommodations we have got are not justified considering your current rates. We would gladly pay the same rate we did for a larger room but we were not...

Blubar in Viareggio is definitely a hit-or-miss kind of place, depending on what you order. We actually visited twice during our trip once for a quick dinner after arriving at the hotel, and another time when it was pouring rain outside.||The first visit was honestly underwhelming. We only tried a few dishes, but none of them left a strong impression in a positive way. I ordered the tuna tacos, and they really didn’t work for me. The shell was supposed to be crunchy but tasted soggy, and the tuna was overwhelmingly salty and overly “fishy,” to the point where I couldn’t finish them and passed them off to others. The burrata was also disappointing; instead of being creamy and rich, the inside had more of a Greek yogurt tang, which was strange and off-putting. The only saving grace that evening was the apple tart, which was excellent. The apples were warm and soft, the pastry base had a lovely texture, and overall it was a comforting and delicious dessert.||The second visit, however, was a completely different story and really changed my opinion. This time, I ordered the seabass to share, and although it was smaller than expected, it was cooked perfectly delicate, tender, and full of flavor. What surprised me most was that it came with a fried egg roll, sliced in half, filled with fresh vegetables. It was an unexpected pairing but ended up being really tasty, with a crispy shell and flavorful filling. And of course, we had to order the apple tart again, which was just as amazing as the first time: warm, flavorful, and simply one of the highlights of the entire place.||Overall, Blubar has its ups and downs. Some dishes (like the tacos and burrata) really missed the mark, but others (like the seabass and especially the apple tart) were fantastic. If you go, I would definitely recommend skipping the riskier appetizers and heading straight for the seabass and the apple tart—you won’t be...

Really lovely hotel- wonderful friendly reception received when we arrived from Gianluca (so nice after a days travelling) ….and great service given throughout the stay…(notably Gabriella who always gave us a lovely friendly welcome to breakfast each day). Our room was was really comfortable and had been exceptionally well restored, giving a feel of classic historical features whilst all modern day comforts…Food in the hotel was excellent - choice at breakfast was extensive and high quality- the terrace restaurant has a lovely atmosphere and wonderful views of evening sunsets, with food prices only marginally more expensive than the local restaurants. On a separate note most restaurants seem sea food focused (not so good for us mainly non fish eaters).

The only frustration with the location (and not a lot to do with the hotel) is access to the beach…Viareggio is a resort where it seems you are unable to access the beach at all without going through one of the numerous independent beach clubs at a cost of between €30/day (for umbrella and 2 deck chairs) and €50/day (for umbrella and 2 sun loungers) in the case of the club ‘linked’ to the hotel.(Others similar) The club doesn’t offer any discount for hotel guests (but allows access to a small pool free of charge ) …this charge we felt was excessive and adds significantly to the holiday cost….In most other resorts we have been to there has either been free access to the beach via hotel’s own area or much lower cost umbrella/sunbed hire…however, we were here to visit the area, not primarily sit on the beach, so we weren’t affected too much.

The train station is about a 15 minute walk with good links to Pisa, Lucca, La Spezia and the Cinqueterre, Florence etc, so the hotel is a good base for exploring...