Palazzo del Podestà

Location is excellent with beautiful views and an easy walk to all the sights. Staff were polite, responsive and helpful with all requests - booking massage, taxi etc. Unlike others I was unimpressed with breakfast, average for a 5 star hotel. The filter coffee was genuinely terrible. Room was clean and functional. Bed is firm. Shower was pretty small (I had requested a room with a bath but did not receive one). Pool was nice, but I imagine a tiny bit cool for some (I am used to cold water swimming). At busier times I expect it would feel too small - travelling late September it was myself and then one couple. Sauna and steam room were switched off. I figured out how to turn them on as I am good at figuring things out, but there were no instructions. Paint was peeling off and landing on me in the steam room, even though it had apparently just been renovated. Changing area/showers were tired, and the underside of radiators in the pool area were peeling and rusty (which isn’t nice to look at in the pool). Some communal areas like stairwells were very tired looking. Renovations were ongoing in other parts and looked like they were going to be lovely.