We stayed here in June 08 for 3 nights. Everything was as expected from the decent reviews on this site - the personal service given was beyond the call of duty. The air cond was worth its weight in gold during the extremely hot days & nights spent here, & above average in efficacy and low in noise. The quietness of the hotel - with a room to the back was superb; the other guests were not heard once they were in their rooms.

Be warned - there is a particularly ferocious type of mosquito in Pisa (you see the drained marshland as you fly towards the airport). If like me you're allergic - one evening without DEET and you'll suffer for a week. I still have the scars exactly 2 weeks later.

Also be warned that you can traipse all the way to the Ticket Office for the Leaning Tower conglomeration in the heat when there's a lull in the queues but you WONT BE SOLD A TICKET BY CREDIT CARD WITHOUT YOUR PASSPORT or picture ID. You may have paid for hotel, flight, meals with a signature or a PIN but NOT at the 'haul 'em in & fleece 'em' Pisa ticket office. Yep - it annoyed me!

However from the moment we descended the local bus from the Airport and walked through the archway onto the Field of Miracles the ooh and aah factor was high. The rest of the town was pleasant and we enjoyed an amble towards the river and the shopping area.

We had a wonderful day in Viareggio - the hotel insisted this was the only seaside place worth visiting and we wouldn't contradict them. Train from main station - simple. Under half an hour.

Breakfast - we liked the freedom of getting up when you wanted - we had tea & coffee in the room - almost unique in Europe - & would eventually potter out for a coffee & bite. The 3euro deal the hotel has with a modest place over the road is more than acceptable.

Eating: aside of avoiding the place to the left of the hotel on the other side that charges 6euros for 60cl larger, we would also encourage you to avoid the Santa Maria towards the tower on that fleecer's left - where the beer was flat & practically rancid, and we received someone else's buttered bread off-cast in our bread basket. The food was barely edible. Cheap ingredients; cynical treatment. The I Santi Osteria to the right as you leave the hotel is ok but nothing to write home about. The place next to the hotel no longer has any link with it - website out of date at our time of travel. The star was La Republica Marinare on the other side of the river. A brisk 15min walk but not a tourist in sight. Super food. Lovely ambience. All al fresco. Great service whether you have a pizza or a whole fish brought to your table and divided up with understated panache. We had fabulous mid-priced food; top notch ingredients. The hotel has the recommendation from us & should be able to direct you on their map.

The bus that passes the hotel goes to the station but the return journey from the station is a nightmarish loop into suburbia that takes forever - get off near the Tower area before it lauches into the hinterland.

We hope others enjoy Pisa and this hotel (it's location really is wonderful) where the Anglo Italian receptionist and her staff are a cut above.