Risorgimento Resort

"Lovely hotel with friendly and professional staff. Beautifully restored building to a very high standard - everything was clean and sparkling. And great location in the centre of the historic city. You get everything you expect from a 5 star hotel and more. Nothing was too much trouble. Thank you all for making us feel welcome."

"Tivoli LaCalamita – Lecce Unfortunately, my stay at Tivoli Lecce fell considerably short of what I would expect from a hotel in this price category. The first thing I noticed as soon as I stepped into my room was how heavily dusty it was. Almost immediately after entering the room, I experienced an allergic reaction. I have photographs taken at the time documenting the reaction. While I was still unpacking, housekeeping came into the room to clean it again. Having housekeeping cleaning the room around me while I was trying to unpack was certainly not the arrival experience I expected from a hotel at this level. The room should have been thoroughly cleaned and inspected before being released to a guest in the first place. After housekeeping finished, I was asked whether everything was now okay. My response was, “I don’t work here. You can get someone to check.” I did not feel that it should be my responsibility as the guest to inspect housekeeping’s work and determine whether the room had finally reached the hotel’s required standard. A member of the front desk team subsequently came to the room to check it. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning of the issues during my stay. On my first evening, I ordered a club sandwich through room service. It was so heavily salted that it was extremely difficult to enjoy. The safe deposit box in my room was also not working. I clearly reported this to the front desk and also raised it with the General Manager, yet it was never fixed during my stay. For an international traveller carrying a passport, valuables and personal belongings, I consider a functioning in-room safe a basic expectation. There was also an issue with my laundry, with some of my items being lost. When a guest entrusts personal belongings to a hotel’s laundry service, there is a reasonable expectation that those belongings will be properly accounted for and returned. What is particularly important is that I raised my concerns very early in my stay. Within the first 24 hours, I was unhappy enough with the experience that I requested a refund. The General Manager’s response to me was simply, “We don’t do refunds.” I ultimately spent five nights at the hotel. Following the various issues, I was offered a complimentary 30-minute spa treatment. I declined. I was not there looking for free treatments, upgrades or complimentary services. I simply expected the standard of accommodation and service I had paid for, and I expected genuine problems to be addressed properly when they were brought to the hotel’s attention. Sadly, the cumulative effect of the experience caused me considerable stress and anxiety, and as a result I never really got to enjoy my time in Lecce in the way I had hoped. That is perhaps the most disappointing part of the entire experience. A hotel stay should contribute positively to a destination, not become the source of stress that overshadows it. For me, luxury hospitality isn’t defined simply by beautiful surroundings, branding or facilities. It is defined by cleanliness, attention to detail, consistency, accountability and, importantly, how a hotel responds when something goes wrong. Problems can occur at any hotel. What matters is how those problems are addressed. In this case, I communicated my concerns from the beginning, including requesting a refund within the first 24 hours, yet I remained for five nights with some issues still unresolved. Unfortunately, my experience at Tivoli Lecce did not reflect the standard I expected from a hotel in this category, and it significantly affected what should have been an enjoyable visit to Lecce."

"I visited this beautiful hotel in Lecce on three occasions and was so impressed by the wonderful staff, in particular, Giuseppe, who was so attentive and considerate. What a wonderful experience!"