Borgo Della Marmotta

Check in was good. Helpful receptionist (Abigail I think). Room was pleasant but terrible WiFi. No USB points which is inexcusable today. A/c was very old and ineffective. Restaurant- evening meal was not great despite high expectations looking at the menu. Staff were cold (and at one point unfriendly). Breakfast was very poor. The most basic offering we had on our 3 week road trip in Italy. No excuse for lack of fresh food in a “farm” in Umbria. The “honesty bar” needs a complete re- think. It’s all very basic. We felt that whoever owns it has lost interest and has no passion for it. It could be so lovely but we left underwhelmed and disappointed. Not sure how it’s included in the Mr&Mrs Smith listings. On check out if the staff had asked me how I will stay was I would have told them. They didn’t ask, they clearly don’t care.

We booked 4 nights at the end of a 10 days in Umbria. The other two places where we stayed were excellent and we hoped the Borgo would also be a good choice. Sadly, it didn't live up to expectations. Despite the emphasis on it being a "home from home", the owners - who were only in evidence our first day - didn't seem to be "hands on" and their staff [with the exception of the ladies at breakfast] appeared to have little interest in looking after guests. This may have been because it was the end of a busy summer but we left feeling distinctly underwhelmed. In addition: 1. Our "superior" room [7-6] which bore no resemblance to any of the website photographs/descriptions. It was small and so dark that we had to turn the lights on in the middle of the day. The double bed was two singles pushed together, there was nowhere to sit and the bathroom needed a complete re-vamp. As the room is close to a busy lane, there was a lot of traffic noise and we could also hear the guests next door and below us. Small touches like providing bottles of water and umbrellas would have been nice and the absence of mosquito netting on the window was surprising. 2. The restaurant. We had dinner on our first and last evenings. On the second occasion, three of the main courses on the a la carte menu were unavailable so the choice was very limited. Service lacked attention to detail - this included being shown to a table for two with only one chair and left to find another one ourselves! We had much better food and service eating out in Spoleto and Montefalco. 3. Outside "events" and how these impact guests. On the Sunday there was a large lunch in the garden close to the swimming pool. Guests were given no warning of this and it was only apparent from the preparations which began during breakfast and continued all morning. Once the party started, the noise and numerous small children coming to play round the pool made it impossible for guests to use the area. When we mentioned this to reception, the response was that they hadn't expected so many people! However, as one of the staff said there are often "events" at weekends, the Borgo needs to think about how these affect guests - particularly as it claims to offer a peaceful and relaxing environment. Based on our recent experience, we are unlikely to stay there again.

Lovely old property and nicely renovated, but sadly fell a bit short of my high expectations, given the price. The hotel is somewhat let down by the facilities and service. Poor wifi, poor mobile coverage, plumbing issues, no water provided in the rooms (unacceptable) and the breakfasts were limited and boring.