Hotel Duca Degli Abruzzi

“We will be back next year!”

We have just come back home from a wonderfull holiday spent at the Duca degli Abruzzi hotel and would like to pass on our experiences there to help others who are choosing a hotel in Abruzzo. Location – 50 yards from the bus stop, (in fact we paid 1 euro each to get to the hotel from Pescara Airp... lisää

We have just come back home from a wonderfull holiday spent at the Duca degli Abruzzi hotel and would like to pass on our experiences there to help others who are choosing a hotel in Abruzzo. Location – 50 yards from the bus stop, (in fact we paid 1 euro each to get to the hotel from Pescara Airport), and 50 yards from the long golden sandy beach. Room – Nice and big, there was a small fridge to keep drinks cool, the bathroom seemed newly renovated and we had a massive terrace. Not all rooms had a terrace but all seemed to have at least a small balcony for drying towels etc. The air conditioning worked very well and there was a small safe for valuables. Housekeeping – very very clean! Our room was cleaned well daily, towels were changed as needed and the sheets were changed every 3 days. The public rooms were kept very clean, too. Reception – Very friendly and Emanuela, the main receptionist, was very helpful. She spoke very good English and was very informative about the region, what to do and where to go. Food – Well, what can I say other than it was great! Breakfast was the usual continental breakfast but lunch and dinner were really something else! You choose the evening before from 3 first courses and 3 main courses, both for lunch and dinner. This way everything is freshly cooked and you are never eating leftovers from the previous meal. There was at least 1 pasta fish dish and one main course fish dish every day and always a buffet of vegetables and salads. We were there 7 days and no main dish was ever repeated, (unfortunately as there were a couple I would have liked to eat again!|). All meals were very good but some were exceptional and I will be trying to copy them when I want to impress guests on special occasions. To sum up, it’s a family run hotel which is small enough for the owners to give good individual service to their guests. We will certainly be returning.

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“friendly family-run hotel”

Perfect for exploring the region, with a bus-stop just behind the hotel (access to town, train station and airport). Close to the seaside but quiet. Very friendly, helpful staff. Plentiful breakfast buffet. We did not try the restaurant (closed off-season)

“Good value hotel”

One of a group of a cluster of hotels in this area. Despite lots of empty spaces in the vicinity this hotel has no car park. Reception somewhat a little cool rather than welcoming. Requested a secure parking in the rear and was granted after showing the guy the stuff I had in the car. Nice be... lisää

One of a group of a cluster of hotels in this area. Despite lots of empty spaces in the vicinity this hotel has no car park. Reception somewhat a little cool rather than welcoming. Requested a secure parking in the rear and was granted after showing the guy the stuff I had in the car. Nice bedroom and the bathroom was on the luxury side, with strong jet shower. Most rooms have a balcony. Breakfast was all starch and coffee but cant complain because of the excellent value overall. The restaurant was closed so we walked along the promenade and found a nice eaterie. Not too far from the motorway and close to beach, the area had a thoroughly out of season feel to it.

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“September - Quiet Out of Season”

First impressions are poor, I have to say, and I am disappointed that despite the hotel being quite empty, my request for a double bed isn't met. The view is poor. The balcony teeny tiny. There is no possible way for a couple to sit there. There is no room for 2 chairs. You possibly might sq... lisää

First impressions are poor, I have to say, and I am disappointed that despite the hotel being quite empty, my request for a double bed isn't met. The view is poor. The balcony teeny tiny. There is no possible way for a couple to sit there. There is no room for 2 chairs. You possibly might squeeze one on. It would be possible to dry clothes and there is a clothes horse/airer on the balcony, which I use. Note it takes up the whole balcony and it is a small clothes horse. Once I get over my disappointment about the twin beds rather than a double and we push them both together, I do notice that the room is quite adequate. The beds are clean and comfortable. The room is a pleasant size. There is a place to store luggage, a nice full mirrored wardrobe, a small, wall mounted flat screen tv with remote control, a small fridge for cold drinks, a desk and chair, side tables, reading lamps on both sides, although I am not sure how they work as they won’t work for me or my husband. There is a wall light and a main ceiling light, so although the room is quite dark and doesn’t get much natural light, we are happy enough. The key is card in door type and if you don’t shut it properly, it sounds an alarm which is very useful. The bathroom (shower only) is quite nice and looks newly refurbished. There is a toilet, w.c., bidet, shower, wash basin, stool, large wall mirror, shelf unit for putting your wash items, etc. It is very nicely done out. There are plenty of plug sockets in the room. I ask where the pool is and am told “chiuso” (closed). I suppose it is September and out of season. I am disappointed all over again as we came here for a bit of a rest in our tour of Italy. There is only so much sight-seeing you can do without needing a break. We find the beach ourselves but I have no idea where the private beach is so when we return to the hotel, I ask where the private beach is and eventually I am shown the “piscine” which is accessible by a different lift or elevator to the one used to get to our room, on Piano (floor) 3. We are out of season so it is very quiet. There is only tranquillity and hardly any people. The pool is pretty much out of use with a big hose in the plug or filter. It is either being cleaned or something and the smell of chlorine is strong, so I gave swimming in it a miss and simply relaxed on the deserted terrace. There is a bar, but it is out of season, so I bring my own water and a book and lay on one of the sun loungers by the pool. I get my relaxation at least. Positives I note are: check in is very easy, parking is on site and it is free, the internet works very well in rooms. It is very close to the sea. The area is clean and pleasant. The Staff seem ok. They speak a little English so we get by. It is cheap so perhaps I shouldn't expect the pool to be open or to have a real terrace or balcony to sit on out of season. Perhaps my expectations were too high. Remember that Italy keeps its own hours and so if you want a meal between 2.30 to 7.30pm, you will be hard pushed to find anything more substantial than a panini or ice cream, especially if you come out of season! However, we do find a bar restaurant open close by called "Piper" but I cannot recommend it. We had a kind of cheese and ham wrap. They gave me the one on display and the rocket had seriously wilted, but I was so hungry, I ate most of it. I don’t know what the restaurant was like as we didn’t try it but it looks nice. However, after presenting me with wilted rocket, I didn't bother to try the restaurant. The breakfast was ok, especially after I told the lady that the milk; there was a bottle attached to the coffee machine and one for cereal, was sour. She shrugged at first and so I went to my room and bought my own powdered milk down. There are no coffee or tea making facilities in the room at this hotel and so the first thing I wanted; being an English girl abroad, was a good cup of tea! I so wish I had brought my own travel kettle – it is my own fault. Anyway, the lady did go and change both bottles and the coffees I had then were absolutely delicious. There was bread for toast with butter, honey, jams and hazelnut spread. The croissants were fresh and lovely. There was ham and cheese slices, two cereals (I think one was coco pops or similar) and something else. There was also a fruit tart, marble chocolate cake, sponge fingers, biscuits, yoghurt. There was some fruit as well. The beach here in Montesilvano is really lovely, but out of season, you will be hard pressed to find a beach bar or pool bar open for drinks and snacks. I may have my gripes but overall, this is a decent budget hotel. We paid £35.00 a night per room including breakfast, parking, good wi-fi, closed pool, good views from terrace/pool), location being about a 3 minute stroll to the beach, so I think it was extremely good value for money.

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