European Hotel Reviews - ratings of 10 hotels in 28 days

If you’ve been following me on any of the socials, you know I’ve spent the past month in Europe escorting two of my Wine Lovers Travel groups in Italy and scouting new experiences in France. So I thought it would be good to put together my European hotel reviews in one space for anyone looking at options in Europe, and from the perspective of a travel advisor.

Talk about living out of a suitcase. I counted 10 hotels across both countries in 28 days. Some were heavenly and at least one was decorated like someone’s crazy fantasy dream. I decided to rate them on the factors that are important to me as a frequent traveler. I hope this is helpful to you in planning your hotel stays.

What’s important to me?

Obviously, a comfy bed and a clean room are given. There are a lot of other things that make the difference between a spectacular stay and an OK experience. Here’s my very personal list.

1. Enough electrical outlets to recharge my devices. Extra points for USB ports. More extra points if outlets or ports are next to at least one side of the bed.
2. Air conditioning and heat that works and doesn’t require a degree in electrical engineering to figure out how to make adjustments.
3. At least 1 English language station on the TV, even if it’s just news. Extra points for a Smart TV where I can stream my content from my phone.
4. Sleep timer on the TV.
5. Washcloths. I’m not sure how most Europeans shower, but I like to use a washcloth. It’s not a given even in the 5-star hotels. The hotels that have bidets (which are pretty useless to me) usually had something that was smaller than a face towel but larger than a washcloth, so that was my backup.

There are also other nice-to-have amenities, like robe and slippers, a pretty or at least interesting view, turn-down service and “do not disturb” buttons so the housekeepers don’t enter accidentally. One hotel even had a clothes steamer. That was really nice—and now I want one. But I didn’t make my ratings on these extras, only the 5 essentials above.

Here are my European hotel reviews

Hotel Name	Rating	Electrical Outlets	AC/Heat	English TV Station	Washcloths
Hotel Elite, Palermo, Sicily	D	No	Yes	No	No
Grand Hotel et Des Palmes, Palermo	B+	No	Yes	No	No
Agriturismo Oasi di Francesca, Sicily	B-	No	Yes	No	No
Hotel Castille, Paris	A-	No	Yes	No	No
La Ferme Rose-Hotel de Charme, France	C	No	Yes	No	No
Hotel Negrescote, Aix-en-Provence	B-	No	Yes	No	Yes
Hotel Liautaud, Cassis	A	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Adler Cavalieri Hotel, Florence	B+	Yes	Yes	Yes (Smart TV/Netflix)	No
Palazzo Castri, Florence	B	Yes	Yes	No	No
Starhotels Du Parc, Parma	B+	Yes	Yes	No	No

These are in chronological order, starting from my arrival in Sicily in mid-September. Note that the hotels Wine Lovers Travel uses on our trips are all 4- and 5-star. For my non-group travel, I select hotels that are central to where I need to be but are also economical and are often not at the 4-star plus level.

 

1. Hotel Elite, Palermo, Sicily: Rating D (non-group hotel)

I knew I was in trouble when I entered the lobby that was a storefront, but the actual hotel was down a commercial corridor around the corner. There were at least 3 separate hotels in this building, and mine was on levels 3 and 4. Upon check-in, they insisted on charging me for breakfast even though I was sure that it was included. (I was right—they still owe me 15 €!). The room was bare-bones, with cold wood floors and poorly functioning heat. Breakfast was meh, and I didn’t like having to maneuver my bags into an office, then an outside elevator and then through a dark corridor whose motion-sensor lights didn’t notice my motion very quickly. Not enough outlets, no USB, none of the TV features, and no washcloth.

 

2. Grand Hotel et Des Palmes, Palermo-rating B+

Beautiful grand old hotel in the heart of Palermo’s city center. This would have received a higher rating but it did not have washcloths or convenient electrical outlets to charge my devices. Breakfast was extensive, but you did have to hunt down the various stations to get your protein, your fruit, and your pastries. The public areas were beautiful and featured lovely statues and artwork.

 

3. Agriturismo Oasi di Francesca, near Catania, Sicily : Rating B- (non-group hotel)

This was a one-off situation. Our group stayed at the exquisite Neroli Bio Resort, about 15 minutes away. Due to an unexpectedly large group, they took over all the rooms, so my team and I stayed at the Agriturismo. The Neroli has beautiful grounds, a pool and spa, and outstanding food (I can attest to that because our dinners were all there). My clients loved it and said the staff was extremely accommodating. Based upon this feedback, the Neroli would have rated at least a B+, maybe higher. I didn’t ask about my five rating factors, so can’t provide an actual rating. As for the Agriturismo, if you aren’t familiar with these, they are active farms in Italy that also have lodging and a restaurant. Not having stayed in one previously, I don’t have a comparison. This was very homey. We saw the owner’s children playing outside, so this was their home as well. It was dated, and the rooms were pretty basic but clean. No washcloths or TV features, inconvenient phone charging. On the plus side, the breakfast was very extensive, considering that this is a working farm. The staff was extremely kind, giving us free glasses of wine in the evening, and opening up the breakfast an hour early on my last day so I’d have something to eat before catching an early flight.

4. Hotel Castille, Paris: Rating A- (non-group hotel)

I did not have groups during the 10 days I spent in France. This time was used to source more places and experiences for future trips. That said, I would definitely use Hotel Castille for a group, as well as the hotel I stayed in Cassis (more later). Beautiful 5-star hotel in the heart of the very swank 8th Arrondissement, and walkable to everything, including the Rue de St. Honore, where all the designers have shops. Concorde metro stop was a 5-minute walk. Next door neighbor was the main Chanel store and production facilities. My view was into their offices, unfortunately not their design studio. The room and bathroom were spacious with high-end bath products. The breakfast was amazing, including champagne with strawberries and a chocolate fountain! My room was continually stocked with goodies, ranging from local chocolates to macarons, and had a free mini-bar with water, sodas and snacks. The concierge Nahim was the best, helping me with whatever I asked. We even hugged when I departed. Who says Parisians don’t like Americans? The only reason for not giving the Hotel Castille an A was because they did not have washcloths, and being an older building, I had to be creative to find a place to plug in my phone charger.

5. La Ferme Rose-Hotel de Charme, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, France : Rating C (not a group hotel)

Following Paris, I had a free weekend before meeting with my France business partner in the Southern Rhone. I’d long wanted to visit Moustiers-Sainte-Marie because it is one of France’s major ceramics centers, which is a great passion of mine. It also happens to be in the heart of the Gorges du Verdun, known as the Grand Canyon of France and is a big tourist destination for its hiking, rafting and mountain climbing. Although I would have a rental car, I wanted to book a hotel right in the town so that I could rely on walking to get around. When their Booking.com listing said it was “3,300 feet from downtown,” that sounded close enough.

What they don’t tell you is that those 3,300 feet mean walking on an unlit path up a mountain, something I was not going to do when going out to dinner after dark. It’s hard to know what to say about this place. The public areas were “decorated” like someone had a dream, more likely a nightmare, and decided to make that their decor theme. There was a stage with red velvet theatre seats, an old jukebox and a cathode-ray TV. Movie set lights. Old shoe buffing machines. Laundry irons lining the stairs. Odd collections of stuff in cabinets. My room required me to go outside, which I didn’t love due to all the heavy luggage I had. It was a very spartan room with no amenities at all. The breakfast, which did cost extra, was nicely presented, and the fried eggs were delicious. Moustiers was everything I’d hoped it would be, including a wonderful museum of its ceramics. I would love to return to go to some of the ceramics studios and to explore the natural beauty, but I would not stay again at this hotel.

6. Hotel Negrescote, Aix-en-Provence: Rating B- (not a group hotel)

This hotel was selected by my business partner in France, and it was a good choice. Located on the Cours Mirabeau, the main street in Aix. Lovely hotel, with a charming indoor-outdoor restaurant that opens onto the street for great people-watching. Rooms are very sleek and modern, all in black and white with yellow accents. I did experience some technology challenges, namely where is the TV? There was an enormous white cabinet opposite the bed, which was not a dresser. When I lifted the door on the top, I was surprised to find what must have been a 100-inch TV. The only problem was that I couldn’t figure out how to raise it up out of the cabinet and was too tired to call for help. The bathroom was very modern and amazingly had washcloths! The shower had the same floor tiles as the bathroom, and when they got wet, they were very slippery. An accident waiting to happen, and fortunately not my accident. Breakfast in that restaurant was great. One other downside was that there was no parking, which required us to park in a public structure about 2 blocks away and then wheel our bags too long of a distance.

7. Hotel Liautaud, Cassis: Rating A (not a group hotel)

What could be better than a view of the beautiful harbor in a charming seaside town in France? That’s what I experienced at Hotel Liautaud, which was also selected by my business partner in France. This is definitely a property I will use for a group, and in fact, I am for our 2025 Visionaries of the Vine trip hosted by Oregon winemaker Meg Rulli. Recently renovated in July 2024, this was probably my favorite hotel. The design was thoughtful (USB ports! Washcloths! All the TV features!). Breakfast was served in an upstairs room overlooking the promenade and the harbor. Everything was freshly made and excellent. My only complaint? Not enough time to enjoy it longer.

8. Adler Cavalieri Hotel, Florence: Rating B+ (not a group hotel)

When I first arrived in Florence ahead of my group, I opted for a less expensive hotel near the train station so that I could easily catch the bus to get to The Mall, the renowned designer outlet mall about 1 hour outside of Florence. The Adler was a good choice. It was not fancy, and with a lot of old-school wood paneling in the lobby, it was a very friendly and comfortable choice. Best feature of all? A Smart TV that was already pre-programmed for Netflix! On the second night, after my day of shopping in the rain, I just wanted to veg out. I found a local grocery and bought some random items for a picnic dinner on a towel on my cozy bed and binge-watched a show on Netflix. It was perfect!

9. Palazzo Castri, Florence: Rating B

Actually very close to the Adler, this hotel was my group’s home for our 4 nights in Florence. Also, a 4-star like the Adler, it was more elegant and a better choice for the group. The location was within walking distance of just about everything in the central city, including some great restaurants. When we needed our bus to take us on day trips to San Gimignano and Chianti, it was a 2-minute walk around the corner. So why only a B rating? No washcloths (this is getting to be a theme) and more importantly, no matter what I did to set the room temperature, it always defaulted to 19 degrees C, which is 66.2 degrees F, which is a little too chilly for me.

 

10. Starhotels Du Parc,  Parma: Rating B+

The last of my 10 hotels! Turns out that this property is part of Starhotels, the same group that manages the Hotel Castille in Paris. This is another grand hotel, with an elaborate lobby and public spaces. My room was very large and comfortable. Despite it not being a new hotel, it had USB ports, a definite plus. But alas, no washcloths and no English-speaking TV channels. No matter, we had full days and no time for TV. The location, not surprisingly, was adjacent to a large park. Central Parma was about a 15-minute walk away, and only a 5-minute taxi ride. The staff was incredibly nice and even packed me breakfast to go when I had to leave at 6:30 am to catch a flight.

There you have it. 10 hotels in 28 days. This is what I do so you don’t have to. On Wine Lovers Travel trips, we never do more than 2 hotels in an 8-day/7 night trip, so our travelers will not experience all the changes I had to make. That’s why I make these kinds of trips—to find the best places for you to stay after a day of unique wine, food and cultural experiences with small groups of people who enjoy and appreciate the same kind of travel you do.

Here are some more pictures of the hotels I stayed at: