We had a very bad experience with the Hotel Carriera in San Giovanni Rotondo. We had written confirmation for a reservation on September 29, 2007 that we made back in April 2007, a full 5 months before our arrival. We were required to pay a 25 Euro deposit which we did on our visa card. We reconfirmed the reservation in July 2007 via e-mail. When we arrived at the hotel after a long, tiring drive we were told that they did not have a room for us because they gave it to some young people who were part of group from Ireland. The man at the front desk took us to another hotel out of the Centro which had a dirt parking lot and several trucks parked, including garbage trucks. It was totally unacceptable.

The man at the front desk also told us that we would not find any rooms in San Goivanni Rotondo and that we should stay in the terribly located, seedy hotel that he showed us outside of town. This employee put me on his cell phone with an English-speaking manager who told me that our 25 Euro deposit would be refunded. We left the employee in the dirt parking lot and within 30 minutes found a room at Hotel Gaggiano that was actually better located than the Hotel Carriera.

I e-mailed the hotel 5 days ago about my refund and have received no response. As of today, October 12, 2007, we have not received our 25 Euro deposit. I can only assume that we are dealing with people with no integrity who operate a bait-and-switch scam.