To make it easier for you to choose the most suitable hotel for your holiday in Italy, here are the service requirements defined by law that must be met in different hotel categories. Please bare in mind that the official star ratings of the hotels do not have anything to do with the colours, furniture, beauty, age or cosiness of the rooms nor the location of the hotel itself, since these are often a matter of taste. Stars are given to hotels according to the compulsory services that have to be provided to the customers.
Here you can find the information according to the Italian law what every hotel category has to offer:
Camping with a tent or a caravan of your own. Camping areas are rated from 1 to 4 stars according to the services they offer. In the busiest seasons (mostly summer), it is recommended to make a reservation for caravans prior arrival.
Tourist villages are like camping areas, however, they provide the accommodations. They offer, for example, bungalow-style houses or caravans for the travellers. It is very common that the accommodations are rather small and tight, whereas outside there is a lot of space. The villages often offer a lot of outdoor activities such as trips, happenings, different sports, and get-togethers in the evenings.
Hotel villages offer the same services but the accommodation itself has a star rating.
In the old centres of the historical towns can be found old aristocratic palaces and villas for accommodation. There are no visible signs indicating that it is a hotel – as a matter of fact, this accommodation tries not to look like one, and offers its clients an exciting old atmosphere as a guest in an aristocratic mansion. The villas and palaces have a lot of common space, such as old libraries and living rooms. They also offer all the services of hotels. Usually the prices can be compared to those of the 5 star hotels.
Offers the reception services, daily/weekly cleaning, sheets and towels. Own or shared kitchen. Star rating.
An apartment rent for longer periods (no more than 3 months). Do not offer reception services. According to the Italian law, the holiday apartments are not rated in any way.
An entire house for rent (max 3 months), unrated. The services and qualities vary a lot. These houses are usually not situated in the big centres but outside the cities, therefore a car is often a necessity. Often the use of gas, electricity and water as well as bed linen and cleaning are paid separately and should be discussed upon arrival. Sometimes cleaning and bed linen is not even provided.
Many think bed & breakfast accommodations are a lot cheaper than ordinary hotels in Italy which is, however, not true. In Italy the name B&B does not give any indications about the price. As a matter of fact, they can be very luxurious and can be compared to 4 star hotels. To be called a hotel, one has to offer a minimum of 8 rooms. Unfortunately, the Italian law does not require any star rating for B&Bs, and it is therefore sometimes difficult to know what to expect.
Some B&B places can be whole apartments with kitchens, and the breakfast is served in a nearby coffee shop, they can even be rooms that are offered by the coffee shops themselves.
Only a few places in Italy are actually what the name bed & breakfast was originally used for – staying overnight in a room that a family offers in their own home.
This accommodation is in the farm’s main building, other buildings or even in the renovated stables. The farms are still in use, and they produce anything from wine and cheese to olive oil and tomatoes. The farms are not rated, and it is required by the law that the owners get their main income from agriculture.
The farms vary a lot. Some of them have swimming pools, gardens, tennis court, or the accommodation offers only a bed and the breakfast. Some places offer an entire house or an apartment for the guests on the lands of the farm. Guests can sometimes even participate in the duties of the farm if they wish. A car is essential for reaching the farmhouses as they are located on the countryside away from the city centres and public transports.
Many little deserted villages in Italy have been bought by people who have then turned them into modern villages to host guests. In a way, these villages can be compared to the bungalow-type of resorts at the sea side, however, the settings are a lot different. Your room might be in the old chapel or any of the houses people used to live in. These villages can be classified as B&B or hotels. Also the services they offer vary; some have built a swimming pool for the guests, some have wanted to leave everything as original as possible without building anything new.
