Il Castello Hostel Boutique

Unclean. Sleeping was bad. Signs of bed bugs. Staff awful, rude and unfriendly. I was not relaxed for my stay. Don't go here. Anywhere but here.

I read the other reviews and thought “It can’t be that bad, right?”. After all, I’ve stayed at plenty of trashy hostels before. Unfortunately it was that bad. Genuinely not worth the amount of money they charge. I would avoid if at all possible. (Also no kitchen and there were bed bugs)

I didn’t get bed bugs and it’s literally in the center. Thanks!

It felt like it was itchy once I got into bed. I referenced reviews and there were complaints of bed bugs. I felt uneasy and checked the seams of the mattress as well as the sheets. I found what appeared to be molted shells and decided to depart early at 3 AM. Provided one example of what I saw.

BED BUGS!!! The hostel has an infestation of bed bugs. The hostel hosts pretend to “disinfect” guests at arrival, but this is mere a distraction from the fact that the hostel is a host for bed bugs families. We’ve stayed for one night and had dozens of bites. We’ve informed the hosts, but they ignored everything and blocked our phone numbers. Insane that this hostel is still available for bookings. The only thing that’s okay is the location, but I still give 1 star because of everything else. I strongly advise everyone not to stay here. *** As seen on this attachment, we were guests a year ago. Unfortunately, you are still frauds and I also wanted to review on google to make sure no one visits your place. You’ve blocked all our phone numbers, so if you would’ve handled this professionally I would not have reviewed again. Kind regards

!!! ACHTUNG BETTWANZEN !!! ------------------------------------------------ Also von vorne: Als wir ankamen, wurden wir von einer ganz netten, allerdings ausschließlich Italienisch sprechenden Dame empfangen. Sie konnte kein Wort Englisch und zeigte uns alles, was sie zum Check-In von uns wollte auf ihrem Handy (Google Übersetzer). Gut zu wissen wäre hier z.B. gewesen, dass vor Ort noch weitere Kosten (Steuern) anfallen, von denen allerdings vorher nie die Rede war. Nach langem Hin und Her zeigte sie uns dann, wie die Schlüssel zu benutzen sind, doch bevor wir eintreten durften in den Hotelbereich, besprühte sie unsere Rucksäcke ohne unser Einverständnis mit einem "Dampfstrahler". Bis heute frage ich mich, was das sollte. Im Zimmer angekommen hörten wir die Nachbarn extrem laut Musik hören — das rührte daher, dass die Zimmer lediglich von einer dünnen Milchglastür getrennt waren. Das gesamte Interieur des Zimmers ist uralt und ungepflegt, so auch z.B. die Klimaanlage. Aus dem Duschkopf im Gemeinschaftsbad kam das Wasser nur kalt und mit sehr wenig Druck, die Dusche an sich zu betreten hat bereits Überwindung gekostet. Wer denkt, dass es bisher für ein, zwei Nächte für den Preis aushaltbar ist, der ist so weit wie wir waren. Doch dann kam die Krönung: Am Morgen wachte ich auf, unzählige kleine Pusteln überall auf meinem Körper verteilt. Den ganzen Tag lang ging ich von seltsamen Schnakenstichen aus, bis irgendwann der Groschen fiel ... wir googelten Bettwanzenbisse und die Fotos stimmten 1:1 mit meinen komischen Pusteln überein. Wir packten unsere Siebensachen, buchten ein anderes Hotel und meldeten das Problem an der Rezeption. Die italienische Rezeptionistin teilte uns mit, dass sie schonmal Gäste hatten, welche sich wegen Bettwanzen beschwerten, angeblich nur um ihr Geld zurück zu bekommen. Ich zeigte ihr meine Pusteln, doch das interessierte sie nicht weiter, denn sie sei ja nur für das Check-In zuständig und bei solchen Problemen müssten wir uns an das Management wenden, denn es könnte ja sein, dass wir ebenfalls nur unser Geld zurück wollen. Dieses Management ist allerdings nur per Mail erreichbar und es muss wohl vorher durch einen Kammerjäger o. Ä. geprüft werden, ob es sich wirklich um Bettwanzen handelt. Ob wir unser Geld je wieder sehen, weiß der Kuckuck. Lange Rede kurzer Sinn, tut euch den Gefallen und spart nicht wegen 10€ hin oder her, sucht euch ein gescheites Hotel und spart euch lieber die ekelhaften, juckenden Pusteln. Für nur 45€ pro Nacht können wir jetzt das Hotel Internazionale empfehlen. Sehr sauber und gepflegt, tolle RezeptionistInnen, die sich um das Wohl ihrer Gäste sorgen und die Lage top, zehn Gehminuten vom Bahnhof.

Weirdest hostel I’ve ever stayed at. Sprayed my bag on arrival?? The front door was constantly unlocked. Bathrooms were disgusting. There was a kitchen but we couldn’t use it. Not social at all. There was rumours of bed bugs. You’re only paying for the location at this place.

BED BUGS! We were sanitized at entry, as if they kept the property super clean. However, I noticed the bites in the morning. We were there for one night stay, fortunately we could leave first thing in the morning. The staff was nice to us and the location was super, these were the only positive note.

The staff seemed nice and the place seemed clean for my first night (my bed was even made, to my surprise), but unfortunately after the second night I woke up with bed bug bites. I suppose this can happen anywhere but it was disappointing. The staff refunded me for my second night and seemed to take the situation seriously. The location was very central.

-la puerta del hostal siempre está abierta, cualquiera de la calle puede entrar. No se podía cerrar ni con llaves. -a las 22:30 alguien intentó abrir la puerta de mi habitación privada. (Bastante miedo porque éramos 2 chicas) -a las 5am alguien tocó la puerta de mi habitación. -falta de limpieza en los baños. -picaduras al día siguiente. (Luego he visto en los comentarios de otra gente que podía ser chinches)

Unfortunately, there were no towels provided. The reception works only to 7 p.m., it's inconvenient. And the worst thing is bedbugs...

There were BED BUGS in the beds and everywhere in the room (on the walls and on the floor). I was in the room with two other girls and we contacted someone by phone (since there is no staff on location at night). We were offered NO support or help with the issue. We were told to sleep outside the rooms if we refuse to sleep inside, or go find another hostel. Everything elsewhere was already booked on such short notice. For the clarity: outside the rooms, in the lobby, there are no sofas or soft chairs, and there is only a big bar table and bar chairs. We ended up sleeping on the bar table, using our spare clothes as bed linen. In the morning the cost of the stay was fully refunded, and the lady at the reception said there is an appointment with a professional to exterminate the bed bugs. I cannot, however, confirm that it happened. The amount of bugs in the room didn't look like a fresh issue to me. There were dozens of bugs everywhere - from very small ones to very big ones.

Do not stay in this hostel, the place is full of bed bugs and the owner is not taking the proper steps to remove them. There’s no living spaces or kitchen so it’s literally a place to sleep, the only thing that’s good is the location but it’s not worth getting absolutely mauled by bugs for.

The facility is a bit off. Roomate got bitten by bed bugs

THIS HOSTEL IS FULL OF BED BUGS AND THE OWNER IS NOT DOING ENOUGH TO RESOLVE IT. Read through the old reviews few reports of it, I thought I’d be fine but they have not fumigated the place and merely replaced singular beds when reported. In addition to this they have a kitchen but don’t let you use it?!? No living spaces either feels like a bit of a halfway house, I’m convinced a lot of the reviews are fake

Don’t go here. The beds are infested w bed bugs. There is no social space. The facilities are disgusting. The location is good, but that’s about it.

Vi fandt til aften bed bugs i sengene og der var ikke meget hjælp at hente, vi blev bedt om enten at finde et nyt sted at sove (klokken 1 om natten) eller sove på gulvet i entreen. Vandtrykket i badet var også ikke eksisterende og ingen aircondition i 35 grader

I wouldn’t stay here again. Very luckily I didn’t experience bed bugs like some other reviewers. But the whole atmosphere wasn’t great. The woman who checked us in couldn’t have cared less. One of the bathrooms was gross and smelled bad all the time, but the other two were fine. The location is great, but it’s not a hostel set up with any common areas. There’s a kitchen but you can’t use it. And i was told to fill my water bottle up in the bathroom

BED BUGS! The staff knew there were bugs and they let me check in anyway. I had to leave in the middle of the night. 😭 overall the facilites are dirty and you can hear the people in the next room because it is not a real wall that divides them. They also ask for $20 exact change or documents (ID) to hold until you return the keys. I am so anxious and paranoid I brought the bugs with in my luggage. How terrible 😭😭😭

The hostel is already very basic, no kitchen and not really any communal area. The receptionist was not pleasant at all and also i had bed bugs in my bed.

Wish I could give it zero. Absolutely disgusting. Definitely has bedbugs and doesn't feel safe at all. DO NOT STAY HERE

This was our absolute worst stay. The kitchen was closed and they used the gym as a “storage room”. In addition, there were holes in the bedding, the light switch in our room didn’t work and neither did the electric cord. One of the showers didn’t work and the other was cold. On top op this, we found bed bugs and had to share a small bed in another room. They’ve had this problem for years and all they did was vacuuming the bed afterwards. After a long discussion they said we’d get a refund.

Awful stay - hostile environment. Did not feel secure in the room due to lack of security. Massively overpriced - I wouldn’t even want my dog staying here. Filthy rooms which were riddled with bed bugs - the linen had holes in it and was not fresh. Friend woke up with bites all over her. Showers didn’t work properly and we’re not clean. DO NOT STAY HERE! Thankfully we were only staying here one night. If We could have gotten alternative accommodation we would have.

The place is extremely well-located (pretty close to the Central station and also to the Center) and the staff Rouminia I think was her name was very helpful and nice. That being said, the place is around 30 euros and it's not super hygienic. There are holes in the sheets and i heard there were bed bugs... I would only stay here if you absolutely need a place because it was the cheapest one available when i booked.

IT'S A SCAM. DON'T GO THERE. WORST EXPERIENCE EVER. We booked a room for 2 persons on Hostelworld. It was also mentionned in the several e-mails we exchanged with the hostel that we were two. When we arrived, the first thing the receptionist said was that our reservation was for one person only, and that we had to pay double the price or he would not let us have the room. We showed him proof that our reservation was for two people, but he wouldn't listen anyway. We paid because we had no other choice and he knew it perfectly. The "private" rooms aren't real rooms, the walls are just furnitures. Bedbugs. After many trips in over 10 years, this was clearly our worst experience. More than a lack of professionalism, this hostel is a fraud. I warned Hostelword about the scam. Haven't heard back yet. I'll also contact the local consumer associations, the tourist office of Bologna and the local authorities to inform them of the problem.

im not happy that they block money from your card ''just in case you lose the keys". we'll see if i get my moneh back. also the bathrooms are disgusting. don't shower barefoot. bedsheets are old, full of holes and very rough. good thing is, i didn't find any bed bugs. would recommend for the location but if you want a relaxing experience, go somewhere else

El chico de recepción muy majo, tuvimos un percance en el tren, llegamos 15min tarde y aún así lo entendió y nos esperó. Bien ubicado y precio asequible aunque para lo que es, algo caro. Problema... nos hospedamos a las 19:15 de la tarde pues a las 00:30 de la madrugada nos fuimos pues durante la noche encontramos 2 chinches en la cama y 1 en la pared. Siento la puntuación porque el trato fue excelente pero pagas por dormir y estar cómodo en un lugar higiénico y saludable, no pido una cama de oro pero que menos que higiene y desinfección del local, no es agradable la situación tanto para ellos como negocio como para nosotros como clientes.

Horrible, rude and hostile workers, bedbugs (as many have already mentioned here), dirty bathrooms. Don't stay here!

Absolute NO NO After I arrived I noticed a bed bug in my bed. After telling the staff they simply changed the sheets as a further precaution. This cannot be seen as a serious attempt to fight bed bugs in this hostel. This is concerning since I just saw that there was another customer who reported bed bugs! This means that there is always a chance of getting them in this hostel! Additionally they didn't let me change the bed ( because all other beds were full) and didn't give me a refund since I immediately left the hostel. This is sad because I thought the reception, location, and rooms were decent to great in this hostel.

After my visit in December I had the delightful surprise of discovering bedbugs in my own bedroom which cost me super expensive to get rid of. At first I did not accuse this hostel since I stayed at different places in Italy, but after seing some other people having the same experience as me, I thought I should leave a comment. Appart from that (which should already make you not want to stay there), the services were awful, with bad client relation, dirty bathroom, bad wifi and the thinest walls you'll ever encounter. So, DON'T STAY THERE !

/!\ LIEU À ÉVITER ET À FERMER DE TOUTE URGENCE /!\ Présence de punaises de lits dans tous les matelas de ma chambre ! Couverte de boutons, j'ai dû dormir sur une table en attendant que la réception ouvre. Service et atmosphère très désagréable, aucune propreté dans les sanitaires. Ils ne m'ont pas remboursé intégralement ma nuit, j'ai dû payer 20€ de ma poche pour les médicaments. Ils n'ont même pas voulu me laisser un locker en attendant que je trouve un autre lieu, c'est INADMISSIBLE ! ------- /! \ PLACE TO AVOID AND CLOSE IMMEDIATELY /! \ There were bedbugs in all the mattresses of my room! I'm covered with buttons, I had to sleep on a table while waiting for the reception to open. Service and atmosphere are very unpleasant, no cleanliness in the toilets. They didn't fully refund me for my night, I had to pay 20€ for medication. They didn't even leave me a locker while waiting for me to find another place, it's INADMISSIBLE!

Bare minimum hostel. I stayed for one night in a a dorm with 4 beds, the room appear to be clean but I was wrong, after I checked out and was on my train to the next city I discovered I had bites all over my body..bed bugs! Interestingly enough I was rudely woken up by the cleaning staff changing over (a hour and a half before check out time?) two beds from guests that left earlier that morning. The bathrooms ran out of toilet paper by the end of the night & there was no replacement or staff to notify of the issue. Definitely go somewhere else..

An absolute unpleasant dive ridden with bed bugs. AVOID AT ALL COSTS. Filled with little sly surcharges and a general negative vibe the moment you begin dealing with them. Spend your money elsewhere. ANYWHERE.

I stayed at Il Castello June 11-12 of 2016, the food was good, staff were friendly, there were only three toilets/ showers for a hostel that must hold at least 20? Trying to use the bathroom in the morning was a bit of a wait. Things seemed to be clean however in the morning we discovered BEDBUGS. I understand they spread easily and it can happen anywhere, but oh my god.