Great location, breakfast, and balcony. I booked this hotel for 6 of us from a friend at work that recommend it. First night the handle on toilet/bidet broke off. My roommate thought it looked glued on. Walter from front desk came up an was rather rude. "The big circle on wall is for the poop an the little circle is for the piss" were his exact words. When checking out the manager was behind the desk an claimed to not speak English. Thru the desk person he explained he had added $150 to my bill because of the handle. I was shocked. Things breaking r the cost of business. I am a 63 year old female an doubt I am strong enough to break off a metal handle unless something was wrong to begin with. Even though I felt I should not have to pay for it I offered to pay half in cash. Thru desk clerk he refused an left the room. I thought he was also very rude. I told desk clerk that I would never recommend this hotel an neither will my co-worker.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
Yes, that is how toilets in Europe work (variations of the big circle and little circle - sometimes it's a button surrounded by a ring or some other arrangement). As far as the language used, that is probably because the guy was unaware that those words were considered rude, since English is not his first language. You should not have been charged for the toilet handle (how did it have a handle if it worked with the buttons on the wall?). I would have just disputed part of the charge with my credit card company afterward. As for the manager "claiming" not to speak English, you were in Italy. Not everyone speaks English, even if they work in a hotel. Just as an aside, your communication skills in English could use some polish - "r" is not a word, and there is a difference between "an" and "and".
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
I dont think you should have had to lay for the toilet handle either ! And i would have argued it , doesnt matter if they under stand my words , they would have understood the message . Lol
As for the piss and poop i too assume thats just a language issue , and i dont see why you think everyone speaks english, do you speak another language?
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
I am sorry but this is not making any sense to me. A bidet and a toilet are two different fixtures. Second I have never seen a handle on the toilets - only some type of push button. So where was this supposedly glued handle located? Second, this is a cultural difference between many US business practices and Europe. In the US "the customer is always right" is common. Much less so in Europe. So if you damaged the property, they expect you to be responsible. Without more details kit is hard to make a good assessment.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
The toilet an bidet were not separate pieces. All in 1. The handle was where it would be on an American toilet. Very odd. Would be hard to use unless you were pretty low into the bowl.
I tried to reason with the manager w/the desk clerk interrupting. Still think manager was rude to walk away an go into the back room an let the desk clerk handle it.
Walter understood English and spoke English. His demenour an tone of voice spoke volumes. He looked like a wild man when he was in our room.
Not trying to be an English major for this site. Just trying to explain why I would not stay here again.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
....The toilet an bidet were not separate pieces. All in 1......
Not making any sense at all. A toilet and bidet are two different things with two completely different functions. A bidet is not used for elimination functions. A bidet is for cleaning only so I don't what you were using. In all of our years of travel I have never seen a combined toilet and bidet. Maybe some of our European posters could help clarify what you were using.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33820 posts
I have stayed at the Smeraldo - very happily - for about a week overall. The shower is small, the bathroom compact, it certainly did not have any sort of a multipurpose bidet toilet. I've ever heard of such a thing and I have had my share of exotic toilets to deal with.
The description of the buttons for the toilet, while graphic, is accurate. Almost all Italian toilets, and many throughout the rest of Europe - including where I work - have wall mounted releases instead of handles which turn.
The large or outer button is for a big flush, the smaller or inner one for a smaller flush.
Water is precious and Europeans throughout the continent - even here in Britain, currently part of Europe until they cut us off - are taught and reminded how not to waste it.
I've just looked at about 15 photos of bathrooms at the Smeraldo and while there are different arrangements, each time the bidet has the usual towel with it and clearly a separate toilet either next to it or perpendicular.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
We stayed in 1 of the newer rooms in the 2nd floor. There was only 1 "commode/toilet". An we did not get it either as I mentioned in my post. You would have had to lower yourself into the bowl to use the bidet. It shot water out of several areas that cross crossed the bowl. However as I mentioned before normally you would not be charged for plumbing breaks in the US. How would you no it was not already on its last legs as this was immediately upon checking into our room. In addition they did not have to be rude an uncooperative. I told them immediately an they never said anything till checkout. I saw no bills for parts or labor. I feel I went out of my way to offer half payment. Then to have the manager walk away!
Posted by
Cambridge, UK
82 posts
Evidently combined bidet-toilets do exist: http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/How-does-Combined-Bidet-Toilet-work-/10000000176717219/g.html. Who knew?
What a great idea. Saves space and less chance of accidents than with the separate bidet hose that you sometimes encounter.
Posted by
Edmonton Canada
327 posts
Sorry to hear about your disappointing experience at the Hotel Smeraldo in Rome. We had nothing but positive experiences for 3 nights earlier this month, from the helpful front desk clerks to the incredible breakfast room staff. We stayed in a renovated room on the third floor with a lovely modern bathroom. The toilet had the usual dual flush buttons and, yes, there was a handle - which my husband did wonder what it was for, however, we never touched this handle. My husband had already had a previous "bathroom experience" in our Venice hotel pulling a cord (thinking it might turn on a fan, LOL), only to have the front desk immediately call us on the telephone to see if we needed assistance! So it was an emergency call cord and there was no fan. Live and learn.
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9436 posts
"Walter from front desk came up an was rather rude." Yep, he was rude when we stayed there too. Not to me, to another hotel guest (and just in general). He went off on her for no good reason that I could see. She left the lobby and then he turned to me (I hadn't said one word but I was now the only one there) and went on a non-stop rant about Americans... they're stupid, spoiled, rude, etc. I wanted to ask him something but decided not to. It was upsetting. I didn't care for the hotel either, btw. When Nigel said the showers are small... ours was so small even a slim person would have had a hard time using it.