The name Windsor and Savoia aids in name association with much nicer hotels, but despite its epically notable location, the Hotel Windsor Savoia fails to live up to the lofty expectations set by the incredible scenery around it. And it is incredible. Windsor Savoia (and I'll be copy/pasting that, full disclosure) is nestled at the point of a hilled switchback leading to one of the few gated entrances into the walled enclave that is Assisi. That's Assisi, as in Saint Frances, a fact they remind you over and over and over and over again. Assisi would birth several saints, and the walled town was around for nearly a thousand years before Frances came around. Remove any of its catholic connections, and you still have one of the most impressive walled communes you're likely ever to see. Seriously, this place is two degrees from Edoras from Lord of the Rings. There's even a castle atop it, a fact which is oddly ignored by the tour guides on my Globus tour. Yes, odd that. As part of said tour, we stayed at the Windsor Savoia, which included a breathtaking view of the surrounding hills and part of the town, including the Basilica. This is where the praise ends.
Let's start with the beds, two singles, each so microscopic, that if they were protein bars, I'd still be hungry. I think I'd rather have slept on the bars--they would've provided better support. I'm over six feet, not that much more, but to have my feet dangle over the edge half way up my calves was ridiculous. And good luck dangling said legs, because there was a footer at the base of the bed which prevented me from stretching out...unless I snaked my legs through the tiny gaps in the wrought iron. The door to the bathroom didn't close all the way; the air conditioner, like so many on our trip, wasn't functioning. And despite the claim that there were two internet routers, one for each level, neither actually worked. I managed to find a bar when on the balcony in the hallway outside our room with my phone outstretched to the sky, with one finger on my nose and a tin foil hat on my head while I sang a "Song of Sixpence". I also got the mere whiff of internet at the back of the hotel in the restaurant, but the lasted less than my appetite after my only attempt to eat their food.
Confession, if you are part of the Globus Tour, nearly every included meal is bad, not representative of the cuisine of the country. This is a tragic sin and a giant blemish on the tour as a whole. Why travel half way across the world to eat crap not up to the standards of Denny's? It was at the Windsor Savoia when I finally snapped. As I attempted the unseasoned Minestrone, the oily lasagna, and the rubber potatoes, I started to get angry. And then I just snapped. I pushed the plate away and declared I was no longer going to suffer free food which would eventually lead to gastrointestinal distress. I left the restaurant, re-entered the town and made my way up the hill until I found better food. And I did, oh yes I did. However, I still had to return back to that depressing hotel room, which in reflection, wasn't blessed by THAT good a location. Admittedly, it does appear a prime, but wouldn't a better hotel be located INSIDE the actual town. Windsor Savoia isn't any more expensive than the others--no, it was selected because Globus is populated mostly by the elderly, and the Windsor Savoia is the closest hotel to the coach parking lot.
Assisi has done a great disservice staying in a crappy hotel in a great town for only a single day. To give you an idea how amazing Assisi is: I would've stayed in the Windsor Savoia another day if only to take in more of the actual town. If you are part of the Globus Tour, skip the included dinner and enjoy yourself in Assisi. If you are visiting out of your own volition, pick a better place to stay.
Food: 1.5/5
Service: 2/5
Presentation: 2.5/5
Value: --/5
Recommendation: 2/5 read more