I just realized that I NEVER wrote a review for my visit to Rifugio della Rocca. And while my…read morevisit took place in 2016, it requires a review because this hidden gem is a diamond in the rough! I created my itinerary of a road trip through southern Italy in a manner that allowed us to be at Rifugio della Rocca for my birthday night. Its such a unique place that I thought it would be perfect to spend my birthday somewhere special. Maybe all of the Italians go here, but its definitely off the beaten path. You have to understand that what this place is, is essentially a hotel and restaurant. However, what makes it unique is that its quite a way up a narrow road in the mountains above Aquila. Further it has been created from a small village that was abandoned for I have no idea how long. I'I believe it was also damaged in the large earthquakes of that area in 1461. But a family decided to take the village and turn the individual "cottages" into lodging accommodations. Every room is different and every room is ancient and made of stone and very rustic. They have different amenities and are different sizes, one is an apartment, some have multiple rooms, some have kitchen facilities. There are not many and you can review them to choose the one you want. We stayed in the Hoope Hayloft room which was the last room at the end of the walk, so secluded and private with lovely views from outside our door. As i said, it's rustiv, but we were comfortable. I picked this one for the privacy and the BATHTUB! It was cold and sunny while we were there, which was fantastic. Rifugio della Rocca sits below the Rocca Calascio, a watchtower, turned fortress that was badly damaged in the 1461 earthquake. Its a short hike to the tower and along the way you pass a beautiful little octagonal church called Santa Maria della Pietà. It truly is a beautiful area and you can still crawl around and explore the ruins of the Rocca Calascio. There are days that the tower has more areas open and docent lead tours as well. Unfortunately I didn't plan that part quite so well! Hiking and exploring the tower and surrounding area is what you do here! There is a restaurant as part of Rifugio della Rocca and I'm kicking myself for this, but while I probably have pictures of what I ate, I don't have them with me and cannot for the life of me remember what we had for dinner! I remember feeling happy and satisfied, though! Breakfast in Italy is always pastries and cheeses and fruit. the one thing I will never forget is that the young man who was there while we were there (I believe everyone working there is family) made the absolutely BEST cappuccino that I have ever had. Now, I'm not much of a coffee fanatic, but I enjoy a cappuccino or latte now and again, but I was in awe and was heartbroken at the thought of never drinking that cappuccino again. It was delicious! Important to note, this is NOT a place that works well for those who are access challenged. You must park down the hill from the town and drag your luggage up a cobblestone driveway, although I think they have handicapped parking at the top. Once at the top, getting around the property, you will encounter uneven walking paths made of stones, stairs, and you will not find elevators or modern conveniences! If you come here looking for luxury, you are in the wrong place. Its beautiful, peaceful, friendly and PERFECT, but not luxe. I believe that on weekends they have little shops and such open, maybe only in high season? We were here on a weekday, so those buildings were shuttered. You can also come here just to eat dinner and explore without staying. I loved this visit, wish we'd stayed two nights just to enjoy the peace and beauty of the area and highly recommend it if you are looking to see the off the beaten path side of Italy!

After the terrible experience that we had at the Osteria which dares to go by the same name ( Della…read moreRocca), the Rifugio was a breath of fresh air. The staff was kind, professional and courteous, the food fresh delicious local fare, and the wines affordable and very good. Needless to say we will be going back. Tonight, in fact.

Stayed their in September 2016. To say it was a fantastic time is really an understatement. The…read morefood is unmatched. The rooms are new and spotless. I cannot wait to return. John De Angelis

L'Ara Del Colle hotel and restuarant are a great find in the heart of Abruzzo. The name recalls the…read morefresh mountain air that the town of Cansano is famous for in Italy. Filomena and her family do all the cooking and provide family style hospitality in a beautiful Italian mountain setting. If you're interested in a unique travel experience away from the tours and want to sample some authentic local cuisine try the pasta guitarra with truffle (tartffo) or the tagliatella. For a secondo, the roast lamb and veal are prepared in the local tradition and are always great. Or try a pitcher of arrosticini skewers of mini lamb kebabs with a fresh green salad. The local wine is great. Breakfast is generous in the Italian style collazione with pastries, cereal and coffee/juices. The rooms are new, clean and well appointed. Try the front two that include large balcony spaces overlooking the piazza.. See a bit of the real Italy if you plan to visit this area and stop in at L'Ara dell Colle. Ciao

From the owner: Direttamente sulla spiaggia finissima di Silvi Marina, in posizione centrale, nella zona del…read morepasseggio, perfetto per la famiglia con bambini.

Beautiful hotel, family owned and operated; there was a pride and soul to this place. The…read morerenovation was meticulously done. My room was beautiful and so nice to return to after long days of exploring the amazing region of Abruzzo. The staff gave me incredible service that included some fantastic recommendations for eating and imbibing in the area. I'm already planning a return - a presto

We can't say enough good things about Hotel Rojan. The location in central Sulmona was perfect. We…read morehad a lovely suite on the top floor. We were close to everything, but it was very quiet, and we had parking right outside the door of the hotel. Most importantly, Angela and her family were so lovely and accommodating. Angela provided us with wonderful ideas of places to see and things to do. She gave us handwritten notes and maps to help us plan our excursions. Angela helped with restaurant and bar choices and made reservations for us. Dinner at Cantina di Biffi, fabulous! We wish that we had planned to spend more days in Sulmona, and we hope to return as there are many other places to see. What a beautiful area, and Angela's enthusiasm for her region helped us enjoy it so much more than we probably would have without her guidance. We were in Italy for 10 days on this trip, and Sulmona was the best part of it. We also recommend the winery tour at Cantina Margiotta which is just 15 minutes from the hotel. We will definitely stay at Hotel Rojan again. Thanks Angela!

The place is nicely renovated and well worth every euro. The staff is extremely friendly and…read morehelpful. They greeted us with open arms. They went out of their way to ensure my partner and I had a lovely stay. They gave is a map of all the "hot spots" in San Benedetto del Tronto which really appreciated. The sea was just 40 meters from the exit, their cafè by the beach was excellent with a great selection of drinks and ice creams. Sea umbrella and deck chairs were included and I have heard this is equivalent of save 15 euro/day. Highly Recommended

The B&B in Centro Pacentro is a beautiful place to stay. The host and his mom were thoughtful,…read moregenerous with their time and made our stay enjoyable. Our room was very clean and large enough for two people to comfortably share the space. The main parts of the home open to visitors were immaculately kept and tastefully decorated with beautiful family heirloom of the five generations of ancestors. He had truly beautiful pieces of history. The breakfast was fresh, plentiful and offered a sumptuous variety of foods. Alberto could not have been more generous with his time and helpful knowledge and information. I hope to return once more.

From the owner: Cozy bed and breakfast in the center of the old town. Available as a breakfast area an ancient…read moreliving room and a great terrace with castle view. Confortable panoramic bedrooms with ensuite bathroom, tv, wi-fi, fridge, hairdryer, shower gel, shampoo. Present on site an interesting photographic exhibition about the 5 generations who lived in the historic building. Free parking near the entrance. Ideal destination for mountains and medieval villages lovers!

There has been only one other review here, amazing! For international locations, tripadvisor is…read moredefinitely more prevalent. Anyway, I will leave one here since we had such a nice experience. The hotel is huge and at the top of a hill, so it overlooks Fiuggi. In that respect, we liked it because it can otherwise be very loud in town with all the august festivities during our stay. I actually saw this hotel from the window of our first hotel and moved here after we decided the first place was no good. The outside is really that compelling. It looks like a mansion out of a movie. The entryway will not disappoint as it is all marble with high ceilings. If you look up the history, it was built as part of the glamorous early 1900s - gatsby/titanic style. Everything is opulent with detailed moldings and built-in statues everywhere. The outdoor pool is 12 feet deep on one end. Serious lap swimming to be enjoyed. Anyway, I won't go into all the details of how gorgeous the place is since it would take too long. Just imagine west egg. The service was probably the best I have experienced. Everyone was so accommodating and polite. Dinner was very good both nights. Very large portion sizes and italians eat 2 main courses so it was a lot to manage. We shared the appetizer and primi piatti. Peach sorbetto was to die for and had it both nights. Some places are mostly friendly, but rarely are they all friendly. Anyway, had a great time enjoying the spa and hanging out in our lovely suite. So why the 4 instead of 5 stars? Some minor details like landscaping and worn out outdoor furniture. It was an interesting place because it was almost like staying at a museum. It was a favorite for high society back in the day so while everything is of the utmost quality, there is that feeling that there has been some time since the glory days. Plus, I'm sure it is very difficult to keep up with a property that big. Anyway, if you find yourself in fiuggi for whatever reason, this is definitely the best hotel around.

If you need some peace and escape for a bit in a little slice of heaven…read more I stayed here a few days to acclimate to the time difference before a girls trip to Rome and the Amalfi Coast. The spa was beautiful and their staff was very professional and great service providers. The food was so fresh, everything I had was exceptional and maybe one of the best meals I had had in Italy. The local Olive oil was hands down the best I have ever tasted and of course their famous water from the region has hydrated the royal families throughout Europe for hundreds of years. I was by myself but it would be a great place for a family in the summer or a relaxing girls trip for a few days. One day I want to come back and stay for a month with my family. I enjoyed that I did not see any other people from the US (I am from the US) there were only other European tourists from other countries visiting, so it felt like a very authentic experience. It is a approximately 1 hour from the Rome airport. My room was very large and beautiful. The only thing I would wish for would be warmer blankets. I was quite cold at night. Besides that, the region is worth the trip. The little village is safe and very pretty and relaxing. The Hotel is seasonal so please make sure you check your dates.

We stayed at Villa Luciana for 3 weeks in June 2015 and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Villa Luciana…read moreis a 3-bedroom apartment four short blocks from the beach. It's spacious and the gardens are beautiful. The cost runs around 45 euro a night for a stay of two weeks or longer, so it's cheaper than most of the hotel rooms and far more spacious, especially for our family of four. This place is not listed on most of the English-language vacation rental sites as it appears that the family that owns it markets it mainly to Italian customers. But the guy who manages the place, who goes by the single name Franco, speaks English well and made us feel very comfortable. We can highly recommend Villa Luciana to English-speaking tourists. We ended up here by chance. We had booked a reservation at Casa Di Franco, an apartment building converted to vacation rentals, which was owned by the same family. The Casa Di Franco was sold just a couple of weeks before our arrival, and Franco contacted us to let us know, saying that he had arranged for an even nicer place at no extra cost. He met us there upon our arrival, made sure everything was okay, and gave us his cell number to reach him if we had any problems. The honest and open way that he handled the change of our accommodations convinced us that he's a person we wanted to do business with, and we were very pleased with the place he found for us. The family apparently owns or markets several vacation rentals in the Abruzzo via the www.latuacasainabruzzo.it website. I can't comment on the places they have in the other towns, but Villa Luciana was just great. The pictures on the website really don't do it full justice. When we drove up, our reaction was: "Wow, it's beautiful". The building has two rental units, one of the ground floor and one upstairs. We stayed in the ground floor unit. The overall size of the apartment was about 1000 square feet, considerably more than you get in a hotel for the same price. The unit has a good sized kitchen with a gas range and a toaster oven. It's well stocked with dishes, glasses, pots and pans, and there's a market about two blocks away along Via Arno. We had breakfast at the apartment and went out for lunch and dinner, but if someone were to prefer to cook and eat in, this place is well set up for it. There's a four-seat table right in the kitchen. The rest of the apartment consists of three bedrooms. One has a queen size bed and the other two have singles. All three bedrooms are spacious, and there are two well-equipped bathrooms. There's a small laundry room accessed from the outside that has a washing machine only. We did our own laundry there and hung stuff on the line to dry, but if that is too primitive for you, there's a laundromat on the corner of Via Arno and Via Toscana. Our children, age 18 and 14, really enjoyed the place. They loved being able to run over to public beach in five minutes, come back to the apartment when they wanted to, and then head back for the beach. In early June, the water of the Adriatic was suprisingly warm, and we enjoyed swimming in the salty sea along with other beach activities. Garden Lido just over the line in Tortoreto Lido was very close, and we enjoyed the wonderful restaurants of Alba, especially Carlo V, the Gaugin Pub, the Pizzeria del Pescatore, the Friggitoria for takeout, and Istanbul Kebab for delicious middle eastern food. The area where Villa Luciana is located felt very safe, and the kids went out on their own, found their own gelateria, pasticceria and places to eat, and in general had a great time enjoying the run of the place. Alba was a wonderful place to use as a base for our three weeks in Italy, and we had a chance to see Civitella, Teramo, the Salinello Gorge, L'Aquila, Vasto, Florence, Sienna, Arezzo and Rome. The people we met in Abruzzo were wonderful. I'd heard from some American tourists that Italians were unpleasant to tourists, and maybe that's true in some of the big cities, but that certainly wasn't the case in Abruzzo. Everyone was gracious, many spoke English, and those who didn't were patient with our slow and limited Italian.

I've been in this castle several times already, either by night or during the day, for a gelato…read morenear the pool or drinks inside the atrium, and it's always a wonderful moment. I had the chance to visit some of the hotel rooms, and found them very comfy, spacious, and quite affordable for a place like this. They also have conference rooms and business facilities, with amazing views over the nehbouring countryside, the mountains, and the sea ! This is truly a magnificent palace, and I can't wait to go there again !