Ahhh.... Cesenatico and the Hotel Pino - Great Hotel W/O!
Written: Apr 13 '03 (Updated Apr 14 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Incredible staff, and the restaurant...
Cons: Smallish rooms unless you get the suites.
The Bottom Line: Beautiful, small, cozy, friendly... what else could you want? Not for the big-city enthusiast.
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| pilotpat's Full Review: Hotel Ristorante Pino |
This is a review I've relocated now that this category has been added.
Cesenatico, a small city in Romagna, sits on the coast of the Adriatic, about at the top of the "calf" on the Italian "boot." It was the first place I visited (more accurately, "resided" for a short while) in Italy, and thus has a fond place in my heart. The Italians in Cesenatico were incredibly wonderful to me, inviting me into their lives and going out of their way to put me at ease and make me at home.
LOCATION:
About 2.5 hrs drive (don't look at the speedo or the lines painted on the road... they are irrelevant) south of the airport in Venice, and an hour North from Rimini. Closest airport is Bologna (since I fell asleep on the drive, I do not remember that transit time, but I believe it was a bit over an hour). The Ferrovia (rail) runs right through the city center, services all major cities, and is a much more relaxing way to visit other areas. You will need to have some Italian language skills,or at the least a good Italian phrasebook or english guide to figure out the ticketing system, as the counter operators (even in some of the larger cities) do not speak English.
ATTRACTIONS:
Cesenatico is a tourist town, usually to Italians, Germans (and formerly popular with many Yugoslavs). This is good, because Americans have not managed to wear out the welcome here. We were treated somewhat as novelties, and many shopkeepers told us they had never met a person from the US. Don't expect English to be spoken except at the larger hotels (we shouldn't expect it at all) - German is much more likely. This forced me to improve my "survival Italian," which was another benefit. Property prices are quite expensive, shot up by the affluent Italians who buy summer homes here. The primary tourist attraction is the Adriatic and the beautiful white sand beaches.
HOTELS:
Most (all that I saw, at the least!) hotels are aimed towards European customers. Rooms are small-ish, even in the best hotels, with small bathrooms, with space and "opulence" being reserved for the public areas. I found this refreshing because it encourages you to spend time with other travelers instead of hiding in your room. Italy has strict regulations on what is required of a hotel to advertise itself as being a "X-Star" hotel. For instance, the "4-star" hotel must have certain ammenities, itemized down to a stool in the bathroom/shower and a bar area in the lobby. These requirements are on a legal sheet of paper that must be kept in each room.
I visited several hotels, but spent most of my time in the Hotel Pino, a 4-star hotel sitting on the canal in the old section of town. This is THE place to stay in Cesenatico, I believe. The attractions are not only the location (a bit of a walk - 400 yds or so - to the beach, but right in the midst of the beautiful old town), but the restaurant and the staff. Of course, you can always walk to the restaurant from another hotel, so I will speak of the staff first.
Italians take hospitality seriously, and the Pino's staff all have been in the hotel industry since youth. Each apprenticed with hopes of becoming expert hotel staff, which are in high demand in this area. Firenzo, Enzo, Barbara, and Marcello became like family to us, always ready to perk up a tired face with a fresh cup of cappuccino (or Marcello's "choccoccino" creation) or to soothe us with a glass of vino (Sangiovese is the typical house wine here and in most of Romagna, and as one wonderful Italian told me while he was ordering dinner for us - "Order always the house wine in the carafe... it costs less and in Italy, all wine is good."). Interaction with the staff is much more common in a typical Italian/European hotel if for no other reason than you are expected to leave your room key with the desk as you leave, and pick it up upon your return. All the staff spoke English to some extent (all better than my Italian), Barbara's was the best. They went out of their way to make us comfortable, and were always ready with suggestions of places to visit or eat.
Note: Italian laws require that each hotel keep extremely accurate logs of who is staying. I recommend that you take several copies of your passport when visiting Italy so that you can hand it to the desk attendant when you check in. The Pino has its own copier, but some smaller hotels do not, which requires them to take your passport to a copier for their records. I don't feel very comfortable with that. On that topic, I recommend only carrying a copy of your passport when traveling locally (I have a laminated and folded one I keep in my wallet), keeping the original in your room safe.
The rooms range from very small - just large enough to hold a double bed and small bathroom - to quite large (the top floor has a few suites complete with a separate living area and a large open patio on the roof). Each of the rooms has a window with security/blackout rolling shutters that open to a small fenced balcony. Rooms either look out on the relatively quiet street to the South or the canal to the North. The suite's patios have a much more panoramic view, and the western suite allows you to look up the canal to the Maritime Museum.
Rooms, though having all "4-star" ammenities, are quite Spartan by Western standards. A small-ish (again, but US tastes) cable TV provides local stations and a "movie channel" (which is fed by a VCR at the front desk - the staff is always willing to find a movie of your choosing for that night's selection). Each non-suite room has a small key-operated wall-safe, a ledge on which to set items, a small desk and chair, telephone (no data port), small dresser, and a wall-unit that provides ample storage/hanging space for your clothing and luggage. The rooms do not provide much space to move between these activities (but why would you be staying in your room, anyhow?). Bathrooms are small - a stand up shower with a pull-around curtain sharing the same tiled floor with the rest of the bathroom. A small sink, mirror, and commode take up the rest of the space. Soap, lotion, shampoo, and conditioner were provided, but not much else.
The suites provide much more room, with everything mentioned above on a larger scale, and enough room to entertain 20-30 people comfortably (and a few more cozily).
There is no pool (there's a beach, remember) or fitness center at the Pino, but guests are provided a complimentary pass to the Krom, the best gymnasium in town - very modern equipment and friendly staff, and a good place to meet fun locals.
The gem of the Pino is the restaurant - without a doubt, the best in Cesenatico. Local bicycling legend Marco Pantani, "Il Pirato" can be seen here when not training elsewhere. The menu is fabulous, and the Maitre D' [I said I spoke Italian, not French, and I write both poorly] is exceptionally helpful with choosing courses. During my stay, I sampled the entire menu (and some fare that was made "off the menu" because the staff thought I might enjoy it), and never had a bad meal - heck, I never had less than an "extraordinary" meal. The two main courses I came back to time and again were the "Filleto Tre-P" (Three-peppercorn fillet mignon with a brown sauce) and their esalata frutti di mare (Salad with mixed hot and cold seafood - mussels, clams, squid, fish, etc. etc. etc.). Being on the sea, there is always fresh seafood available. The pasta arrabiata is a good, spicy dish I recommend as well. All of this was preceded by large olives in oil, grissini and other breads, and accompanied by thier wonderful wine list (again.... enjoy the fancy wines, but you'll eventually decide to stay with the local Sangiovese). Desserts are to die for, and I have yet to have a better tiramisu. Of course, Cappuccino or other coffees are available afterwards (or before, though you'll get a frown).
BEACH
The beach is soft white sand with a gentle slope into the Adriatic - perfect for sunning, wading, swimming, or running. Be advised that much of the upper beach areas are private, and a temporary membership with one of the beach houses will be necessary to use those areas - the hotel staff can help you with that, and many beach hotels have their own areas. The public beach is a bit of a hike from the Pino, and is quite busy. Where the canal meets the beach is a wonderful seafood and Pizza restaurant - the pizza quattro stagioni is to die for, and a sports bar overlooking a walled soccer field where locals play.
MARKET
The modern downtown has all types of shops - again, the owners rarely speak English, so brush up on your Italian (polite gestures accompanied by a smile go a long way to cover poor language skills) - and modern restaurants, even a small amusement park by the beach. The treasure of shopping, however, is the old town by the canal. If you wake up early, you can shop the flower markets during the week (the local restauranteurs buy their flowers at that time to decorate). Saturday morning has a wonderful market in the old town area. Markets are always the best place to experience the culture, I believe.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
Again, this is close to Venice and Rimini, for those who want more city-like attractions. San Marino is close as well, and a "don't miss" visit - look for my review in the near future. [And here it is... hot off the presses!]
SHAMELESS LINKS SECTION - MY OTHER REVIEWS ON ITALY and the AREA
San Marino
Perazzi Shotgun Factory
Coming soon (I hope)...
Laga di Garda
Venice
Verona
OVERALL
There's so much to say, I can't put it in one setting - expect that I'll continue to update this review as I think further. I keep in touch with people I met there, and will return (hopefully soon) to Cesenatico - please help me by keeping Americans welcome!
PARTICIPATE IN THE GREAT HOTEL WRITE-OFF!
http://www.angelfire.com/moon/lyagushka/index.html
Recommended:
Yes
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pilotpat
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Member: Pat
Location: World Traveler
Reviews written: 96
Trusted by: 41 members
About Me:
"Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now."
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