Palazzo Gattini Luxury Hotel in Matera

Watch out - Make sure, you have to have a confirmed room facing the valley, with sun and light. The so called 'junior suites' facing the cathedral are dark, lugubrious and not worth the money, sorry! The staff tried with arguments that in this boutique hotel "all rooms are different"... no kidding, our traveling companions got a 'junior suite' with a view, light, sunrise and sunset + terrace and plunge pool... The 'junior suite' that was given to us had an air of "being used". It is nice with staff that are service minded, but in this case it turned out to be to the point of silly in their efforts to be friendly.... no thanks, it is unnecessary!

Absolutely unacceptable for a five-star hotel.

When the bill arrived, it already included a 15% “optional” service charge — printed in black and white, as if mandatory. The waitress immediately told me with a smile that it was “optional” and that she could go back and redo the bill without it… as if this little charade were perfectly normal.

That is not optional, that is pressure. I actually felt forced into it — and I almost let myself go along, just to avoid the awkwardness. This is not hospitality, it’s manipulation.

This is Italy, not the US. Tips are voluntary. Forcing them on guests and then pretending to offer a way out is both rude and insulting.

For the first time ever, I refused to leave any tip at all — not out of stinginess, but because I refuse to reward such dishonest behavior.

A five-star hotel should make you feel welcome, not tricked. Instead, I walked away with disappointment and mistrust.

I hope other guests will speak up, because only by sharing these experiences can such practices stop