Hotel Smeraldo in Lido di Jesolo

Title: A deeply unpleasant experience — I regret ever dining here

I very rarely write negative reviews, but what happened at Hotel Smeraldo’s restaurant in Jesolo truly deserves to be shared.

I had dinner there recently. While the food was mediocre, the prices were affordable, the atmosphere pleasant, and most of the staff were friendly and helpful. Unfortunately, one staff member’s shocking behavior completely ruined my experience.

Upon arrival, a staff member took my umbrella and placed it in the stand near the entrance. When I was leaving, my umbrella was gone. I informed a staff member, who responded in a rude and dismissive manner, essentially saying “That’s your problem — you should’ve kept an eye on it.” I asked to speak to someone else, and they too brushed me off with “There’s nothing we can do.”

Eventually, someone handed me a different umbrella, saying sarcastically, “Here, this one’s a gift.” The umbrella broke immediately — the top detached from the handle the moment I opened it. I ended up buying a new one from a nearby shop and left the broken one behind.

To make things worse, the same staff member followed me outside, confronted me in a very aggressive and intimidating tone, and demanded to know where the broken umbrella was. When I told him it was broken, he took yet another umbrella back into the restaurant — not to give it to me, but just to remove it — and walked off with a cold, sarcastic “Thanks.”

I was shocked and deeply upset. I had paid for my meal, left a tip, and contributed to their business in good faith — only to be treated with complete disrespect and even hostility.

I will never return, and I regret both the money and time I spent there. I strongly urge management to address this incident and re-evaluate how certain staff members behave toward paying guests.