Savoia Excelsior Palace

My two best friends from university and I get together with our families every few years. This trip was three nights together at an Airbnb in Venice followed by three nights at the Savoia Excelsior Palace. We occupied four units on the 5th floor--three rooms and one suite. This grand hotel could not have a better location. All our rooms had balconies facing the sea. The views were both peaceful and stunning. I really enjoyed having a sofa in our room. The ensuite bathroom was sizeable and as well-appointed as the bedroom. The bed linens and pillows were near perfect. Our friends felt that the beds were a bit too firm but I disagree. I'd rather too firm than soft. We had breakfast downstairs all three mornings. Solid. Given Trieste's history, there were options such as strudel and sauerkraut. I enjoyed the fresh sauerkraut with scrambled eggs and regional cheeses every morning. Good coffee too. I with there had been cranberry or apple juice as options, I didn't ask. But there are several fresh citrus juice varieties available. At my second breakfast, I requested gluten free toast. The tall, young man who helped me brought out a selection of Schar products. If you have to avoid gluten, I recommend this brand. The next morning, he remembered my request and brought out another array of Schar products without me asking. That is attention to detail. He wasn't wearing a name badge but had closely cropped hair and blue eyes. Our helpful and cheerful chambermaid, the tall gentleman who checked us into the hotel and the bartender the night of the July 15th and 16th were all very professional. The chambermaid was quick to greet us in the morning when we walked by her in the hallway. The gentleman who checked us in gave me a brief synopsis of the Star Hotels program after I told him we had stayed at their sister property in Sienna. I thought the Savoia was related to the hotel of the same name in Milan. That's a great hotel too. The bartender who worked the 15h and 16th--especially during the England vs. Argentina football match--was professional, poised and made an excellent drink. He had very closely cropped hair, nearly shaved. I wish I had gotten the names of these four hotel workers as they stood out. Our issue was with the concierge service. One of our friends booked a private beach club on our last full day, the 17th. The first one that was recommended had terrible reviews online. We opted for the cheaper one instead. It would have been nice to have been told there were no beach towels at the beach club. A better informed, proactive concierge would have given her clients heads up. We were forced to drip dry after leaving the water. We all had trouble with the taxi AP and connectivity at the beach club. When one of us got through to the hotel to ask if they could call us a taxi, we were given a number to call and told to do it ourselves. Again, we had three rooms and a suite in total. Eventually one of us got through to a taxi company and handed me the phone. None of us speak Italian but I speak Spanish. I often speak Spanish in Italy when there is a communication challenge. The languages are similar. I'm not completely fluent and after a day at the beach, it was annoying and a bit of a challenge to arrange three taxis in Spanish for all of us to return to the hotel. Later that day one of us asked the concierge to help us with dinner reservations. It was our last night together after a fun week in Italy. The previous nights, we had winged it, but wanted a recommendation on our last night. They booked a table at the Hostaria Malcanton. The food was very good. The service was not. We're all very friendly so couldn't understand why the first waiter was so rude to us. A second waiter started to help us. He was friendly. The woman who brought out the food was just as unfriendly as the first waiter. We really couldn't understand what was happening. But again, the food was delicious. After dinner, we returned to the bar for one last round of drinks. The bartender who had previously helped us was replaced by a very young man. Maybe he was new but he was not as skilled or professional as his colleague. Our vodkas came out without sparkling water and very little ice. One of us went to retrieve the sparkling. And while they were very nice (big) pours, they would have been appreciated by us when we were young and at university, not when we're middle aged and about to check out the next day. We had a good laugh at our large warm vodkas. I plan on returning to Trieste one day, hopefully next year. What a great city overlooked by its neighbour, Venice. I will return to this hotel. For the spotty service, it was a lovely experience with some stand out hotel staff. Thank you for helping us celebrate our long friendship.

The hotel was excellent. They even got us a transfer to the airport..

Everything was beyond perfection. The hotel is located in a 20th-century palace and blends perfectly with the surrounding architecture. Piazza Unità, which I think is the most beautiful square in Italy, is just a few steps away, and in front of you lies the beautiful molo of Trieste — you can see the Faro della Vittoria up on the hill, the harbour, and Molo Audace. You can’t ask for a better location. The rooms are spacious, the bathroom is ample and accessible for disabled guests, the bed and pillows are super comfortable, the air conditioning is great, and the valet parking is a plus. Breakfast was amazing: plenty of savoury and sweet choices, everything fresh and of high quality. The staff was attentive and kind. Everything was spotless. The only remark I’d make is that, since the hotel is in Italy, it would be nice to be greeted in Italian first when entering the restaurant or checking in, rather than assuming we’re foreigners. The dinner at the restaurant was gorgeous. After two months on the road eating nothing but fish and meat, I could finally enjoy my favourite dish again — I had missed pasta terribly. If you are travelling to Trieste, you can’t miss this hotel.

The staff were welcoming and efficient. Our room was very clean and comfortable with a great view. The public rooms are very elegant, great to relax in. The location is brilliant, with sea views and close to so many fascinating areas of the city.

This is a sort of nothing-to-complain-about hotel but it sort of lacks a bit of soul. One can see that they have done their best to convert a building but it seemed to me to lack a bit of character. To the positives, I found the service friendly and professional, the concierge found us excellent dining options. The location is perfect, even watching the cruise boats pull in and out from our balcony was entertaining. I was sort of looking for a roof top bar or a pool, but these are not a feature. The room, with a nice view was on the small side, especially the bathroom. Breakfast was fine, but not a big plus point. Finally, Trieste is an interesting, lovely city we really enjoyed, especially the historical city center and the ice cream.