Albergo Regina Giovanna

In June 2005 our family of five visited the area of Arquata del Tronto in Le Marche to see where my husband's Italian family originated. We had no reservations to stay, but found the Albergo Regina Giovanna and were very happy we did. The owners, Sal and Cristina, were very welcoming. I wish we could have stayed longer. We booked 3 rooms for 2 nights: 2 Queens which were spacious, clean and pleasant and 1 twin room which was more modest, but still nice. There is an elevator. The glass enclosed showers are very small but some rooms have showers with curtains, so a large person may want to enquire about this. We pretty much had the hotel to ourselves in June 2005, but it apparently fills up each August with hikers who come to experience the Sibillini Mountains and the Piano Grande. I don't think they have a dedicated website to make online reservations, but they do have a fax and you can find some Italian hotel sites that mention this hotel and give prices. It is a small family-run place and definitely not "touristy". The rooms are not fancy, but the beds were good and the rooms were very comfortable. The price is great and the warmth and kindness of the owners made for a wonderful stay. We booked room and dinner together and were treated to the best restaurant meal of our entire 3 week stay in Italy. Everything was fresh and homemade, including locally made sausage and some outstanding grilled cheese (nothing like the American version!). We encountered no other native English speakers during our time in the Arquata del Tronto area, but Cristina can speak pretty good English. This meal and stay were a highlight of our trip. In July 2008 we were fortunate to once again have dinner here(stopping in to book a reservation before we headed up to the Piano Grande) and we were not disappointed! Again we were made to feel very welcome and again we had a simply exceptional meal. Highly recommend checking out this hotel for a stay or at least a dinner if you are in the area. It is very convenient if you are going up to the Piano Grande. (Take the Arquata del Tronto turn off from the SS4 and look for the Regina Giovanna in the tiny town Borgo just before you get to the walled town of Arquata)