Only the sights from my hotel room balcony tell me what I know about Santa Marinella. It has a nice name. Directing my eyes outwards as far as I as I can see – I see the sea. The Mediterranean Sea that is. Directly in front of me are a restaurant and an empty swimming pool that obstruct the view of the rocky shoreline.

Not quite deserving of its rating, the four star Cavalluccio Marino Hotel is pleasant but not special. I did, however, find satisfaction in negotiating our rates down from 140 euro to 90 euro. Then again, there being many hotels in this small town, I’m sure I could have found an equally satisfying night in a 60 euro hotel.

The hotels restaurant was highly recommended by – who else? – the hotel staff. It was good – not great – but good. The portions were small and the prices were high. I learned that the property owner also has a fishery. A table full of fresh fish (some of them still wobbling) was wheeled in front of our faces for our pleasure. My wife, not taking a liking to eyes staring at her, lost her appetite. The trays disappearance and a plate of pasta brought back her original cravings. The best part of the meal occurred when the waiter delivered our dessert. Its presentation was in keeping with its high price. The shock of the evening came when we discovered that a 5 euro service charge per person is always added to the bill. We were assured that this was not a replacement for a tip. We assured that the tip was in keeping with our satisfaction.