Hotel I Castelli: Little style but big help with the budget

Chicago Tribune (MCT) - Nothing is sweeter in Europe these days than a bargain. That's why Hotel I Castelli in the Italian town of Alba seems so appetizing. It ain't pretty, but the rooms are large and clean, the bathroom fully stocked, and a bountiful breakfast buffet is included. Even better, the picturesque old center of Alba is a short two-block walk.

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Hotel I Castelli is on Corso so Torino, a busy street leading into the town center. The 87-room hotel opened in 1996 and is housed inside a boxy glass-and-brick structure that looks more like an office building than lodging. Attached to the hotel is a small commercial strip containing, among other businesses, a gym and a hair salon. There's indoor parking for hotel guests; the garage is secure but dark and spooky.

Euro-mod is the design theme of the hotel. And teal is the color; it's everywhere, from the rec-room couches in the large, bland lobby to the wood trim and furnishings in one's large, bland room. There's a small bar in the lobby that is open every night, and you'll find a kiosk of tourist info in several languages by the front door.

Checking in: The desk clerks are friendly and quickly check you in. Not all of the staff has a strong grasp of English, however.

Rooms: Roomy enough and inexpensive enough to take the sting out of the proletarian decor. Instead of Italian romance, expect a look more akin to Scandinavian severity. The furniture is modern and minimal. Two wicker chairs, a desk, a small bureau on which to rest a suitcase, and, in my room, two twin beds. The beds are comfortable with firm mattresses, plump pillows and plain sheets. My room came with a small refrigerator stocked with the usual mini-bar enticements. The room is rigged for Wi-Fi, and the hotel has satellite television. The window opens onto the roof, and there is no view.

There are 11 single rooms, 73 doubles/twin rooms, three junior suites. There are three rooms accessible to people with disabilities.

The bathroom is large and nicely stocked with toiletries, a blow-dryer, shower caps, a bidet and a heated towel rack. Even better, there's plenty of hot water, and the shower runs at full force. Instead of a shower curtain, there is a fixed panel next to the shower head to catch stray droplets, but it doesn't reach far enough down the tub to do the job properly. The toilet has two types of flushes, the usual get-the-job-done flush, and a gentler one to conserve water. It's a nice "green" touch found in many European bathrooms.

Kid-friendly: The business-like ambience may leave the kids feeling bored, and there's no pool.

Room service: Yes, Monday through Saturday evenings, starting at 7 p.m. No room service on Sunday.

Perks and peeves: All the lights go out when you leave your room. When you return, you have to stick your room key into a slot in the wall to turn the power back on. A laudable attempt at conservation _ not uncommon in Europe _ to be sure, but a nuisance when it's nighttime and you're in the dark groping about.

All is forgiven in the morning with the ample breakfast spread, which is served in a large, sterile space outside the hotel's meeting rooms. There are assorted pastries, cold cuts, cheeses, yogurt, fresh fruit, cereals and little jars of Nutella, the cocoa and hazelnut spread invented in Alba. Choose your juice (the blood orange is great) from a self-service dispenser. The coffee is brewed to order; the portion is tiny but robust, more like espresso. Thankfully, there's a carafe of warm milk at hand to soothe the caffeine jolt.

The hotel's eponymous restaurant is open for dinner every day except Sunday. Wine provides the major design theme for the restaurant, appropriate given Alba's central location in Piedmont's wine country. There's even a wine "tree," a wooden column into which empty wine bottles have been inserted as "branches." Well, it's a look.

Dinner at Ristorante I Castelli is pleasant and moderately priced. The staff speaks English well, and their taste in music is eclectic. One minute there's some old-fashioned Italian love song playing over the stereo, the next minute it's "Master and Servant" by Depeche Mode. (Quite the unusual accompaniment to ricotta- and spinach-stuffed ravioli served with tomatoes and basil, but strangely it worked.)

The menu is stocked with classic Piedmontese fare, and the dishes are grouped in the traditional way: Antipasto, first course, main course, dessert. Portions are ample; skip a round if you don't feel famished. You also can choose a prix-fixe multicourse dinner at either 23 or 35 euros (about $31 or $48). What I ordered was decent, even at times delicious, but not spectacular. Still, there's a certain convenience to dining inside the hotel, and you get what you pay for, even in euros.

Bottom line: I paid the high-season rate of 93 euros (about $126) a day for a room with two twin beds. High season includes fall, when the lure of white truffles brings visitors to the region.

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HOTEL I CASTELLI

14 Corso so Torino, Alba, Italy,

011-39-0173-361978

www.hotel-icastelli.com

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