Albergo Italia is actually a very nice place. Ideally situated at the fringes of the Sassi, right at the center of everything worth visiting in Matera. The room I had was at the rear side of the hotel. It was not only very quiet (despite the hotel's central position) but also offered a marvellous view of the Sassi in the valley. So I enjoyed feeling amidst this unique medieval urban structures while benefitting from the comfort of a bright and spacious Italian hotel palazzo. My room was large, unpretentiously furnished, clean, and so was the bathroom. Up to this point, the hotel deserved in my view the positive reviews the hotel has received.
The problems begin when you travel by car and do not want to unload your luggage a kilometer or so away and carry them to the hotel. The hotel is situated in an extended pedestrian area to which access is camera controlled. When I arrived with my car at the restricted area I called the reception and asked how to get to the hotel. I was advised to pass through the restricted area and was assured that I would be authorized to do so as an overnight guest of the hotel for unloading my luggage. While checking in I gave the receptionist the licence plate number of my car and made the gentleman promise to contact the local police for confirming the authorized passage to the hotel.
To no avail as I learned weeks later when the rental car company forwarded me the ticket issued by the local police for unauthorized entry into the restricted zone. I forwarded a copy to the hotel asking for their intervention -- again to no avail, receiving not even an answer from them. So, because of their negligence I now ended up paying way more for the ticket and the rental car charges than I paid for one night in the hotel. Weighing the horrendous penalites I have to bear against their negligence I cannot but rate Albergo Italia as terrible. Be aware of the risk when you travel by car.