Porta Vinea

The roof terrace is lovely, and the holiday apartment is spacious. But the bedroom skylight sits right over the bed and can't be darkened, so in June the night is over by 5:00 a.m. The owner said she knew about this "construction defect," then said "nothing is perfect." There was no apology or regret. That's unacceptable.

The hostess works tirelessly for her guests and seems to be available around the clock. Truly outstanding. We had a great time in Rubbertsberg, staying in a new apartment that we'd happily recommend. The wine shop, food, and wines all met our expectations. If we're in the area again, we'd gladly stay at Porta Vinea.

The hotel made a great base for hiking and exploring the region's wines, and we were very impressed with the modernized premium rooms. We also ate at the hotel restaurant, where both the food quality and the price were excellent.

The steep stairs up to the top floor should have been mentioned before booking. If we'd known, we wouldn't have booked. The bedroom has just a small skylight, and it opens electrically only about 20%, so it wasn't enough for airing out warm summer nights. We couldn't leave the patio door open overnight either, since the terrace is shared. The listing promised a PRIVATE balcony, but it's actually a terrace shared by three adjoining units. Guests can wander between the units whether anyone wants that or not. It was especially annoying with our dog, which cost €13.50 per day but couldn't use the balcony without bothering other terrace guests. The seating was inadequate too: just ONE very low, hard wooden seat per unit, like a rocking chair, and especially difficult for older people to get out of. The terrace view was anything but idyllic. "Welcome to Paradise" is a huge exaggeration, this isn't a paradise to aim for. When my husband raised the shortcomings, unclear description, and missing information with the owner as we left, she confirmed them.