B&B Colle della Selva

The setting is charming and well suited to anyone wanting to get away from daily life, but several practical details could be improved. Colle della Selva is presented online as a B&B and holiday homes, though we found no sign of a B&B. Getting there is straightforward: the turn from the paved municipal road between Colle, Abbateggio, and nearby towns leads onto about 100 meters of dirt road. Leaving is harder. The beginning and end have been paved for grip, but there's a short uphill stretch in between where front-wheel-drive cars, which is nearly all of them, and most low cars may struggle. Another 7-8 meters of paving would help. Also, visibility to the left when joining the municipal road is blocked, so a convex mirror opposite the exit would make it safer. The kitchen equipment was disappointing. Pots, plates, and cutlery were kept in a top-opening cupboard, like one formerly used for grain or flour, in our side apartment. Some pots were dirty or rusty and unusable. There were only two mismatched water glasses, two small wine or liquor glasses, and four mismatched pieces of cutlery. One of the two coffee pots was rusty with a scorched handle, while the other was in somewhat better shape. There were no containers for pasta or salad dressing. We also only had one large shower towel, and the bathroom sink kept clogging despite repeated use of a suction cup. The washing machine door wouldn't open. When we called, the manager said earlier guests had caused the problem and the replacement part had been ordered, but might take time because it was a foreign brand. We found the door could be forced open with a spoon handle. For waste sorting, the manager said she'd tell us each day what to put in the bins, but only contacted us the first evening. We then had to ask the Abbateggio municipality for the schedule. Putting a copy inside the apartment would prevent confusion. We dealt with the manager only by phone and WhatsApp, and nobody asked for our identity documents. She was friendly while giving us initial information and taking the deposit, and soon spoke to us informally. After we raised complaints at the apartment, she switched back to formal address. Once we'd paid the balance, there was no more contact, although we still had almost a week of vacation ahead.

Barbara was kind and equipped the kitchen with everything we needed for cooking. The apartment was spacious and had attractive antique furniture, but the spring bed wasn't very comfortable. My boyfriend and I stayed for four days around New Year's. It was cold on the first night because nobody had stayed there before us. On the second and third nights the heating system broke down. The fireplace took the edge off the cold, but after being out all day it was still very chilly when we got back. It was a shame to pay a steep bill for an apartment that was cold for three of our four days.

The price is reasonable, but service is very poor, and the place needs a lot of attention and updating. The outside is neglected and rather run-down. Inside, there are just two forks, two blunt table knives, and two spoons, with no salad bowl, bread knife, or fruit knife. There are hardly any pillows, and the one in the closet is unsightly. The bathroom sink is clogged. As another reviewer said, they apparently give everyone the same story about it, blaming previous guests instead of fixing it. The washing machine door doesn't work either. We sort our waste, but there are no signs to tell us when to put it out. There are no mosquito screens. Mosquitoes get in, and you can't leave the windows open at night with the lights on because giant, very dangerous wasps come inside. This could all be improved fairly easily.

The house is tucked away, so it's a good fit if you're after complete quiet and relaxation. Downstairs there's a kitchen and a living room with a fireplace that can be used with wood. Upstairs are two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The one thing that needs work is the cleanliness of the rooms.