Dimora Portalba

The price feels outrageous for what you get, and the cleanliness was poor. I set my suitcase on top of the closet and a cloud of dust came up. The towel warmer in the bathroom was even worse, and the bedroom convector heater was just as bad. Never again.

We liked the breakfast, served in a very nice separate room. There was a good choice of pastries, yogurt, toast, juices, and hot drinks. The staff were kind, helpful, and competent, and we thought it was good value for money. It's a family-run hotel in a handy spot for walking to the center of Alba. The rooms are new and very clean, though the soundproofing is poor. We could hear everything happening at reception and in the other rooms.

We used this excellent little hotel as our base for a week in the Langhe. It's very clean, with spacious rooms, and only a 10-minute walk from the center. Breakfast was a fresh, generous continental spread. Highly recommended.

The evening before checkout, I contacted the owner to settle the bill. I paid by card and asked for a receipt because I was there for work. I was told it would arrive by email the next day. In the morning, I left the property and handed over the keys as agreed with the owner. The next day, the receipt for my two nights still hadn't arrived, and I need it to claim expenses from my company. I tried calling the number I'd used to reach the owner on the first day, but got no answer. Days went by and I kept trying, including from other numbers, without success. It's now been a week since my stay, and I still haven't been able to reach the owner or get the receipt for the two nights.