BedDream

Sonia was the best part of our stay at Sand’Ana House B&B. She handled breakfast and cleaning, and was warm, kind, and always helpful. If it were only up to her, we’d give the place 10/10. Breakfast was nearly the same each day, apart from the cake, but Sonia prepared it with care. She was away for two days, though, and on one of those mornings we went to the kitchen at 8:10, after breakfast was meant to start at 8, and found it closed with nobody there. We had a meeting and had to skip breakfast, then told Ms. Anna we hadn’t enjoyed it that day. Cleaning also wasn’t as good on the days Sonia was away. We only learned at the end that there was a shared fridge, as nobody had mentioned it. We stayed July 20-25 after choosing the sea-view terrace room based on the high ratings and appealing photos. The terrace and its lovely sea-side view were the only parts that matched our expectations. The room looked different from the listing pictures: basic furniture, no parquet, two mismatched pillows, one extremely thin, and a plain setup. The only accurate image seemed to be one Claud posted in a review six months earlier, which showed the room we got. The owner, presumably Ms. Anna, never introduced herself or met with us. We had no interaction with her and felt as if we were in an unmanaged Airbnb. Check-in was done through WhatsApp instructions, and she even asked Sonia to say goodbye for her. The street was run-down, with a derelict building opposite that had officially been declared uninhabitable. There was a lot of trash from local door-to-door waste collection, and at night we saw a large mouse near the car. The advertised green area is just a private garden across the road. We appreciated not being charged for a sunscreen stain we caused on the wall, though I’m not sure whether that was because we paid cash and gave no credit card details. The stay didn’t live up to expectations, and Sonia’s kindness was what saved it. The absent host, inaccurate listing, and state of the area made it feel poor value. I’d suggest less marketing and more care for guests. Living abroad, I’m starting to prefer holidays outside Italy instead of coming back, and places like this are part of why. I also don’t understand the high ratings; perhaps other guests got the nicer rooms in the listing photos. After the owner replied, I want to add that my review is based on facts. Sonia was there, hospitable, and easy to talk to. We still don’t know who Ms. Anna is. My partner thinks she might have been someone he saw, but I didn’t think that person looked like the photo, and she never introduced herself. I would have happily spoken with her if I’d understood who she was. The kitchen sign says breakfast runs from 8:00 to 10:00, and we always came within those hours. I skipped breakfast only twice. Once my boyfriend went without me because I didn’t want to risk arriving late, which shows I respected the schedule. Still, focusing on exact minutes in a discussion of hospitality misses the point. Reviews, good or bad, should be accepted and respected rather than answered with personal attacks on the guest.