The Smerald 2

The owner is very kind and helpful. The location is excellent, with shops and supermarkets nearby and the seafront very close.

The room’s hygiene was the reason I contacted customer service for the first time. There was mold in the shower and dirt on the sheets, and the place was dirty enough that I called the sanitation department. Recent reviews suggest this cleaning issue has happened before. I’m writing again so people don’t book in a rush without knowing what to expect. We also had to contact the property because they hadn’t given us the WiFi password, even though WiFi was listed as a service. We never asked where to watch the sunset. I know the area better than the owner. The manager’s reply, despite the photos I provided, doesn’t match what happened. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he mixed me up with someone else. My partner was inside the room, not outside smoking, and the manager’s colleague ignored her completely. I always let her go in first and hold the door. The person who showed us the room was rude, whether he was the manager or the owner’s friend. We never complained about not having a whirlpool tub. The listing had different photos to attract guests, but I can read Italian and knew we were getting a standard shower. It was a last-minute booking, so that was fine. I couldn’t accept the poor hygiene, though. If the simple shower was kept in that condition, I can’t imagine what that bowl they call a “tub” is like. I’d have been ashamed to offer a room like that. They seem to have different standards, and making up a bunch of lies without even addressing the cleanliness is pointless. It was also pretty squalid to suggest I couldn’t afford a weekend just because I reminded the kind manager that people like me pay for his room every day, which is how he manages to make ends meet.

We left even though we’d paid a high price. The photos had already made me doubt what we’d find, and once we were in the room, opening the bed settled it: the used sheets had hair and all kinds of stains. We asked for the room to be cleaned and for fresh sheets, but an older lady answered rudely and kept insisting the room was clean. I showed her the condition of the rest of it too, but she wouldn’t listen. I strongly advise against staying here.

The location is handy and there’s lots of free parking nearby. The room and bathroom were clean, and we did manage to sleep, even though there are no radiators and the room gets bright early in the morning. The lighting inside is very bright too, so a bedside lamp would help. The rooms are small, really suitable for one night, or two at most.