Castle Rhythm Inn

The place was clean on arrival, though there was no cleaning during our stay, and I never saw the host. Getting there in a large car is difficult, and rolling luggage takes a beating on the cobblestones. There’s no Wi-Fi. On the plus side, it’s very quiet with lovely views. The shared kitchen is handy, but the fridge is small. The modern shower had plenty of hot water. The price was reasonable, though not cheap.

The rooms get very hot, and there’s no air conditioning, only fans. There are no bedside tables, and our towels weren’t changed during the two nights. The bathroom sink is especially bad: the pipes are very old and water drains in a way that makes washing your face difficult. The location gives easy access to the castle, but parking is inconvenient. The shared kitchen has only a mini fridge for all the B&B guests, and there isn’t even a coffee maker. One of the worst B&Bs I’ve stayed in.

I wanted to rate this higher, but I can’t. My partner and I booked three nights in Arco to escape the summer heat and visit nearby attractions like Lake Ledro, Varone Falls, and Catello di Arco. Unfortunately, the heat had reached Arco too, so we were desperate to get to our room and cool down when we arrived. That’s when we started noticing the problems. The room had no Wi-Fi, bedside tables, wardrobe or dresser, air conditioning, shutters, or daily cleaning. The towels smelled bad, so we asked to have them changed, but the replacements smelled just as awful after one use. There was a communal room with rubbish bins, an induction hob, three small tables, an ironing board, and a mini fridge. The bins were the one bright spot, since you apparently need a resident’s card to throw anything away in the village. I wouldn’t feel comfortable putting food in the fridge, though, since anyone could access it. Parking was another hassle, especially with luggage. The free spots were few, often unavailable, and far away uphill. The closest spaces were for ZTL residents or limited to one hour; the two-hour or paid options were also far away. The Google address had the wrong building number, and we found the place by guessing because there’s no sign outside. Although Rhythm inn is listed as a B&B, including in Google search results, there’s no breakfast. Communication with the owners was patchy. The manager only wants to be contacted by phone or WhatsApp, and may not answer WhatsApp right away. We messaged at 1 pm on Friday to ask about checkout and got a reply at 10:45 the next morning: “You can leave it in the room... leave around 10.” By “leave it in the room,” he meant the cash payment. You can make up your own mind.

This B&B has been renovated, but it still feels unfinished. There’s nowhere to put a suitcase or your things, and no bedside tables for anything. We got two small towels for the bidet and two for the shower. The sink tap is awkward to use, so washing your face is hard and even brushing your teeth takes effort.