Casa dei Ciliegi

The setting is lovely, with hills, a bell tower and an outdoor dining area with grape vines. The house itself, though, felt badly neglected and dirty. There were cobwebs under the ceiling, grime around door handles and on curtains, cigarette ends in an outdoor vase and some more by the pool. Dead and live insects were around as well. Some dirt and a few issues were addressed after we complained, which we appreciated. A lot of things seemed broken: the coffee machine handle had come off, a toilet's sliding door wouldn’t shut, the sauna door was missing rubber insulation so it wouldn’t heat properly, and a curtain had come loose and was lying on the floor when we arrived. We couldn’t open a balcony door, and plaster and paint were coming away from some walls. The place also smelled bad. With eight people staying there, having no dishwasher meant constantly washing dishes. There were no wine glasses or opener, so we brought glasses ourselves. No soap, shower gel or shampoo was provided either, which was a real hassle given how remote the villa is and that we didn’t even have basics for washing our hands. Garbage became a major problem throughout our two weeks. Collection was on a schedule by type, but the owners hadn’t made clear which bags to use. If rubbish went in the wrong bag or bin, it wouldn’t be collected. We couldn’t get rid of most of it. When we asked for help, saying the service might have missed the collection or we’d done something wrong, we got a warning through booking after the owners complained that we weren’t sorting it properly. That was an unpleasant surprise. With eight of us cooking, grilling and drinking wine, a week without rubbish collection left a mess. It was a very disappointing stay. The area is beautiful, and with some care and kinder communication, this place could be a real gem.

Google Maps points you down a very narrow little road with a 1.5t weight limit. Don’t take it. The longer way through Monte Di Villa is the one to use. Once there, it’s peaceful, and the church bells don’t ring. The host was lovely to deal with and very helpful. The accommodation was clean and had good equipment, though it’s somewhat dated. Everything worked, and the view and surrounding nature were beautiful. A few insects indoors are hard to avoid in that setting. Water pressure was limited, except in the sauna shower, where it was excellent. We couldn’t get the sauna above 65°C.

We arrived to a very dirty interior, and the whole house smelled of mold and urine. There were lots of insects, some dead and some alive. The place is extremely run-down and poorly maintained. Communication with the agency was very bad, and they weren’t cooperative. I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

CASA ALICE was awful. The whole house is run-down and stank, with dead insects everywhere, a filthy bathroom, and mold and urine smells throughout. Dealing with the agency was incredibly difficult. We didn’t spend even one night there, and the owner gave no refund. One star feels too generous.