Manhattan Room & Suite

My room was number 4. The only decent thing about it was that it looked clean, which should be the bare minimum. There were exposed cables in two places, like the renovation had been left unfinished. The bedside lights weren't secured, the bathroom door was out of line, and its handle was loose. There was no bathroom exhaust vent, just a hole with cables. You could hear everything outside through it, including trains, cars, and people. The bed wasn't a proper double, just two singles with a small double top mattress that sank in the middle. The fridge didn't work at all, despite being turned up full. It ruined €15 worth of groceries I'd bought. They said they'd charge the fridge the next day, but the damage was done. Then they asked me to move rooms, which I didn't want to do because I'd have to pack and unpack again. Communication with the staff was basically nonexistent. Only 1/6 employees spoke a little English, not enough to sort out arrangements or management issues. Breakfast was a 2/5. The orange juice wasn't fresh, just a strange deep-orange, slightly fizzy liquid. The focaccia was greasy and smelled like bad oil, and the croissant was undercooked. On Saturday morning at 8:20, construction workers started drilling and hammering. The area was worse than expected, with train noise and homeless people all around the streets. The TV wasn't connected to the internet, so I couldn't watch Netflix, and the network was too slow to play even a 720p video on my phone. I'd read good reviews and thought it would be nice, but the noise and other problems made for a bad stay.

We arrived early in the morning, before anything was open, and the owners let us leave our luggage while the room was being prepared. Check-in was supposed to be at 14:00, but they had the room ready by 11:30. They were friendly and quick to respond throughout. The room was lovely, modern, and very clean, with the dishes needed if you want to cook. Wi-Fi was reliable, there was a TV, and the building has central heating, so you won't be cold. The hosts cleaned the room and changed the towels every day. The location worked perfectly for me, right by the back entrance to Bari Centrale and next to the bus stops for Alberobello. We arrived at Easter, when their cafetaria wasn't open the next day, but the hosts prepared breakfast for us beforehand and left it in the room. Big thanks to them. It exceeded what we expected. Definitely give it a try if you're visiting Bari, or at least stop by their cafetaria for breakfast.

I've stayed twice in one month, in two different rooms, and both were great. The place is basically right in the train station, so it can be a little noisy, but otherwise it's perfect.

The staff are warm and welcoming, and the location is excellent, right across from Bari Centrale.