Newhouse dei Mille

The location made getting around easy: it's a 10-minute walk to the train station, 20 minutes to Old Town, and a 15-minute bus ride to the beach. Shops and restaurants mostly frequented by locals are close by, which we liked. Great spots just a minute away include Cornetteria Fittipaldi, Focaccia Srl, and Pizzeria da Donato. The host was helpful, and the apartment's rooms matched the Booking photos and had A/C. Our room also had a really cozy balcony. Highly recommend it.

Our booking was canceled after we spent two hours trying to settle on a check-in time and had to work around the landlord's schedule. We were told the bath had broken, but when we called, the landlord said he'd canceled because he didn't want to rent to us. That left us without a place on the last day of our vacation. We were spoken to very rudely on the phone. I can't recommend this place under any circumstances.

I never got to stay here. After booking ahead based on the good reviews and photos, the property canceled while I was standing at the entrance. The whole problem started over check-in. The official time was noon, but they wouldn't check me in then, only let me leave my bags. They offered 1 pm instead, and I messaged through the booking app that I'd arrive at 1 or later. They apparently didn't read it. At 12:30 the landlady and her husband called. He yelled that I didn't know exactly when I'd arrive and said I had to come at 1 or 7. I couldn't make 1, so asked for 1:30. The landlady then said I could come whenever suited me, and I said 2 was better. I gave them the 30-minute and 15-minute notices they'd asked for, but when I arrived they still said they couldn't check me in at the agreed time. Fifteen minutes later, they messaged to cancel, claiming something in the bathroom had broken. The landlady later confirmed by phone that this wasn't true. The confusion was the property's fault. I couldn't have known they wouldn't meet me at the official check-in time or later. My plans only changed once because they couldn't meet me at noon. Even if they couldn't accommodate my check-in, they could have been more polite and professional. They also accused me of being rude while I was trying to speak Italian, a language I don't speak. Communicating in Italian was very difficult, and they didn't understand English. I've had five other bookings in Puglia, and those hosts were flexible, polite and very friendly. I know not all hosts there behave this way. I hope the landlady and her husband learn to welcome guests from around the world more kindly.

A good spot for a night in Bari. The train station is close, the old city is an easy walk, and there are restaurants and a supermarket nearby.