Apartments Via Dei Platani

Dirty and old, with no service. The air conditioning controller didn’t work, and there was no Wi-Fi.

The sea is close, about a 10-15 minute walk, or you can get there by bike, car, or train. The apartments are bright and attractive, with a large, well-kept garden shaded by pine trees. There’s also a beautiful, spacious pool that was renovated this year.

They cancelled my reservation without a clear reason, even though I had provided two cards. When the hotel receptionist called, she said they had no rooms and blamed Booking.com for showing availability. Then the explanation changed to my debit card, and apparently the second card wasn’t acceptable either, although both had funds. When I phoned the hotel, a very grumpy man answered. I asked if the card was okay, and he said, “Well, I don’t know. We’ll see.” I have to wonder if they’re suited to working in tourism.

We rented bikes to get to the beaches. The rental wasn’t expensive, and it was easy to reach whichever beach we wanted, so it worked out nicely. The apartment was very clean, tastefully furnished, and practical, with everything you could need, even a washing machine. The only thing missing was a hairdryer. It’s a very quiet place, with quiet hours at certain times of day.