San Gennaro Castello

We’d booked for October, but heavy traffic meant we couldn’t reach the place by the 8 p.m. check-in cutoff. We got there after 9 p.m. and couldn’t check in. In the town where we stayed for the next two days, we heard about the owner, and I’d advise everyone against staying there. His name is Dario, and he wouldn’t wait even a minute. To him, this is clearly a way to make extra money, and it feels like a scam. Read the other reviews by Hans M and Charles the Tonnac. Everything is 100% true. My pictures show the chat and how late check-in would be possible, which wasn’t with Booking.com. It was the same as Hans M mentioned. Post your reviews on Tripadvisor too.

The owner is friendly and hospitable, and always seems to make you smile. This charming, well-equipped Tuscan B&B sits in a prime spot in the hills near Lucca. We have it on our list again this year!

I was another guest with a possible late arrival, or maybe a “no show,” as in Charles de Tonnac’s report from four weeks earlier. I booked through booking.com and missed the 20:00 latest arrival time. We’d requested a later check-in when booking, but didn’t realize the hotel could refuse that request and still take the money. If you miss the cutoff, don’t expect the hotel to help. They just tell you to contact booking.com, while booking.com suggests speaking directly to the hotel. A good hotel would handle this differently. I would’ve liked to experience the hotel for real. Dear reader and potential guest, look through the other 1-star ratings. This place seems unusual in closing check-in at 20:00 and leaving customers on their own. What the hotel wrote to me in the booking com chat was unbelievable. They blame the traveler and seem to enjoy leaving a potential customer feeling helpless. The owner seems to think he’s untouchable and safe from consequences for treating customers this way. Let’s see what we can do together.

The best parts were the enthusiastic host, convenient location near cafés, a pharmacy, a supermarket, and a pool, and the lovely mountain and city views. The sanitary and hygiene facilities were held to high standards. There’s quirky furniture with a big collection of celebrity merchandise, a friendly neighborhood cat, and a sunny shared balcony with space to dry clothes. There were plenty of power outlets, too. There were a lot of drawbacks. Breakfast was poor, and there are no nearby electric vehicle outlets, so guests need a gas-powered car. The air conditioning was weak, small, and inconsistent, the ceiling fan was broken, and some lighting was weak or broken. Bedframes were broken, making noise, sliding, and causing the mattress to sink. Mobile communication with the host was poor, leaving us waiting outside in the heat. Sound isolation in the house was poor, so other guests disturbed us, and the bathroom had no ventilation, trapping damp air and smells. The poor cooling and airflow meant buying a fan. The host often came into the room to turn off the air conditioning and ventilation, so we’d return to a hot room. Hiding the AC remote solved that. There were also conflicts between neighbors and guests. Wi-Fi was weak and inconsistent. Some details may depend on the room: the shower has a raised platform that can be hard to see, especially at night, and the toilet seat is plastic. This place isn’t accessible for elderly guests or wheelchair users. I’d say it suits solo travelers staying briefly in spring or fall. I wouldn’t recommend it for families or large groups staying more than two days in summer or winter.