suite room malpensa b&b

Finding the room was a stressful half-hour, but once we got inside, everything was pleasant. There was almost no signage, and the entrance really needs information. The taxi found the right address, even though the building number wasn't visible, but after that we had to guess where the room and key were. It felt like an Easter egg hunt with jelly beans. All the instructions came by email, and our wifi wasn't always reliable, even with Italy SIM cards. We eventually called a number and got into the room, after about 30 minutes of panic.

The room wasn't bad and wasn't too small, though we didn't check in until 11pm. The place is called a B&B, but there was no breakfast, and the nearest place to get it was a kilometer's walk. When I messaged the owner with questions, she later said she'd done me a favor by replying at 11pm because there isn't a 24-hour desk. A taxi to or from Malpensa costs 30 euro each way, and arranging one to the airport was very difficult. Next time I'd consider paying a bit more for somewhere closer, where helping guests is part of the service rather than a favor.

The lost 840€ leaves a bitter feeling, but what I found unacceptable was the lack of communication. Four days before our planned stay, I asked about the room amenities and got no answer. The following day, a family member died, so I asked whether they could allow a free cancellation since I had already paid. Again, no response. I understand they had no obligation to refund me, but even a short message saying they were sorry for my loss and couldn't refund me would have meant much more than being ignored. I tried WhatsApp the next day, then called a day later, but the message was ignored and the call unanswered. I only heard back after contacting Booking.com, and then it was on check-in day at 17:00. I also never received check-in instructions, which makes me think they saw my messages and calls but chose not to reply. If I'd actually arrived at 15:00, the stated check-in time, would anyone have been there, or would I have been unable to reach the host? The communication was very poor, and the host showed no empathy.

The room was nicely fitted out, but we needed more glasses. The window also needs a blind or curtains that cover it better. We were led to expect the place would be closer to the airport.