Il Borgo Del Capitano

A HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED place. We paid €140 for two nights and only stayed half of them. We didn't ask for a refund, though it would've been a nice gesture from the owner, and I would've appreciated it. Instead, nothing. I usually accept any accommodation as long as it's decent enough for a peaceful night. This was a "double" room in name only. There was no double bed, just two camp beds. I let that go because the hole at least seemed somewhat dignified. It had nautical decorations, life preservers and buoys, and a musty, stuffy smell. There was a French window, so I planned to leave it open overnight, and air conditioning for the heat. We went out for dinner and got back to the B&B around 11:30 PM. Then the nightmare started. By the cot, behind a plasterboard wall, was plumbing with two accumulators and a water pump serving the whole building. Whenever someone upstairs turned on the water, the pump made an ear-piercing noise that kept us awake. I was about to call the owner, but he called me back first and said the water didn't reach the upper floors, in case we'd noticed. It did reach us. I told him the pump noise was keeping me awake, and he assured me it would stop when they turned off the water upstairs. It didn't. The noise carried on all night. The sagging camp bed didn't help, and with the windows open because of the musty smell, we also had the village bells ringing every 15 minutes. It turned into a NIGHT FROM HELL. The Madonna even appeared in Casalbordino in 1576, and I saw plenty of Madonnas that night. We left at 4:00 AM, desperate and exasperated. A hole, dungeon, cellar, hovel, or basement doesn't become a "double room" just because it has two beds and a toilet. The next day we called the owner for an explanation. He said the pump had broken down and a plumber would come to fix it. What bad luck that it broke the very night we arrived! I don't believe that story. I think the pump always runs like this, on and off whenever water is turned on upstairs.

The only good thing is the central village location. The place is mediocre, and there are four flights of stairs with steps only 30 cm high. Anyone with mobility or health issues should steer clear. The kitchen on the second floor is cramped, only about 2 square meters, and looks like a storage room packed with stacked chairs and tables. Up on the fourth floor, the double bedroom has two bunk beds and a tiny bathroom. The sheets were dirty, with hair and stains, and the TV didn't work.

I think the Local Health Authority (ASL) and the Regional Government share responsibility for authorizing a place like this without you being involved and without meeting the requirements set by regional law. A friend of mine also got the impression they were asking €100 per night.

The climb to the third floor is up a very steep, narrow staircase, and the room itself is cramped and unbearably hot in July. There are two bunk beds but no chairs or bedside tables, and sleeping there is difficult. I wouldn't recommend this place at all.