La Corte Splendente

A quiet little place tucked away from the crowded areas around Bologna. It's nice for small parties and ceremonies, and you can also sleep at a nearby hotel here.

I was most disappointed because I tried to accommodate the lady and asked for only a partial refund, not the full amount, after changing plans. She had promised to refund me, but at checkout she said there would be no refund because our stay meant she couldn't host other guests. I felt she'd only given her word to make sure people stayed. What a shame. The rooms don't have private bathrooms, but that isn't mentioned on the website or Booking.com. I booked by phone to avoid Booking.com, which would have offered free cancellation, and paid in advance by bank transfer. After around ten calls, the lady still hadn't told me that the people staying for work would have to share a bathroom. I called again to ask about the bathroom, and only then did she explain that the rooms weren't private-bathroom rooms. She said she was used to bookings by friends and family and hadn't thought it would be a problem. I had to cancel. To accommodate her promise of a refund, I left six people at her property and moved the others elsewhere, paying double the amount due for a booking that same evening. Why can you book just one room on the website and Booking.com? Why doesn't it say you have to book the whole property?

The house and grounds look beautiful from outside, but inside it was dirty, with cobwebs and dust that looked like it had been there for ages. There were spiders and other animals despite the mosquito nets. The lady was kind, but didn't seem able to manage the place. She came into the house at dawn to use the kitchen, and again at lunchtime even though our car was there, so it was clear we were inside. Breakfast was every person for themselves. The coffee tasted like dirty water, and the sugar container was full of opened packets recycled from other hotels, bars, and restaurants. It's like having a Ferrari and driving it like a Fiat 500. I feel sorry for the lady, but she should hire someone to teach her how to run it. I absolutely don't recommend this place.

The only pleasant thing was the parking space. It was almost inaccessible, out in the isolated countryside. There were unwanted guests in my room that evening, even though I’d been told pest control had been done the day before. I won't dwell on the flea market style furnishings and bathrooms. Breakfast was a bargain!