Residence Stendhal Guest House

We got great value for the money, at least booking early. The place is in a great location, the bathroom was clean and nice, and the AC worked perfectly. The man who welcomed us was friendly and helped when we asked about ferries from the port. I'd strongly recommend it to travelers. One thing, don't pay extra through booking.com or a similar site for a sea view. It was only 8€, but we didn't get anything for it.

This guest house is handy for a cruise, especially if you need somewhere to stay for a night or two beforehand. It's central and near the port. My room was clean and had everything I needed, and there were pastries, snacks, coffee and tea in the morning. Simon was pleasant and helped carry my luggage up and down the stairs, which I really appreciated. I'd happily stay again.

Avoid booking here. The website says late check-in is available until 22:00, but that wasn't true for me. I arrived on the Barcelona – Civitavecchia ferry at 19:00 and asked the property three times about checking in late. They only gave me a clear no after the cancellation deadline had passed. Then came a ridiculous back-and-forth between the owner and Hotels.com, with each blaming the other. I lost the full fee, 100%. Hotels.com also gave the owner my personal telephone number, which leaves him with my details and makes me very unhappy. If you're arriving on the Barcelona ferry, booking this property could cost you your money. Avoid it.

We stayed October 4-5 while waiting to board a cruise, and the location worked really well. We could walk to the waterfront, shops and restaurants. Simone was kind and very helpful as our concierge. The breakfast was adequate, with some fabulous fresh pastries, and our room was modern, very spacious and clean. There was a lot of street noise, as you'd expect, but the bed was very comfortable.