Al borgo

The landlady was welcoming and the place was really nice. The internet connection is slow, though. I'd recommend staying here.

The rooms are a bit dated, but clean and well looked after, and the property has been renovated well. The woman who runs it is the sort of person you'd hope to meet on a weekend in Arquá: friendly, helpful, and always ready with a joke. I'd love to stay with her again in the beautiful village of Arquá Petrarca.

The garden is well kept, and the B&B is centrally located near the village of Arquà. Those are the only good points I found. The photos on the page and the house's location persuaded us to book two rooms for the November 1st long weekend, but our expectations fell apart as soon as we went through the door to the rooms. A breakfast table had been set the night before in the hallway, opposite the bedroom and bathroom doors, with white plastic chairs. The rooms looked dated and shabby, with poor furniture, dusty doilies, fake flowers on every surface, and magazines at least three years old stacked by the TV. One bathroom had a folding door, something I hadn't seen since the 1980s. The bed felt like a kennel. I didn't dare check the mattress because I wouldn't have slept afterward. There were dusty, old wool blankets like the ones issued to soldiers in barracks. The towels were just as old, stiff from countless washes and smelly. The pillows were worse, if that was possible. Cleanliness was poor too: cobwebs in the bathroom, dusty shelves, a splattered mirror, and a filthy rug at the foot of the bed. The terrazzo floor may hide the rest, but the rug made the hygiene problem plain. In the second room, the bathroom was off the breakfast corridor, and the sink and bidet had hair and fur residue on them. We woke up hoping for breakfast, which would surely have added to the price. Mrs. Ines and her assistant were older, so we expected apple pies or homemade tarts. Nothing like that: there were rusks, plum cakes, tired packaged croissants, and poor-quality jams. A vase of fake flowers was there too, and was promptly removed. On the dangerous shelf above the table sat half-empty boxes of decaffeinated tea, a can of Nesquik, and a small bottle of lemon juice. Behind the table was a small empty refrigerator, with a hotplate within easy reach of a child. You can't pay by credit card. The lady only takes cash. Highly not recommended.

We had a great two-night stay and hope to come back. The room and bathroom were good, everything was perfectly clean, and breakfast in the garden was wonderful. We could leave our motorcycle in the garage too. Mrs. Ines and the rest of the staff were all so kind, welcoming, and helpful. Rating 10. Thank you, Mrs. Ines. Anna and Bruno