B&B Il Nido delle Rondini

The location is lovely, right by the cathedral, and the room itself is attractive, with a pleasant terrace full of plants. But there are a lot of them, and the attic is up three and a half floors, effectively the fourth, with no lift. That wasn’t mentioned. To get there, we had to go through six doors. One on the second floor was locked and had to be locked again each time, despite basic fire safety rules. Forget your key and you’re stuck. The low ceiling also means ducking to enter the attic and bathroom, so mind your head. Parking isn’t actually available, even though it’s listed as a service. We were told to use a gas station lot that was always full. Breakfast was just a voucher for coffee and a croissant at a local bar, not the spread of juices and cakes shown in the photos, and the owners don’t prepare it. The listing engines such as booking.com advertise things that aren’t there. We were also accused of using too many coffee pods. There were two of us, and we had at least two coffees a day, so I found that comment embarrassing. There’s a camera on the terrace, which is partly open to the square. We don’t know whether it also records the private area, and there were no signs to let people know it was there. I’m writing this because the location is so good that there’s no need to claim services that aren’t actually provided. And in response to the inappropriate suggestion that I wasn’t a guest, my wife and I stayed from July 15th to July 19th.

The attic does have a lovely view of the cathedral, and the nearest sea is about 7 km away. But based on how the place is advertised, there are several things worth explaining. It’s in the historic center, inside the ZTL, so there’s no parking on site. You can load and unload, then look for a space on the surrounding streets if you’re lucky. We weren’t served breakfast, despite the photos showing traditional breakfast foods. When I asked, the owner was reluctant, so we avoided an awkward scene rather than make excuses. The room is on the fourth floor with no lift, which is a serious issue for anyone with disabilities. There are six doors to open and close on the way up, and you have to put down whatever you’re carrying each time. The ceiling is low enough that you spend much of your time bent over. It might work for a weekend at most, but living comfortably there is questionable. The private terrace is lovely, but the plants take up so much room that about 70% of the usable space is lost. There’s no bidet, and with so many plants and insects around, mosquito nets are a must. The bed left us with bad back pain. The mattress sagged, the button-shaped pillows were hard, low and lumpy, and the bed base creaked. Other reviews had mentioned the uncomfortable mattress and pillows, and you’d promised to replace them, but apparently that hadn’t happened. Since this is called a B&B, breakfast should be included. Photos of biscuits and other items give a different impression from bar vouchers. The terrace is beautiful, but the plants make it less usable when they take over the space. We used the coffee pods because they were the only convenience available, so I found it embarrassingly petty for the owners to bring that up. After the host responded to my review, and at nearly 50, I don’t think it’s fair to dwell on inaccuracies, so I’m replying to the points raised. I can’t comfortably recommend this place.

We were so glad to have air conditioning, and the cathedral view from our well-equipped room was spectacular. The owners were kind enough to take us in for an extra night when we realized we’d got our dates wrong. Thanks, Nico, for all the advice and explanations. Conversano is a lovely place to go out in the evening and makes a good base for visiting Polignano, Monopoli, Alberobello and Locorotondo. We’d definitely stay again if we’re in the area.

Just like its name suggests, it’s a romantic attic. The terrace looking out over the Cathedral is spectacular.