B&B delle Arti

For a quick trip to Crema, this place worked perfectly. It was quiet and relaxing, and my host Maria was so attentive and welcoming. Thanks to her, my journey through Italy became a really special experience.

For what I paid, this was a pretty good place to sleep and wash up during a work trip. The owner was kind and welcoming, and the room was warm and cozy. I've stayed in other hotels and B&Bs where there was no heating and I woke up cold. Here the blankets were thin, but the room was heated well. You get what you pay for. Breakfast was convenient because I could eat it in my room, and the price was cheap. The downsides were the location, which was a little tricky to find and a bit of a walk from the city centre, and the fact that there's not much nearby. I had to walk into the centre for anything. My bathroom wasn't in the room, though that may be different in some rooms. The Wi-Fi was very slow and switched off at night, so I couldn't watch movies, work, or send emails. If you can manage a night without Wi-Fi and don't mind the location, it's a cheap option for a work stay.

I'd read plenty of negative reviews, but my stay didn't match those experiences. Everything was clean and well arranged, and my room had its own small bathroom. It was a little tight, but fine to use. The service was excellent: when I asked them to leave a bottle of water in my room while I was out, they did. Breakfast was nothing special, though the coffee was freshly made and the croissants were delicious. The one issue was that the Wi-Fi shuts off at 11:30 PM and stays off until morning. That should be made clear somewhere to prevent confusion. I found the place comfortable and was welcomed warmly.

We were three people staying one night. We booked by phone rather than through Booking.com. After I sent the payment invoice, the lady didn't reply for ten days to confirm whether it had gone through. When I finally called to check, she seemed annoyed and said it was excessive to call and make sure the reservation was confirmed. Before we arrived, she asked what time to expect us. I said around 8:00 PM, traffic permitting. She replied that she would be having dinner with her family then and told us to hurry. We were given a triple room, but there was no bathroom in it. The bathroom was at the end of the corridor, across from another room. The third bed was a camp bed with practically no mattress, so the three of us ended up sharing one bed. That evening, she asked what we wanted for breakfast. We asked for cappuccino, and when she offered a croissant too, we said yes. She said she thought she could get one by 7:30. She then offered juice; we said yes, and she looked doubtful before saying she hoped she had some at home. She said we could eat in the room or outside at a small table, but told us to wear jackets because the morning was chilly. At 7:00 AM, a lot of noise woke all three of us. Breakfast came at 7:30, and we had paid an extra €7 each for it. I've attached a photo; you can imagine our reaction. We didn't say anything to the lady because we were in a hurry and worried about other things. Perhaps we also hadn't read all the listed services carefully, since we hadn't booked through Booking.com. Even so, I found the whole thing indecent.