Villa Iscla Maison DHotes

I had a very comfortable Christmas stay, and the place is beautiful, with a lovely terrace and convenient parking inside the property. Getting around was easy too, since it’s only 200 metres from the port. The staff were always kind and ready to help. Mr. Giancarlo and his son Vincenzo were the best concierges I’ve come across in all my travels. The quality for the price was more than excellent. Thank you, and see you soon.

We were in Ischia near the end of the season. Our hotel was about to close, but the weather was nice and we wanted to add a few days to our holiday. Since we were travelling with our three greyhounds, I checked Booking.com with the “PET ALLOWED” filter, and this hotel came up. I called to be fair about having three dogs. The woman who answered hesitated, said she’d ask her husband, and promised to call back. The next day she texted that they’d accept us, but only with exclusive use of the villa, for €1,000 for six nights. A thousand? The Booking.com price for those same nights was €360. I asked why. We weren’t bringing three elephants who need loads of space, or fire-breathing dragons who’d incinerate other guests. They were three whippets, about 12 kg each, clean, well behaved, quiet, used to hotels, and even to coming with us to restaurants without being noticed because they’re discreet and well mannered. I couldn’t see why we’d need exclusive use or have to pay for the entire stay. She said they cared about their guests’ wellbeing, and that the €360 Booking.com rate was for a room type that wasn’t suitable for us. So dogs mean €1,000, while everyone else pays €360? I didn’t get an answer to my question, because the woman blocked me. Wouldn’t it be more honest to say pets aren’t accepted if you’re so discriminatory toward people travelling with dogs? Or state that only one pet is allowed per room, up to a certain weight, and that the rate will be about triple the standard price? Mystery. We and the dogs will find somewhere else among the more respectable hoteliers on Ischia, who’ve hosted us over the years without any problems or difficulties.

A relaxing, peaceful stay in a lovely B&B with several rooms, some with private bathrooms and some sharing one. We’d have coffee and croissants in the courtyard in the morning, then stroll to the beach or into town, or head off to another beach. The time just flew by. Special thanks to Raimondo and his wife for looking after us and answering all our questions.

The owners were helpful, and the hotel was clean and well organized, with simple, functional furnishings chosen with great taste. Its position is hard to beat, with the sea on one side, the pedestrian centre on the other, and the ferry terminals just a short walk away. I’d recommend staying here if you want an alternative to a hotel.