Villa Valentina

It was ok.

This place seems better suited to a holiday with friends than a family stay. Apartment 1 has a small garden that’s very comfortable to sit in, and it’s close to Piazza Mazzini. Inside, it’s a little dated but has the basics, including a fridge, a kitchen with a stove and sink, and a comfortable double bedroom. The bunk bed is in a storage room, which could feel cramped if you’re claustrophobic. Cleaning was good but not exceptional. The water heater can be inconvenient if you take long showers, and the hotel owner, who has the keys, is a bit far away.

We couldn’t eat anything in the apartment, not even takeaway, because of the smell. We were put in apartment 3, which seemed fairly ordinary at first, but once we opened the windows, a strong sewer odor spread everywhere. It got into our clothes and suitcases, and the blankets, closets, and sofa all smelled too. When we got home, we had to wash all our clothes, including the suitcases. It felt unhealthy and close to basic hygiene standards. I wouldn’t recommend it.

The apartments are rundown, with makeshift, dated furnishings, even though they were clean. The gardens were neglected and in awful shape, which made them a perfect place for mosquitoes. They were everywhere, and even mosquito coils and candles didn’t make it possible to sit outside. Keeping up the gardens and disinfecting the outdoor areas would surely reduce them. Kitchen equipment was minimal, and for the price paid in advance, it wasn’t worth it. We got no refund, just a late checkout option that we didn’t use. There were several problems from the start. On our first day, we lost three hours before we could move in because the entrance gate at the first apartment we were assigned was broken. We were stuck there for an hour and couldn’t get out. Two slats came off one bed, and we fell to the floor when we sat down. The refrigerator was switched off, and the boiler leaked until the bathroom flooded by the end of the day. The supposed second bedroom was a storage space between the back of a closet and a wall, with no door or window. The worn white plastic garden table had turned an indefinable color. The only good things about Villa Valentina were the location and the kind receptionists and housekeepers, who tried to sort out every problem. I’m attaching a photo of the “second, smaller room.”