B&B Palazzo Cappa

The wallet was gone when I returned to collect it, even though the manager had said I could come back and that only the housekeeping staff member had been in the room. I’d left it in the closet and noticed a few hours after checking out, following a one-night stay. Trying to get an explanation brought no support or cooperation, just a defensive, rude, unprofessional response. The heated tone and lack of willingness to help left me bitter and deeply disappointed. I expected transparency and respect in this situation. I can’t recommend the property.

The central location in L'Aquila and the spacious, clean rooms in a stately building are real positives. The furnishings are simple but comfortable, and the price is fair. Still, several small problems took away from the stay. The TV was tiny and far from the bed, and its remote still didn’t work after we changed the batteries. Wi-Fi worked on the first night, then was switched off. At checkout, I asked to leave my packed suitcase in the room until 11:30 a.m., half an hour past the requested 11 a.m. checkout, since the room was already clear for cleaning. The manager’s response was frosty. When I came back, cleaning hadn’t even started, so there didn’t seem to be any urgency about getting the room back. It could be an excellent B&B.

Breakfast is arranged through agreements the manager has with two bars on the main street, and the manager also runs a restaurant very close to Palazzo Cappa. This is a fantastic B&B in a building dating from the 1500s, recently renovated, though not because of earthquake damage. The rooms and bathrooms are very clean and well kept. Great value for money. Each room has a key for both the room and the main entrance.

The included breakfast didn’t work out: one of the two bars listed on the information sheet was closed for post-earthquake renovations, and the other was shut on May 15th. We called the person who welcomed us, and he said he’d contact the owner and call back in a few minutes. We’re still waiting. We paid for breakfast ourselves and will contact the owner separately to request a refund. This was our first B&B stay, and it was a thoroughly negative experience. We were there from May 14th to 16th, 2017. On arrival, the owner wasn’t there, and we were greeted by someone I assume was the owner of the restaurant attached to the building. Our room was spacious, but the bathroom was cramped, with a shower stall that left almost no room to move. It looked like the room hadn’t been cleaned in a long time. There was dust everywhere, and it wasn’t removed during our stay. We don’t recommend this property.