Lia Apartment 2

We found the apartment pretty bare compared with places we usually stay. For three nights, the rate felt high given how far it is from the center and how few amenities there were. It wasn't set up well for travelers: we had to park our motorcycle at the Coop lot and buy detergent ourselves. We left behind the other things we bought during those three days for whoever comes next.

The place was too dirty for me, especially with hair left in the bathroom by previous guests. The kitchen had no dishes and only old glasses, cabinet pieces kept falling on you, and the bathroom light was coming apart. We didn't pay a lot, so I wasn't expecting luxury, but for hygiene reasons I wouldn't stay here again.

The apartment itself was clean and adequate for a few days, and its central position worked well, close to the port and other places of interest. Still, there were odd things left around, like a broken chair under the dining counter and an extractor fan and other items in the second bedroom. The reviews had given me high expectations, so I hope I have a better experience if I return to La Spezia. Getting in was a rough start. Although I'd given the arrival time requested during booking and arrived as agreed, I was told we'd have to wait over an hour for the keys. I explained that on a two-day stay every hour mattered, then was sent to a spot where someone was supposedly coming in ten minutes. It took much longer than that. Once the person arrived, things seemed to go more smoothly. Maybe I was just unlucky at the beginning, since I hadn't seen other reviews mentioning this. The location and the apartment's being more than adequate are why I'm giving it three stars.

The bedding smelled strongly of stale tobacco, so we had to put towels over the pillow and blanket to sleep. Cleaning also seemed careless: the shower mat was dirty, though it had been folded as if fresh. The room was very noisy, the door handle was broken and nearly left us locked out when it fell off inside, and the Wi-Fi only worked every other day. The arrival was a disaster too. We were due in La Spezia at 6:30 PM, but roadworks on the only road in held us in traffic for three hours. I messaged that afternoon to say we'd be late and got no reply. After spending another half hour searching for parking, we reached the gate, but nobody answered the bell or phone, which went to voicemail. At 10 PM we had to ask a neighbor to reach the manager. She called back and greeted me with, "What are you doing here now?!" Then she demanded €20 cash to open the door at that hour. Stranded outside at 10:30 PM, we felt we had no choice but to pay. Her employee even tried to talk her out of the fee, but she wouldn't listen. I wish we could give zero out of five. Lia was anything but friendly and yelled on the phone. To me, she was dishonest and a thief who doesn't maintain the place. Avoid it.