BB Corte Dei Taralli

We came for Italian culture and hospitality, and Gabrielle delivered. This definitely isn't the Sheraton, thank goodness. Our large room was very clean and comfortable, with a separate bathroom and a little sitting area, fridge, and coffee maker. When my wife asked how to heat milk for coffee, Gabrielle quickly swapped the original maker, which didn't heat milk, for a cappuccino maker. It made excellent cappuccinos. The small fridge had basic items, fruit, and packaged baked goods; on the first day there was fresh bread and a pack of excellent mortadella. Each morning, shortly after nine, Gabrielle brought freshly baked pastries to our door to have with our coffee. He was a great host and showed us on a map where the sights were and where to eat, depending on what we felt like. The location is hard to beat, and I loved not needing to drive during our stay since everything was an easy walk. We hope to return to Lecce with friends, and we already know we'll stay at Corte Dei Taralli.

The facility manager was rude, grabbed my luggage, threw it out onto the street, and cancelled my booking. I'd chosen this B&B after carefully comparing the Lecce options. The interior looked interesting, so I booked even though the price was well above the Lecce average, around 80 euros a night. When I arrived, the manager immediately complained and got personal about me not updating my arrival time. I'd missed my train and had no connections, which can happen when travelling. Since I'd booked through booking.com, the manager could have called or emailed to ask when I would arrive, but didn't. I asked politely if check-in could be quick because I had an unavoidable work meeting in 15 minutes. He took offence. Sorry I had different priorities. Then he said he wasn't doing this for money, grabbed my suitcase, threw it into the street, and told me to leave if I couldn't listen to him complain. I wouldn't leave without an official cancellation email. It took a 30-minute call with booking.com before we got one, leaving me with a cancellation on the day of my long-awaited vacation. Please don't let this man earn money.

It's a decent place to stay in Lecce, and the rooms are okay. A few services really need work, especially the bed, shower pressure, and breakfast.

Gabriele was a great host, with helpful tips on what to see and do. The location is right in the city centre, and breakfast was good.