In Acquaviva

The rain shower in the lovely external bathroom was a big plus, and check-in itself went smoothly. But there was no toilet paper. We couldn't sleep because the alarm went off at 6 and around ten mosquitoes were buzzing around, clearly very pleased to have found us. The mattress also sagged enough that we could feel the bottom, so the beds weren't very comfortable. After reading all the positive reviews on Booking and here, choosing this place had seemed easy. We arrived earlier than I'd texted and rang twice. The owner messaged that we should wait ten minutes, which was fine. Then she sent a new location further down the road, leaving us confused, though I thought I might have got it wrong. We spent about 30 minutes trying to work out where the building was. She pointed us to the new location, then shared her live location by text, and we realized we had to go back to the address we'd started at. I don't really understand why everyone is so enthusiastic. I wish I could leave a happier review.

A pretty neat B&B, just five minutes from the coast. The breakfast is on the small side, and you have to pick it up from the bakery five minutes away.

I regretted this stay and, although I initially didn't want to review it, I'm writing because I would have wanted this information myself. Its location in Livorno is handy, especially with a ferry the next day, and there's free public parking two minutes away on foot. The host immediately warned us not to leave valuables visible in the car. We arrived in the evening and the WhatsApp self-check-in video worked fine. Afterward, we were told we "had to" send our IDs on WhatsApp for "registration." I found that unprofessional and untrustworthy. I don't like sending ID documents that way, and as far as I know EU citizens don't even have to do it. The place is one apartment with four rooms rented separately, a bit like an Airbnb with shared-apartment arrangements. We had no idea this was the setup, and it wasn't mentioned anywhere on Booking.com. Our room was number 3, with the supposed "private bathroom" across the hall. It only locked from the inside, so we couldn't leave our things there. In the middle of the night I went to use the toilet and a stranger, apparently another guest, came out of our "private bathroom." I was extremely frightened. Other guests can use it whenever they want, with no way to control or prevent that. The bathroom was covered in mold EVERYWHERE and smelled horrible. Every breath felt like inhaling mold spores. After an 8-hour drive I couldn't even shower because the mold EVERYWHERE in the shower, and its sight and smell, made me feel really sick. The towels and bed linens had been washed in detergent with an extremely strong smell, which I found really unpleasant. The smell itself wasn't good either, though that's a matter of taste. There was no care in how the room was furnished. The Booking.com photos had clearly been edited or were several years old. The walls were dirty and the paint was peeling. The apartment was extremely noisy, as you'd expect from separate rooms with regular doors. Before 8 a.m., the cleaning lady arrived and cleaned the room next to ours, singing loudly, with her cell phone ringing at full volume over and over, and moving furniture around. It was extremely unpleasant and annoying. There was a shared kitchen. I washed one of my containers there, but everything was so dirty I couldn't use the sponge or drying cloth. We didn't book breakfast, but for anyone considering it, there is NO breakfast at the accommodation, only a voucher for a bakery. In my opinion, calling it "Bed and Breakfast" is completely misleading and certainly illegal. Google Maps even lists it as a "3-star hotel." Google and Booking.com should investigate it, and this accommodation should be blocked in this form. The EU has very clear consumer protection rules and guidelines about misleading advertising, and these are clearly being violated here. We paid €80 for two people for the night, and I regret every cent. It's unbelievable how much money is made from this apartment with zero service. Addendum: The host gave my phone number to another person with a Dutch number without my permission. That person contacted me several times after I'd already blocked the owner.

The location was a strong point, and breakfast at the pastry shop was excellent. Housekeeping was terrible from the moment we arrived. I asked to have the bathroom cleaned, and they did it promptly, but the room still wasn't up to par. I encountered bedbugs, my first and hopefully last time. I realized too late, called the host, and never heard from them again.