New Maria's House Livorno. La Fortezza

We paid €160 for one night in what felt like an unsafe area, and the stay was a nightmare. The apartment was on the third floor with no elevator and lots of stairs. The steps were uneven and rough, the bathroom cramped, and the two single beds looked like frames from the 1960s. The place was nothing like the pictures on Booking.com. There were no mosquito nets, we got bitten several times, and noise from below the building made sleep impossible. When we asked a man from Livorno about parking under the building, as Booking.com said we could, he told us the street was closed after 6:00 PM. He also confirmed our impression that the neighborhood was horrible and full of drug dealers. To everyone leaving feedback, please be honest. Never again.

Everything went perfectly, despite the apartment's dated exterior and the area seeming dangerous at first. Inside, this little place in the heart of Livorno's historic center is fully renovated and has every comfort. It's on the third floor and there's no elevator. Every attraction in Livorno is an easy walk away. If I had to name what's missing, I'd say a microwave, an oven, and a proper shutter to keep the dawn light out of the room.

The room had air conditioning, but it would have been kind to have it heated when we arrived. The bathroom was freezing, and we had breakfast in the cold because the only radiator wasn't working. Not good enough.

We left as soon as we arrived. The area felt terrible, so much so that it wasn't worth even driving through. Mrs. Maria was very kind and helpful, but glossed over the neighborhood, saying she lived nearby and that it was controlled anyway. After reading the news online, I saw reports of occasional fights in Piazza Garibaldi, assaults on tourists and passersby, demonstrations, and activity involving unsavory individuals.