Menaggio Tosca

The apartment was run down, and the air conditioning didn’t work. Management acted concerned, but then we found a review from someone who stayed in the same unit two weeks earlier and had reported the exact same problem. That made the concern feel like a show. Save your money.

The apartment is right by the beach and centrally located, but the condition of the place and the beach made this a terrible stay. The beach in the photos looks nothing like reality: it was covered in washed-up debris, plastic, and broken glass, and seemed not to have been cleaned in months. It was practically unusable. Inside, most of the cabinets were broken. Two chairs collapsed while we were sitting on them, though thankfully no one was hurt. The drain and shower head were broken too, and we found the previous tenant’s underwear in the bed. The landlord ignored all of it and fixed nothing, with no understanding of the problems. Stay away.

The lake view is a real plus, and having private access to the water feels like a luxury, even though the beach area is neglected. The photos make the apartment look much better than it is. Long-term tenants above and beside the balcony can be bothersome, and the central location comes with plenty of car and motorcycle noise. When we tried using a LotusGrill on the balcony, property management showed up loudly, took pictures of it, and left again just as quickly.

That big terrace has a lovely view, but it’s hard to use for much of the day: there’s no shade at all, just plastic chairs and three old aluminum loungers. The furnishings are functional, though not very comfortable. We booked Tosca 3 for six people. Two bedrooms face the street, where the traffic is so constant and heavy that opening the windows is nearly impossible. The kitchen came with only one pot, one pan, six plates, and four wine glasses. Replacements didn’t arrive until day five, so making a proper meal was practically impossible. There is beach access, but the area was dirty and dangerous, with broken glass and shards. For what we paid, it was far too expensive.