San Biagio Relais

They welcomed my dog, which was wonderful, and the rooms had air conditioning, a roomy bathroom, and a mix of antique and new furniture. Some parts felt a little dated, but the price was so on point that it balanced out. We got a last-minute booking at an exceptional summer price, and the cute hotel and charming surrounding town made for a lovely getaway. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone traveling through the region. Orbetello was dealing with an infestation of midges that summer, small flying bugs easily mistaken for mosquitos but not mosquitos. Articles had been written about it. The heat had been extreme, throwing off the lagoon's ecosystem, and the predators that usually eat the bugs had gone elsewhere to escape it. The whole town was affected. The hotel and staff took it in stride and didn't let it get in the way of their hospitality. They were all attentive and friendly, and made our last-minute trip lovely despite the insane bug situation.

The staff were mostly helpful, and one young woman was very pleasant when she drove me to a car rental agency. But the hotel felt very old and tired, and my room was dirty with a distinct smell of mold. The shower was hopeless. I found long black hairs on my bedspread, and I'm bald! The HVAC didn't work, and when I tried to adjust it, the controls fell off the wall.

The price we got made this a five-star stay, and the location was excellent. I loved the room and the beautifully fine sheets, and breakfast was sublime. The air conditioner and toilet bowl both worked poorly, though. Maybe that's part of the charm.

The staff were generally pleasant and accommodating, but the property itself looked badly neglected from the moment I arrived. The entrance was dirty, with peeling paint and unwashed windows, and the dim hallways weren't clean either. My room smelled strongly of mold, especially with the air conditioning on. I'm sensitive to mold, and after sleeping there I was congested and coughing. There was visible black mold in the shower in my room and in my companions' rooms. After showering, walking across the wet floor turned the soles of my feet black.