Cala Chiara B&B

We stayed for four nights, and the owners were thoughtful, kind, and quick to respond. The room was very clean and had everything we needed for a peaceful stay. It’s conveniently placed for the beaches, Ortona, and the Trabocchi Coast. With the windows shut, the noise from trains and cars was bearable. The standard breakfast was generous, with yogurt, milk, coffee, fruit juice, ginseng, decaf and barley coffee, jams, honey, and Nutella. There was also a kettle, electric oven, and cappuccino maker. The hearty breakfast is a nice way to try typical Abruzzo products.

We chose the no-breakfast option, but there was a small self-serve selection of coffee from Borbone capsules, milk, tea, toast, honey, Nutella, and individual jams. My family and I, including our dog, stayed three nights over a long weekend in a triple room. The B&B has two rooms, a fully equipped kitchen, and a breakfast room. Our first-floor room had a huge terrace overlooking the hillside, with a lovely sea breeze in the evenings. Our room faced the main road, and the train station is only a few meters away. Still, with the windows closed and the air conditioning on, we slept soundly.

The photos gave a misleading impression, both because they don’t show the two hotels facing each other and because of the breakfast. The exterior was dilapidated, and for what was offered, the price was far too high. Terrible value for money. Our room and bathroom were clean, and the bed was comfortable, but the breakfast sold as a “snack” was poor quality. Unless you paid extra for a hearty breakfast with local products, you got two single-serve toasts with Nutella and jam. I don’t think that’s acceptable when ordinary hotel breakfast is included, and even if the limits had been explained beforehand, at least a couple of croissants would have made sense. We weren’t told that the room faced the busy SS Adriatica and the railway tracks. The noise was constant and deafening, making sleep impossible even with double-glazed windows. Both air conditioners worked, but they made the room smell bad for some unknown reason. After a sleepless night, we were startled at 9:00 AM by Annachiara and her mother shouting. They probably didn’t realize how loud they were, but that kind of noise isn’t appropriate where guests are staying. That morning, we raised our concerns with the owner. Instead of listening, she got defensive and said no one had complained before about the SS Adriatica noise or breakfast. She didn’t take our explanations well. She suggested moving us, and we reluctantly agreed at first. But when we saw her carrying our pillows and even sheets into a room a couple had just left, before it had been cleaned and sanitized, we decided to leave. The whole thing caused stress, inconvenience, and wasted time and money at the place we’d paid for across the street, which was also awkward to reach. We lost a morning searching for another hotel available on August 13th.

Chiara was so helpful and kind. My dog, my children, and I all felt at home here. The room faced the main road, as Chiara had told us on the phone, but we still slept without being disturbed. The rooms are charming, and the interior is really well cared for, with little details like pastel-colored towels and handmade soap. Breakfast was very well organized. We’ll definitely come back.