Il Giardino di Matilde

The owner was very pleasant and kind to us, and I'm sorry to leave a negative review. My main issue was communication and the information provided. I booked through the Smartbox app because this was the only place available for my Smartbox. The listing called it a B&B close to the center, but it is actually the owner's home: she lives in the apartment above, which connects to the rented apartment below. Calling it a B&B isn't wrong, but I think guests should be told that it's a shared home, and especially that the rooms are shared. The Smartbox app didn't say so. Once we arrived and discovered this, I checked Booking.com and found it described as a B&B with an external bathroom. We should have researched more carefully, so some of that is on us, but I still wish we'd been told we wouldn't be alone in the apartment. Not everyone is comfortable with that, and it should be clear in advance. There are two bedrooms and two bathrooms, so each room should have its own bathroom, but ours was outside the room and practically opposite the kitchen where other guests had breakfast. There was no privacy, and even small sounds carried. I didn't like it. You couldn't really shower, and getting to the room meant passing through the kitchen and hallway. I know some people may not mind, but others will. My advice is to be clearer with guests, especially when they'll be sharing the home. Breakfast was incredibly disappointing: there was a croissant and some kind of pastry under cling film, probably at least a day old. The kitchen and glasses were dirty, and the milk in the fridge had already been opened. The bedroom and bathroom cleanliness was questionable too. There were constant noises, and it always sounded as if someone was coming downstairs, since the owner lives above. I don't think the apartment suits this kind of accommodation. The location also wasn't convenient. I was led to expect the center would be within walking distance, but it isn't in the center. The road there is steep, narrow, and quite inconvenient, so you have to make repeated trips. Perugia is generally inconvenient for traffic as well. I'm sorry for the owner, who was kind to us, and hope she can improve the service.

The rental had a kitchen and refrigerator, but we didn't feel free to cook what we wanted. We kept getting text messages complaining about smells from dishes like pasta or sauce. We were on vacation, not in a cooking competition. That, along with the lady coming and going at all hours, was the most frustrating part. The place didn't live up to the photos or our expectations. The house was rundown and not very clean, and the lady who lived upstairs was intrusive. She often came into the apartment through an internal entrance without warning or respecting safety measures, and without a mask. Her cheerful cat also wandered in and out at all hours. We have nothing against animals, but we had a newborn and had made our needs clear.

The quiet was priceless for us, and the hostess was kind and helpful. My husband and I stayed at this B&B from March 14 to 16, 2019, and had a wonderful time in its welcoming, very clean surroundings. It wasn't the easiest place to find, but once you understand the route, the location is strategic: five minutes from the Perugia ring road, which connects to nearby towns like Assisi, Spello and Spoleto, and also close to the nearest parking lot for reaching central Perugia. We were very satisfied. Thank you, Marina.

The room showed as available, so I booked it. The next morning I got a call from an unknown number and couldn't answer; that evening the woman messaged to say the room wasn't available. I asked why, but got no explanation, so I cancelled. Thirty-nine hours later she replied that being able to press the button backwards to cancel bookings was a daily occurrence, then kicked me out. Her proposed alternative was somewhere miles away, even though I hadn't booked to stay far from the city centre. She ignored all my later messages, including ones from the booking site staff. She said she'd been doing this job for 19 years, but seems to have missed that there are systems to prevent overbooking. Good manners might take a little work too.