Domus Corso Umberto 18 BB

We only called Domus B&B to ask a few questions, but after hearing Adriana on the phone we felt sure it would be the right place for our vacation. She greeted us with a lovely smile, showed us the room and gave us helpful tips for our stay. The location was excellent, right on the main street, and everything was extremely clean. Adriana was available, empathetic and professional throughout. Thanks for all your kindness and help. See you next year, Beatrice and Flavio.

The owner was extremely helpful, and the room was cleaned and made up each day. The bed was comfortable, though one pillow was too hard. There’s a mini-fridge, but ours unfortunately didn’t cool. The double room has a private shower bathroom, but no bidet. The B&B is on the first floor and has an elevator. The location is excellent, right on the main street in the center and only a few minutes’ walk from the beach. The downside is the church next door: its bell tower rings at all hours, including 8:00 AM, and the nuns and worshippers sing loudly until 11:00 PM. You can almost hear them in the room. The noise affects the whole area and seriously disrupts sleep and rest.

The reservation had been recorded for the wrong month, and they were unable or unwilling to rebook us in an acceptable way. Our vacation was cancelled. In other parts of the Adriatic, someone might even have offered us a place in their own home. Despite that, one night at the full price was enough to judge the property itself. The location is excellent, right on the avenue in the pedestrian center, with restaurants, the train station and the sea all within ten steps. The room was average in size, but the French-size bed, which I personally hate and which isn’t identified that way in the description, sagged and was one of the most uncomfortable I’ve slept in. There was constant noise outside, which is predictable given the location, but the soundproofing is another matter. Inside, you could hear everything in the hallway, including slamming doors and late-night shouting, as well as in the other rooms, three of them included. Breakfast was included, but it amounted to a coffee pod, market value €0.20, and a packaged snack, maybe €0.80, in a small designated corridor area about 1m x 2m between the entrance and reception. The price and location didn’t suggest the Ritz, but given the comments I’d read, expectations need to be lowered and you have to be very adaptable. PS: My vacation was rearranged at the last minute and took me to Romagna, as it had to Puglia one summer earlier. Those places are worlds apart and incompatible.

There was no welcome from the owner. Everything was handled through WhatsApp tutorials. The bathroom was small and had no bidet, something I’ve never encountered in Italy, and Booking.com doesn’t say whether one is included. There was no travel kit either. When I asked on WhatsApp, I was told they’re plastic-free, which felt like a joke. The room was far from quiet, and the bed was small, queen-size. There was no availability and the service was poor. I don’t recommend it, especially as there are plenty of other places if you want to stay centrally. The owner should put more attention into the service.