Rustico Sant'Emilio

It felt like a scam. This residence is part of the Baia Etrusca complex, 4km away. It was advertised with two swimming pools and a private beach 3km away, but when we arrived we found that the pools were also 3km away in the other complex. The listing wasn’t clear about this. After so many hours of driving, this arrangement was completely unsuitable with our two young children, who refused even to consider getting back in the car. The rooms are large and clean, but the building itself is badly neglected and gloomy. The grounds are in poor shape, with unmowed lawns, piles of green waste left on the grass, and broken flowerpots. I won’t even get started on the completely abandoned “relaxation” area. It feels like they send extra staff there when the complex is full just to maximize profits. We booked an 8-night stay but left after the first night without regrets. We had apartment 5 for that night, and it was impossible to sleep. The building is old and poorly insulated, directly under the roof, and unbearably hot. There were no mosquito nets on the windows for ventilation, and being right on the main road, it would have been far too noisy anyway. No fan was provided either. The bed was horribly hard and wobbly, rocking from side to side with even the slightest movement from the person next door. If you get seasick, avoid this place. There were safety concerns too. The retractable stairs were half lowered, with clear signs saying they shouldn’t be raised, and they ended right in the middle of the bathroom door. I’m not tall, but still had to duck. You’d better be awake if you need the toilet in the night. The toilets needed more cleaning. The ventilation system was unbearably loud, and when we looked closer, we saw thick clumps of dust. The building must have been quite beautiful once, but now it feels neglected and run down. What a shame. P.S. On the ground floor we saw brand-new air conditioners stored under a thick layer of dust. Instead of leaving them there like relics, they could send staff to install them. That would help people who don’t want to travel 4 km to get to the swimming pool.