La Papaya

A good budget stay near the beach and some nice restaurants, with a bus stop very close by. Just keep in mind breakfast isn’t included, so it’s not a B&B. There’s a fridge in the room, but you’ll need to bring your own plates, cutlery, and so on.

My in-laws stayed for a week and had excellent rooms: clean, contemporary in style, with air-conditioning and satellite TV. The fridge and microwave in the room, along with the outdoor eating area, were very convenient. The owner was welcoming and helpful, including arranging a taxi for their flight home. I’d recommend this place anytime.

The host was super friendly and went out of his way to help us several times. The place is very close to the beach and a bus stop, so it’s easy to get to Pisa by bus. There are lots of restaurants nearby and a big grocery store too. I’d highly recommend it, especially in summer.

I was meant to spend a holiday in Italy and had booked La Papaya, but I got sick on the day I was due to leave, fainted, and was rushed to hospital. I missed my flight and had to cancel all my hotel bookings. I hadn’t checked the cancellation fee on the booking site beforehand, which was my mistake, but I called the hotel to explain what had happened. The person on the phone barely understood English and said he’d contact me through the website. It took two full days for him to get back to me. Then he insisted he couldn’t waive the fee because the website would charge him commission. That was a lie: I’d already checked with the booking platform’s customer service, and they said that wasn’t the case. Of the three hotels I’d booked, La Papaya was the only one that wouldn’t refund me. The other two understood and returned my money without any issue. The person on the phone even said, “If you book again, we’ll offer you a better price.” How am I supposed to trust a better price when they won’t return money they owe me? I wasn’t canceling for fun. I was in hospital and couldn’t travel, and instead of showing any empathy, they made an already awful situation worse. This so-called “hotel” showed no compassion or decency. Save yourself the stress and don’t book at La Papaya. They clearly care more about excuses to keep your money than treating guests with kindness or respect. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!