I Giardini Elisei

I own a house here, and it's fabulous. It's so peaceful, and in the evening the poolside bar is welcoming. Carmine, the caretaker, is reliable in every way.

The pool was spotless, and the lifeguards kept a good eye on things. The residence is well looked after and supervised. A little shop for basic needs would be handy.

The apartment was clean, Ms. Anna was available, and the Riva Azzurra residence seemed better maintained than other places in Policoro. The listing should make clear that the apartments are in Riva Azzurra, since there was no sign or other reference to "Giardini Elisei." Even so, the stay was a huge disappointment. The property has potential, but the management and service weren't up to standard. We won't return. We booked on March 6 for April 28 and 29, paying a €50 deposit by bank transfer. Health issues meant we left the next morning instead of on the planned day, and the owner deducted €28 from the total because we couldn't use one night. We thanked her for that. But we hadn't been told the pool was out of service, although it was shown in the Booking.com photos and we expected to use it. The two bikes listed for rent were there but, as she put it, "broken." She said most services were only available in summer, something that hadn't been mentioned, and offered no alternative. That left us feeling the price didn't match what we got. The hot water lasted exactly 10 minutes. When we told Mrs. Anna, she said we'd used it all and asked, "I wonder what you did to us." The bathroom has a 50-litre boiler, but she blamed us. I've never come across anything like that in places I've stayed in Italy or abroad. €124 a night with only 10 minutes of hot water is absurd. She also implied that a running race in Policoro was the reason for the situation. She said she'd had many requests for stays longer than two nights and could have cancelled our booking to give it to someone else, but had kept it out of "SERIOUSNESS." We'd paid the €50 deposit two months earlier, so hearing that was hard to believe. She specifically asked for cash and didn't give us a receipt, even when we asked. We travel often and left very disappointed. Instead of taking offence when a guest talks about honesty, especially someone used to working with tourism customers, she should improve the services and the welcome.

Lovely house in a pretty village, with entertainment and a really nice pool. Though it can sleep six, I'd say it's more comfortable for four. A car comes in handy for the beach, otherwise you'll walk 15-20 minutes in the sun.