House Heaven Capo Vaticano

Please make the environment better for the donkeys, horses, and other animals!

The food felt homemade and genuine, and the breakfast cakes were especially good, lovingly made by the owner. We had a peaceful, carefree week at this family-run place. Everyone was attentive to what guests needed, our room was welcoming and clean, and the pool and surrounding greenery were well looked after. There was parking for everyone. I'll gladly recommend it to friends and return if I can.

We came back for a second year and had another lovely stay. It’s quiet, surrounded by nature, and welcoming, with clean rooms and a clean, inviting pool that's great for children. The staff are friendly and helpful. A good fit for families or anyone looking to unwind. Highly recommend.

The pool incident on day four was the point where this stay became unbearable. After rain in the morning, we went in 30 minutes before the stated opening time, thinking it was allowed because the gate was open. The children were playing happily until they got near the “forbidden waterfall.” There was no barrier or sign to show the area was off limits. One of the owners started shouting at them in an aggressive, disproportionate way. They were frightened, cried, and ran from the pool. I spoke to the woman and said she could have warned us differently, and should have spoken to us parents. None of us knew that part of the pool was prohibited: there were no signs, nothing in the pool rules, and no one told us at check-in. The response was more shouting, including at me, and “If you don't like it, leave!” That was part of a seven-night stay that left me upset and that I would tell families to avoid. From arrival, the staff were rude and unhelpful. At check-in, they seemed focused on taking payment and selling tours, with no useful information; we had to ask about breakfast ourselves. The towels listed as included on the website were missing. Reception said we could rent them for €5 per set. When we politely asked why the website said otherwise and why no one had told us when we booked, the receptionist said, “I don't know!” We rented them, and they arrived an hour later. On our first evening, the bedroom door fell out of its tracks as I was closing it after putting the children to bed. It could have seriously hurt one of them. I reported it kindly the next morning and it was fixed straight away, but at checkout I was accused of having taken the door off its tracks. We tried to spend as little time at the property as possible after that, because the children were afraid to do anything. We just wanted a quiet break after a year of work. At checkout we raised the other problems too: Wi-Fi that didn't work, stained sheets, a toilet that dripped, a broken hairdryer, wine bottles served already open, and misleading information about what the apartments included. The owner shouted at us and physically pushed us out, saying our stay was over and we had to leave. The place felt cold and unwelcoming, and deserted even in late July, which maybe should have been a warning. I expect the response to this review to be harsh, untruthful, and rude, consistent with the lack of customer care we experienced. The stay was traumatic. We won't return or recommend it.