Casale Civetta

The owner and team made us feel comfortable from the minute we arrived, and they were genuinely warm and welcoming. I spent three nights here surrounded by art and culture. The colorful rooms and courtyard are full of paintings and installations drawing on old and modern cultures from around the world. If that speaks to you, the place has a kind of magic; I found myself wandering around, reading the captions about famous artists and historical figures. It’s peaceful, with a pool and a view of the sea. I’ll definitely be back.

Once you get there, you’re met with real peace and a one-of-a-kind view. The farmhouse is a characterful, unusual place in the Marche hills, and the pool was a welcome extra. The drive there is rough, though, and the lack of air conditioning was a drawback. I know it doesn’t really suit the setting, but we still felt hot even on a mild evening.

We came as a family of five in mid-August and had booked three nights, but left after just one. The apartment was about 25 square meters in total, kitchen included, with two rooms of roughly 10 square meters each. One was a triple room, with three beds packed side by side and almost no room to move. To get to one bed, you had to climb over another. The rooms connected, and as someone 1.80 meters tall, I had to duck through the doorways. It was an attic with exposed beams that became unbearably hot during the August heat, and we couldn’t sleep at night. There was no air conditioning. Cleanliness was awful: cobwebs everywhere, miserable sheets, and sponge mattresses under 10 cm thick, so it felt like sleeping on wooden slats. I made the mistake of checking the pillow under its cover and found it yellow with rot. I asked for a partial refund and never got a reply. In my view, the apartment fell short of the minimum standards under current regulations, both structurally and, even more so, for hygiene. The pool floor hadn’t been cleaned in a long time. Chickens wandered freely, and when I returned the keys the reception floor was covered in droppings. Beside the pool there was a large wasp nest, with about thirty wasps gathered near it ahead of an approaching storm. When I asked for it to be removed, I was told there were two other nests in the center, that this one had been there for about two months without anything happening, and that the center valued biodiversity. I kept insisting that wasps so close were dangerous, and the owner eventually used spray that killed them. I’m writing to the relevant authorities and hope they act quickly so nobody else makes the same mistake.

I stayed with my daughter in the little tool room I’d seen mentioned in other reviews. After one night, heavy rain came through and the bed was literally flooded. Luckily another room was free, so they moved us. I paid the extra charge without arguing, but since they knew about the problem, I expected at least an apology or a small discount. And honestly, it didn’t feel like a room at all, more like a tool shed. I’d think any hotel would move you if your room flooded.