Residence Cristine

The rooms were top notch, and the balcony view was breathtaking. Service was very good, and we'll definitely come back. Riva and Torbole are both close, about 1,5 km away, and the best ice cream parlor is 200 m from the residence. Parking could be better if you have a big car. The residence looks shabby and worn out when you first arrive.

The apartment was very clean, in a great location, and had a balcony overlooking the lake. There was a very friendly, helpful lady at the office. The beds could be much better, and the kitchen would benefit from being better equipped, starting with a kettle, microwave, and a better pan. If you go to bed early and can't sleep with the air-conditioning on, be aware there's quite a lot of noise from the bar outside. Bring earplugs. That's no fault of the apartment's owner.

The cleaning lady was very helpful, and the accommodation was clean and well located near the lake, shops, and town centre. The owner, though, was not helpful at all. The pictures made the building look attractive and as if it sat in the grounds of a swimming pool. That impression was wrong. There is no pool, and the side of Cristine is unattractive. The apartment's side entrance is unattractive too. The little balcony was nice, with a table, chairs, and ashtray, though it was strange to have an ashtray when the apartment was meant to be non-smoking. Kitchen supplies were poor: minimal cutlery and plates, one pan, two rings, and a coffee machine. No kettle, microwave, grill, toaster, or iron. The shower is tiny, not practical if you're big or want to shave your legs. The bed that was meant to be a double was two singles cable tied together, and very uncomfortable. I was told to check the pictures to understand that a double meant two singles together, and that I should expect that. By that reasoning, I should have expected a pool too, but there wasn't one. On inspecting what seemed to be a modern apartment with a smoke alarm system, I found all the fire alarm sounders covered, in the communal areas and all the other apartments as well. That means the alarm wouldn't sound in case of smoke or fire, and could be delayed by 30 minutes. I told the owner, who wasn't interested. None of the LED lights on the sounders were on either. I can put up with most things, but not an owner who doesn't care about residents' safety. I asked to cancel early and was refused. So I knocked on other apartment doors to tell people about the danger. Thirty minutes later I was released from the agreement. My message to the owner: remove the covers from the smoke alarm sounders throughout the building, not just in your office, and check that they work. I'll be back next year. I'll walk in and check that the covers are off, and set off the alarms if they work. I can do that because the main entrance doors are left open all day and the office is hardly manned.

Every smoke alarm is covered with a yellow dust cover, and the owner didn't seem concerned. Don't stay here. There are only single beds in all the apartments. There is NO pool. The kitchen has a fridge, two electric hobs, and one pan, with no oven, kettle, or grill.