Edificio 15 House Elite

Getting here was the first problem. There was no taxi or bus at the station, and we couldn't reach the property, so we were lucky that a passing driver gave us a lift. The hotel sits up a very steep hill in town. The road winds uphill with no pavement, and the alternative is a steep stair path, so walking with luggage would have been impossible. We later learned there was no beach shuttle, despite the claim: getting to the beach meant going up and down that hill and then walking at least 800 metres. The train stop to use is the one before the Port, not Rodi Garganico, and there are no taxis. We were greeted by the cleaner because the owner was in Rome. There is no lift, and the stairs up to the room are very steep, which makes the place unsuitable for anyone with mobility issues or very elderly guests. We had to wait for someone to carry our bags. The room and bathroom were lovely, air-conditioned and clean. Breakfast was served or set out in a downstairs room, and we were the only guests. They had asked whether we wanted sweet or savoury food, but what was provided was basic. Matteo, who was pleasant enough, apparently reported what we ate and how many coffees we had. On day two the fruit was just very thin slices of banana and kiwi. The building was unsupervised, even at night. We got a key and could come and go, but we were also responsible for locking and unlocking the door. If either of us had fallen on the stairs or become ill, there could have been a serious problem. On June 15 the weather was awful and we came back soaked, hoping to warm up and dry off. Our room had only two chamomile tea bags. With nobody around, my wife took some ordinary tea bags from the dining room and told the cleaner about it when we returned. While we were out later, the owner phoned her and launched into a long angry lecture about the tea, how much coffee we drank, and other things. My wife was very upset, so we decided to leave and, at extra expense, found another place. We left a piece of clothing behind in the rush, which was eventually returned, along with my wife's contact lenses, but our messages about getting them back were ignored. They took five euros from the 30-euro deposit to pay for the tea. We had no more direct contact with the owner. Our travel agent refunded us directly and still couldn't get a reply from her. We never received an apology for the way we were treated. She also hasn't responded to the travel company.