Albergo Palazzo

The room was gloomy and dated, the shower tiny, and the breakfast terrible. It's a tired hotel that needs updating. The website claims "direct access to pool," but the pool is public and you have to pay to use it, which is very misleading. It calls itself four star, though a plaque at the hotel says three, which seems much more accurate. Our friends paid a similar price at a hotel five minutes' walk away that was clearly four star and had a private pool, so look around.

The staff felt less welcoming than at the other places we stayed in Puglia. We often walked past reception without even a hello or good morning. Breakfast was very nice with a good range of food, but if you chose the lovely outdoor seating area, you were expected to clear your own table, which seemed odd for a hotel. The hotel was clean and tidy, though it felt a bit run down. Furniture had worn spots and visible damage on the corners and edges, and the shower was uncomfortably small. Across the street, a bar played music until at least 1 a.m., and people often stayed outside talking loudly until about 2 a.m. each night. That wasn't the hotel's fault, but it's useful to know. We'd hoped for the kind of stay we've had at similar hotels in Italy, and this one didn't quite meet that expectation.

The location and the view are lovely, but the old building wasn't very clean. The windows were dirty, and the bathroom had no shampoo or body gel. Noise went on until 2 a.m., so families with little kids shouldn't expect a peaceful night's sleep. There's also a thermal pool that might be nice, but the smell is awful. At checkout, the woman didn't say hello, good morning, or thank you. She was very rude and followed me outside to process payment, even though I booked through booking and a card had already been partially charged. I hadn't even left yet, and still had all my bags to collect. I expected better from the way the place looked, and wasn't pleased.

Zero: There's something I haven't told you, Agatha. Agatha: Okay. Zero: We stole a painting. It's very valuable, maybe five million klubeks, in fact. I don't know if anyone's noticed it's missing yet, but if something should happen to me and M. Gustave- Agatha: You steal art? Zero: One picture. Anyway, we need to make a plan for your survival. Hide this. It's in code, and you might need a magnifying glass to read it, but it tells you exactly where and how to find Boy with Apple. Don't take less than half the retail asking price. Also- Agatha: Zero, I'm a baker! Zero: You're a pastry chef… Agatha: I'm not a middle man. I'm not a fence, if that's the term. I don't trade in stolen property. Zero: I said it wrong. She willed it to him. *They hear someone approaching the room and Zero hides* Mendl: Go to sleep Agatha: Yes, Heir Mendl *Mendl goes away and Zero comes out of hiding* Zero: Hide this! Agatha: No! Zero: Okay, but take it anyway