Vicino al Mare "IL MERLO 2"

We stayed for the three weeks we had booked, following our lawyer's advice, but the stay was a long way from what we'd been promised. When we booked the apartment at Via Filzi 61 in Viareggio in February 2022, I made it clear straight away that we would bring our cat. I was told that was fine. The agent also said there would be air conditioning, WiFi, a washing machine, a shower cabin, and a bicycle for my exclusive use, with a reminder to lock it up at the beach. When we arrived at Via Fabio Filzi, Mrs. Irene told us she didn't accept cats. We reminded her about the phone conversation months earlier, and she accepted that we were staying. The apartment had a small living room with a sofa and TV, plus a stove, sink, and refrigerator built into the wall. The bed was very uncomfortable, in my opinion, and came with two pillows that measured 3 cm high. There was a bridal veil on the wall that looked like a nest of dust and germs. The bedroom opened onto a tiny back garden, about 1m x 2m, where we could hang laundry. The old washing machine still worked, though Ms. Irene thought it was new. The garden was described on the phone as a bonus, but with the umbrella open, the front door couldn't be opened, so we kept it shut. The washing machine was there, but the other promised things weren't: the air conditioning was broken, there was no WiFi connection, and even ILIAD and TIM barely got 3G. The bicycle had flat tires, so there wasn't much chance of it being stolen. There was no shower cabin either, just a shower tray and curtain. My wife, who is 172cm and 60kg, found the space too small to wash comfortably. Mrs. Irene brought us a fan to make up for the lack of air conditioning, and I still don't have an answer about the other problems. After paying €1,800 of the €2,100 total, I asked for a discount because of the missing facilities. She left in a huff and later messaged us saying we should stay a week and then leave. We paid the full amount and stayed for all three weeks, since we'd waited a year for this holiday. About a month after the balance was paid, and after repeated requests, she finally sent receipts for the balance and tourist tax. I'm writing this to warn future guests: check everything carefully.