Il Castello

The cancellation caused us a lot of trouble, especially since it happened during the town’s biggest festival, when finding somewhere else to stay is nearly impossible. I got the impression they chose other customers because demand was high. I’d booked well in advance through Booking, but they cancelled, saying one of the four rooms wasn’t available because of a sewer problem. Booking still shows four rooms available when there are apparently only three, which feels misleading. It was unfair and unreliable, and I absolutely wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone looking for honesty and dependability.

The room was tiny, so my wife and I could only move around one at a time. The bathroom was like a narrow passage, with towel hooks and toilet roll and brush holders that tilted. The air conditioning seemed broken, which was a real problem in that heat, even at 1,000 meters above sea level. On WhatsApp, the woman we contacted told us, “Listen, they’re not air conditioners. But if you keep the balcony closed tonight, you’ll be fine. The air is cool.” We followed her advice, but when we got back around midnight, the room was scorching. They communicate with guests only through WhatsApp and take hours to answer each message. They also ask for the full amount upfront and don’t come to meet you. That isn’t legally required, of course, but a little courtesy would be nice, just like the bottle of cold water they’d like guests to leave on arrival, also as a courtesy. The listing on Google Maps calls this a three-star hotel, which seems like a clever ploy to me, since it’s actually a guesthouse. I hope there are better places to stay in Viggiano. This one is definitely best avoided.

We couldn’t find another room at that time of year, or we’d have left straight away. The room we’d booked as a double was so small it was hard for two people to move around. The single-bed blanket was crooked and didn’t cover properly. There was toothpaste residue in the bathroom sink when we arrived, the room wasn’t cleaned during our stay, and the towels were still there, heavily stained. The location is charming and has a beautiful view, which made the condition of the room all the more disappointing.

The views are breathtaking, and the rooms have both a bathroom and air conditioning, plus a boiler for comfort. This charming little guesthouse was made from old buildings, with exposed stone and old wooden beams. Highly recommended.