Red Duplex

The breakfast was a struggle: it started at 9 am with no flexibility to prepare a package for an earlier departure, and there wasn't much food for the number of guests. You had to arrive among the first to get a plate, and most items weren't replenished. At 9:30, the waitress said the chef had already left and she was “very tired” to do anything in the kitchen. Staff also didn't communicate in English. Our “Double room with balcony” didn't match the Booking website photos, and for the money it wasn't worth it. The room was tiny, with very old facilities, more like a 2-star hostel, and the AC didn't work. There was no sofa, for example, and just 1 tea bag for 2 people for 2 nights. The balcony felt rather scary. Wi-Fi was very poor. We could only connect while standing in the tiny 1.5 m2 bathroom, not kidding, and in the breakfast eating room. It was only available at the reception. Parking was very small and complicated, and the pool wasn't available in May because it was “out of season.”

The building looks as if it could be beautiful, but it was in bad repair. There were ants in my room, dirt thick on the balcony furniture, and the shower gel bottle was half empty with the rest congealed. I got no answer when I asked for a receipt for my payment. The owner seemed dishonest, trying to sell garbage for good money. Reception was empty when I arrived during standard hours, so I waited outside and then inside. Eventually someone let me in, but couldn't help with check-in. When the host came, he took me to the room and forgot the keys. I waited another 15 minutes before he managed to bring them.

A quiet, peaceful place with very pleasant service and a good price for the quality. It's an old-fashioned family hotel, with a magnificent olive garden and a pool behind the building, plus a great mountain view. There's no elevator. The room had air conditioning, but in the middle of summer it couldn't cool it down enough.

We booked months ahead and even got a text the day before confirming the check-in times. Still, when we arrived, they said they were full. They offered us a room at a hotel down the road, which we declined.