Ossanzaia Bilene Lodge

The restaurant was a slight step up from the room, though the food was only acceptable and I was sick the next day. The Wi-Fi was poor in the room and didn’t reach the restaurant. A 3 inch cockroach flew onto my leg there, and I killed it. Outside, some of the estate’s art was interesting, but garish strings of coloured LED lights were scattered around. One was right outside my window and stayed on until 6 o’clock the next morning. I’d hoped for a leisurely morning and breakfast, but by then I was so disappointed that I packed up and left early. I arrived at 7 o’clock in the evening, after dark, and nobody was there to show me where to go. I walked around the large, confusing estate until I found a guard, who sent me to his manager on the other side of the compound. Surely guests have arrived at that hour before. For this price, I didn’t expect so many problems. The lovely photos management has posted must be years old. The place feels extremely tired and badly run. Someone needs to inspect each room properly and make a list of repairs for maintenance. My room was dirty, uncomfortable, and in very poor repair. It was full of dark 1980s wood and ceramic tile, which did nothing to make it cosy. There was no mosquito net despite plenty of mosquitoes, just a can of insect spray. The air conditioner didn’t cool the room, even though I left it running to get a bit of breeze. The bed had a runner board all the way around, about 8 inches wide. I kept banging my shins getting in and out, and it did nothing for the room’s appearance. The fridge and bedside drawers had been left open, apparently to air them out, but I’d expect them to be shut for a guest. One drawer was missing its knob, which I later found in the bathroom. It would have been a simple fix to screw it back on. The LED bulb above the bed flickered, and the toothbrush holder had fallen off and was just balanced on the shelf beneath the mirror. Beside the toilet, the water dispenser’s nozzle holder was also off, leaving its hose draped across the toilet and two screw holes in the wall. I had to search everywhere before finding the toilet roll under the sink. The loo itself was tiny, so your face is inches from the wall when you sit down, while the rest of the room is huge and echoey. The mirror was hung too high for me to see more than my chin down. The television was on when I entered, but the decoder balanced precariously on top only gave me one channel. These are all basic things a hotel should be checking.