APPARTAMENTO LA FONTANA DI ASSISI

Location

The location was excellent!!

We had to try to navigate the streets of Assisi straight from our flight to meet our host for the keys to the apartment even though we had agreed on a check-in time (for after we had landed!!) The host informed me that she had changed this to an earlier check-in as she was unable to make our agreed-upon time. We didn't realise this, but we couldn't have made that time anyway as we were mid-flight!!! On landing, I called her to arrange to meet and it was then that she told me that she changed it because it didn't suit her. She agreed "to come to meet us" in an hour and a half. Then once my husband met her for the keys, she said that the price was almost double what I had booked it at (I had opted to pay on arrival) We finally sorted this when I sent her all of the details but ended up paying her €100 cash. We didn't really have a choice because we had just travelled all day with 3 children, we needed to get settled and everyone was looking forward to cooling down in the pool at this appointment. Apartment signage was a disaster and so we traipsed the streets again in the searing heat. Eventually, a kind local helped us and this was great. Grateful at this point to get in from the heat, and go to the pool, we climbed many flights of stairs to find our appointment, realising with every step that it was now unlikely that there was an outside pool as was advertised. We finally got to the apartment went in and we were hit by temperatures as high inside as it was outside. The air-conditioning was not working and.......the heat was stuck on full heat. There was no pool! We called the host and told her all of this. She was quite dismissive and told us the pool was at another apartment, three and a half km away and we could use it whenever. Drive there or get a taxi!!! We obviously didn't do this. Regarding the air con/ heat....she told us it "was simple" turn it on and turn the other off!!!!!

Good location right in the middle of Assisi

The aircon in the first room was not working very well. But the weather was cooler on the last night.

The location was amazing but the cleanliness of the property left a lot to be desired. The host was not seen and we were also being charged well in excess of the standard charges until we challenged the costing. These were eventually amended in our favour but we struggle to see why we paid City taxes/cleaning/air conditioning of 122 Euro for our 7 night stay. On checking with a few local hotels, they were amazed that we were being charged so much.

The Booking.Com website states that the property has 2 pools. We drove to one pool about 4 kilometres away and it was inside a locked complex that we think may have been owned by the host. We never got an address for the second pool but that is not surprising as we had to ask where the pool was! Consequently , even though it was 36 degrees during our stay, we never bothered using the pool. I have worked in the tourism industry at a high level and believe that this type of marketing (includes a pool) is extremely misleading and should not be allowed. We only booked the property after using the Booking.Com filters saying that we wanted 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and…..a pool! Not a pool at another venue at least 4 kilometres away that was being fully used by those staying at that venue! In summary, we have met many exceptional hosts through our travel journey but this one dos not require any further comment!

Horrible experience, avoid this place ! The host never met us even though she confirmed our check in time. We had to wait for 3 hours in the rain and then walk for 30 minutes to be handed the keys from the host’s daughter, who was also more than 1 hour late. And that was just the beginning. The apartment looked more like a squat than a “4-star establishment”, as Booking.com advertised it. There was no heating and NO HOT WATER. The stove didn’t work either. The beds were dirty and we were freezing for 3 nights. The few utensils in the kitchen were dirty and sitting in old dirty water. In general the apartment looked as if homeless people were staying in it. We filed a complaint with Booking.com and they took no action. The only answer I got from them is that “they tried to contact the property but didn’t get an answer”.

The apartment was clean.

The host has no communication skills. They were 1.5 hours late for the agreed key pickup. They failed to provide information in advance about vehicle entry restrictions to Assisi to drop off guests and luggage. The apartment is up 5 flights of stairs, two outside the building. The nearest parking is 2km away. You can only enter Assisi to drop off passengers and luggage between 6pm and 10am. It's also about 2km walk from the cathedra up and down hilll so if your party has aged or mobility impaired people forget it.

Location excellent

Communication very poor and kitchen equipment lacking

3 bedroom apartment very well located in the center of Assisi.

Getting the keys from the host was a cumbersome process. The host mostly communicated via phone (did not use WhatsApp or replied to SMS) and we waited some time at the meeting point to get the keys. I found the extra cleaning fees (5€ per guest) and tourist tax (5€/day/guest) excessive compared to what is advertised in Assisi. The apartment can be a bit noisy if activities are going on the the main square.