Policastro Bussentino Vacations from $1,038

We arrived to find the room had a very horrible sewage smell. We contacted the front desk and she attempted to remedy it by putting vinegar down the drain but unfortunately, this did not work. The smell was so bad that we were unable to stay and sit with this nauseous smell so we had to find an alternate hotel due to safety and health concerns. We attempted to get a refund after the fact from Hotels.com, but the property refused to refund the money because they blamed the smell on recent rains, even though the rains happened after we arrived, and not before, so their excuse was not valid. It’s typical of southern Europe. We live here and we know that they never like to take responsibility. It’s just how they are as a culture. So unfortunately, we’re gonna have to do a charge back on our card that we used to make the reservation. Before leaving this review, I gave them the opportunity to do the right thing but not surprising, they refused to do the right thing and refund our stay so apparently they are fine with their guests sleeping in the smell of sewage. This is the first time I’ve ever had to leave a review like this or leave a hotel so it’s disappointing that Hotels.com and the property did not do the right thing and don’t care about the health and safety of their guests. unfortunately this means I cannot use Hotels.com anymore on principal. It’s a shame when people just can’t do the right thing. On a sidenote, the staff we encountered on site were very friendly.

The property is beautiful and in a great location, and the staff was wonderful throughout our stay. Unfortunately, several issues made the experience fall short of what we expected from a luxury hotel. It would have been helpful if Expedia or the hotel had disclosed that the street in front of the property was being dug up. Although our taxi dropped us off near the hotel, we had to walk back and around the construction with our suitcases on a cobblestone street, which was not easy. We also heard jackhammering from construction in the rooms. The air conditioning was too cold, and we were unable to regulate it. When we asked about heat, we were told it would not be turned on until freezing weather in winter. Breakfast was acceptable, but the selection and service were not quite what we expected at this price point. We ended up going to the hotel next door, where we enjoyed an excellent variety and wonderful service. We were also surprised that there was no complimentary water in the room and that we had to purchase it separately. While we appreciated the staff and the hotel’s location, we would try another luxury hotel in the area on a future visit.

Great staff very helpful and Francesca was very friendly and made us feel special.