Palazzo Acquaviva - Il Giardino Sospeso

When we arrived we were shocked to discover the building was undergoing construction and renovation work. This continued throughout our stay, with very loud renovation noise, equipment, machinery and workers there from 06:30 am every day including Saturday. It was impossible to have any quiet enjoyment of the place all day, including outside where the workers sat and smoked at the courtyard downstairs looking on to the ‘private’ garden. The property management company Italianway didn't give us any forewarning that this would be happening during our stay and no opportunity to make other arrangements. An agent came to inspect and agreed the situation was terrible and that we would get a refund. She was nice but ineffectual as this ‘refund’ turned out to be reimbursement of less than 1 night's accommodation (not her fault- she said she had requested more but the company refused). You might expect this lack of disclosure and lack of customer care (and disregard for having put your guests in this situation!) from an unscrupulous owner-operator but not from a professional letting agency. On top of this, the place is unfortunately poorly maintained. The apartment was oppressively hot and the air conditioners (only in the bedrooms) were barely functioning, with the one in the second bedroom extremely noisy and the filter full and filthy. There was only an upright fan in the lounge area, which was ineffective. There were dust bunnies under the bed and cockroaches in the bathroom. The garden was neglected, with a broken and fallen down shade sail and mouldy cushions on the outdoor furniture, and the whole outdoor area needed sweeping up. Some basic honesty, maintenance and cleanliness should be a given, not least when paying top dollar. This place is very overpriced for what you get, and unfortunately seems to be run by a company and/or owners that have no regard for professional service, transparency or goodwill.

Great Location

We only received info' about where to collect keys a couple of hours before we arrived because of poor 'phone reception. (What would happen if we didn't have a smart 'phone????) We had asked Booking.com for this info' and at least 3 times from Italianways to no avail. More info' about the apartment and the town/area in general would have been appreciated. No hanging space in 1 bedroom with minuscule shower room. In the other bedroom the shower head leaked, the washbasin light did not work.

The apartment in the palazzo is spectacular, with a swimming pool and private parking. Vaulted ceilings are adorned with frescoes. It is spacious, elegant, centrally located and tastefully decorated. Monica, the property manager, was amazing: responsive, welcoming, generous and available. We were the first guests of the season after the palazzo had been closed for renovations for three months. Initially there were a few problems because some of the systems had not been turned back on. But Monica made sure that everything was in order quickly. We highly recommend this special property. It is a unique treat.

What an impressive place! The pictures don’t do it justice! We felt like we were staying in a palace, with the high painted ceilings and gorgeous furniture and decor. It is a vast place as well, and perfectly located.

The a/c in the 2nd bedroom didn’t work well (was going to be looked after post our departure) and there is no a/c elsewhere in the apartment other than the bedrooms. But this was fine until the heat wave started.

Owner was attentive and responsive to all requests. Very Professional and courteous.

very large apartment with beautiful details

nothing!

beautiful apartment, spacious and elegant. Perfect location for exploring Lecce with a swimming pool and garage.