Casa Vacanze Garibaldi

This is not my first review of Casa Vacanze Garibaldi but I feel compelled to encourage others to visit. I have stayed in other accommodation in Spoleto when Casa Vacanze Garibaldi was booked out and - if you are looking for charm, comfort and historical quirk, this is the perfect place to stay. You can choose cold spartan elegance, or you can come here: where there are sloping wooden ceilings, stone floors, casement windows - all reflecting the history of the building where the accommodation is located (on the first floor, at the back of the old palace - overlooking a green space, houses and a lovely hill). Antonio - the host - is the only Italian host for whom I have never had to wait for access to accommodation (I have been visiting Italy for 15 years, and have been living here for the last 4 years). Always waiting with the key, always friendly and courteous - this all makes a difference when you are travelling. Photos online are entirely accurate; this is a perfect mix of an ancient story and modern comfort with a well-appointed kitchen, crockery, cooking utensils and a large wardrobe with a generous collection of hangers (often you will find only a handful in other places). Just a few things: the shower cubicle is small and so may not suit more Rubenesque travellers. Do not be alarmed when you step in through the door from Via Garibaldi and see a long dark corridor. A light will come on automatically - and, as you proceed, you will see light switches on the left-hand side of the wall. Be careful of the sometimes uneven tiles. The apartment locks as securely as a bank - so do not worry about security. Just be mindful - when descending from the apartment to the ground level to give the timed-light an extra press just before you take the staircase - especially if you descend slowly. Just be mindful. Otherwise, this place is just perfect if you are looking for authentic Italian charm and style, and kind-hearted Italians. Perfect.

Nothing not to like.

Posizione centralissima, in una delle vie pedonali principali di Spoleto. Molti locali e ristoranti vicino. Ottima disponibilità di parcheggio nei pressi dell'alloggio.

Niente.

La gentilezza del proprietario che è venuto anche a prenderci alla stazione. Anche il fatto di vedere una casa antica al di là della facciata. Letto comodo, bagno delizioso, tutto bene.

Tutto bene, l’ unico neo è la mancanza di aria condizionata ma noi non la usiamo mai, quindi nessun problema

I loved everything about it - the location, the facilities, the friendly welcome.

There is no A/C, which was no problem for us, but it might be for others

The location for this accommodation is a relatively easy walk of approximately 20-25 minutes (on mostly flat terrain) from the train station - if that is how you are travelling - and it is very close to the beautiful old center of Spoleto (a mere 5 to 10 minutes - uphill). The building is fantastic and very old, with enormously thick walls and, although you enter the accommodation from one of the main streets in lower Spoleto, the rooms are located at the back, with lovely views over surrounding hills and houses and a small green space. It is wonderfully quiet at night and, if you are travelling in Italy for an authentic experience of staying in a place with history and quirkiness, this is the place for you. (I live in Italy in my own historic house and I just thought this accommodation was wonderful.) It also needs to be noted that the host, Antonio, was as friendly and as helpful as could be. He was waiting for me in the street outside the accommodation (having earlier offered to collect me from the station). Having encountered a number of other places where I have had to wait 30-40 minutes for someone to turn up (even after confirming my time of arrival) or having had to follow complicated instructions or send my identity document to same shonky app so that you end up never meeting or communicating with the owner at all, Casa Vacanze Garibaldi and Antonio definitely win the prize for accessibility and helpfulness. It is also immaculately clean. One more win.

Hardly anything not to like, but be mindful that the entry corridor to the accommodation is quite long and a little dark (but well-illuminated by switches); this might be a factor if you are a woman on your own. However, I am a woman always on my own and I did not feel anxious here (as I have done in other places in Spoleto), plus the door to the apartment locks up as securely as a bank! The ceilings in the kitchen and bathroom are very low, with some challenging low beams; the space for the shower is quite small. Thus, if you are very tall (and a tad forgetful of low-hanging beams) or if you are more generously proportioned, you may find squeezing into the shower recess a little difficult. Apart from these possibly trifling factors, I just thought it was all gorgeous.

Excellent location. Very clean and well appointed apartment. Excellent hosts who take pride in their property. Highly recommend.

All good.