Property: 9 |
Cleaning: 10 |
Host: 8 |
Location: 10 |
Price/Quality: 7
| Breakfast: 8
Rays of Sun is authentically a great place, an apartment on the noble floor of a late '800s building in the heart of the center, two blocks from the Two Towers and in front of the bus stop. It is exactly what it claims to be, a charming and design abode, with a fanciful internal renovation, very high ceilings (about 5 meters), eclectic and very lovely. The owner, Maria Grazia, a sailor and offshore skipper (which can be deduced from the pictures and then intuitively grasped once arrived), is a pleasant and imaginative person. By choice (much appreciated), Maria Grazia offers a "once-upon-a-time" breakfast, with coffee of all sizes, homemade pies, homemade jams, regenerating herbal teas, in a very welcoming atmosphere and, ultimately, consistent with sailing, the sea, and nature. The "French room", where I stayed, despite facing Via Indipendenza, is extraordinarily quiet, despite the large window, thanks to the quality double glazing, as in the entire house, in fact. The "Suite" is definitely fantastic and is also the only room with an ensuite bathroom. The style of the house reminds one of English B&Bs and, indeed, one is authentically at Maria Grazia's home, who also has a room inside the apartment. The only accepted payment is in cash and at check-in, which was not communicated at the time of the initial contact but only learned halfway through the first day; no big deal, I was within reach of an ATM and sometimes (albeit rarely) such a request has come up, albeit unusual. In the case at hand, Maria Grazia explained to me the (objective) misadventures with other guests that led her to eliminate credit card machines and bank transfers, so, in short, everything is aboveboard. If I may offer a suggestion to Maria Grazia, I would make this request known immediately, even better if in the structure's description, so that guests can organize themselves and make their own choices (for example, those who travel for work and can only pay with a corporate credit card would find themselves unable to pay once on site). Furthermore, I would put a phone number on the presentation page, so that real-time reservations can be made.
stayed from 11/18/2018 to 11/21/2018