My wife, two young kids (9 and 11), and I recently stayed at Musella for a night on our way through Verona. We booked a two-bedroom apartment months in advance and were excited to stay at what is a lovely bed and breakfast. We arrived late (around 11:30 pm) on the night of our reservation, in part, because we got lost trying to find the place. We received a confirming email earlier that day, however, so we weren’t concerned. The email didn’t say anything about needing to call ahead if we were coming in late, so we were surprised to find the front gate locked and no lights on when we arrived. I called the number listed on the call box, which apparently connected me to the front desk clerk/manager who was offsite at the time. I’m not actually sure who the woman was because she didn’t identify herself, but she was very rude. When I let her know who I was, she immediately started berating me for not calling ahead. She was upset that she couldn’t reach me all day (she had been calling my wife’s phone, which was off), and I was afraid she had given our room away. My family and I were sitting on the side of a desolate road in the middle of the night in a foreign country, so I tried to be polite and apologetic. And fortunately, our room was still available. Everything seemed fine after the mystery woman opened the gate remotely and guided us to our room over the phone. The next morning, however, I had another unpleasant encounter with her while “checking in.” Rather than asking me how my stay was, she continued grumbling about our late arrival the previous night. Later that morning when I was checking out, the issue came up again when she (for the first time) mentioned a 20-euro “late arrival” fee that I was being charged. I explained that I was unaware I needed to call ahead—and that the confirming email didn’t say it was required—but she just kept arguing that “everyone knows you have to call” and that it’s mentioned in the “terms and conditions.” Her tone and demeanor was unprofessional and infuriating. Worse, I apparently got charged this ridiculous fee because Musella’s reception desk “closes” at 7 pm. As I said, the place itself is lovely and the owner (we ran into him as we were walking to our room the night we arrived) seemed nice. I rarely give bad reviews, but the mystery woman earned one by making me feel like my entire stay was an imposition to her. She got the 20 euro fee from me, but blew any chance that I or anyone I know will ever stay there or order their wine in the future. Seems pretty shortsighted, although I can’t say I’m surprised given her behavior during all three of our interactions.
Outstanding
8 Reviews