• Response to Cute Apartment, Shame about the Owner

  Response to Cute Apartment, Shame about the Owner

  • Guest Nicola & Gabriella
  • Date of stay 12/16/11
  • Review Submitted 12/16/12
  We rented this apartment during the off season. We stayed there from November, 2011 through March, 2012. In fact, we moved out just two days before the person who posted the 2 star review entitled Cute Apartment, Shame about the Owner. Since that person knew this family for a few days, and we had the pleasure of knowing them for 6 months, we felt we had to respond. First of all, we stayed for six months in this apartment and never saw so much as a spider. It is meticulously maintained by the owners, who are very caring and empathetic individuals. If there was a bug in the bed, we would have to agree with Massimo that the bug flew in when the balcony doors were open. Or perhaps they were hitch-hikers with the couple that arrived and complained about the bugs. In any event, please be assured that you will find comfortable, clean accommodations when you stay here. Also, during our six-month stay, we had a guest for a few days who slept in the pull-out couch and found it to be quite comfortable. She got a good night's sleep every night, so we can't imagine why there would be any complaints about sleeping on the pull-out couch. Finally, you can tell that this family cared enough to bend over backwards to try to accommodate this tenant's complaints. In our experience, most landlords would give you a refund and leave you to make your own arrangements in a strange city. This family personally escorted them to a more expensive lodging and paid the difference in the rate for the complaining tenants. What more could they possibly have done? We love Lucca, we love this apartment and its wonderful location, and most of all,we love this family who treated us like their own family. We could not give any higher recommendation. If you want to see Lucca, this is the place to stay!

  Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, tourists without a car, girls getaway, sightseeing.

  Owner response: Thank you for your lovely words! It's very important for us receive review like yours, because it means that we do it well. Unfortunately, renting the apartments a lot of problems happens: we try to fix it immediately, but sure is necessay also the help of the customers. Not all understand it... The time you stayed here in Lucca was amazing also for us, you becomed like a friends for us and can't wait to see you again! Ciao Nick and Gail, come back soon!

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• Great apartment to stay in Lucca!

  Great apartment to stay in Lucca!

  • Guest Anna and Dave
  • Date of stay 06/14/12
  • Review Submitted 07/03/12
  This is such a charming flat. As you can see from the photos (which are accurate) the decor has a lovely old-world Italian feel to it and we found it scrupulously clean and tidy. There's a TV, DVD player, air-conditioning & wifi. The kitchen is fitted out very well - you will find everything you need to cook proper meals, as we did. The bathroom was small but very clean with a good shower. The location is right in the old town of Lucca, with easy access to the sights within the walls. Also easily accessible by bus from the train station (bus stop just round the corner). Also very walkable (without heavy bags) in around 15-20 mins. We were on a strict budget and we found this apartment to be good value for money for Tuscany. The owner was very helpful and prompt to reply by email. We would recommend to friends and family who are visiting Tuscany. Lucca is a great place to stay too. You can easily get to Florence & Pisa by train and it a beautiful old town with v impressive town walls. I would recommend riding around the walls on a bike - renting bikes for an hour or two is ridiculously cheap and there's a place nearby. If you want to escape the tourists you can also take the train up into the hills to quiet picturesque villages like Borgo a Mozzano & Castelnuovo di Garfagnana.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, romantic getaway, tourists without a car, girls getaway, sightseeing.

  Owner response: Ciao Anna e David, thank you very much for your review!If you decide to visit Tuscany again, remember me! Ciao!

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• clean and quiet in excellent location

  clean and quiet in excellent location

  • Guest carlafff
  • Date of stay 05/27/12
  • Review Submitted 06/26/12
  I enjoyed my stay at Il Giardino, you can easily arrive there by foot from the train station, it's near the wall and the two main squares, in a quiet neighborhood. Nearby is a water fountain, San Gervasio gate, the Fossi (canal), the Botanical Garden. Every morning the sun streams into the rooms and you can hear an Italian family laughing their way through breakfast. Downstairs is a lovely bar/café/restaurant (Vispa Teresa) the couple are so charming and they will make you feel right at home. The owner, Massimo, prefers to be paid the balance of the apartment in cash. I'm not sure how well the AC or TV really worked, it seemed like there were only 3 channels on the TV which was fine for me, but if you want more TV be sure to ask Massimo if there are more than 3 channels. The Wifi stopped working briefly but I was able to get it working again after a simple reboot. As far as the AC, make sure to have Massimo show you how it works- I was not able to figure this out. The apartment is spotless and well equipped. Apartment kitchen is ok to cook in but I recommend eating out, there are several great options nearby -Nonna Clara's in Piazza Parigi and L'Antica Drogheria for pizza were great.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, romantic getaway, tourists without a car.

  Owner response: Carla is very nice person, helpful and friendly! I noticed when you leaved that the decoder has lost a lot of programs and it needed to reistall it, I'm sorry Carla;) I hope to see you again! Call me if you decided to turn back in Lucca!

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• Muse/Marcus

  Muse/Marcus

  • Guest Lee
  • Date of stay 05/01/12
  • Review Submitted 05/09/12
  We enjoyed our stay (one week) very much. The apartment was comfortable, and the location was exceptional. Steps away from bike rental, Elise portal, and the Botanical Garden. Owner made himself constantly available by email to answer any questions. No complaints. Would recommend.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, girls getaway, sightseeing.

  Owner response: Very happy you had a good stay! At your disposal for the next time in Lucca!!!:)

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• Cute place, shame about the owner

  Cute place, shame about the owner

  • Guest Andrealesueur
  • Date of stay 04/02/12
  • Review Submitted 04/16/12
  We had booked 6 nights in this cute little apartment near Port Elise. It is small, clean and in a great location. The owners lovely mother met us and showed us around. Massimo had failed to be clear about the parking situation. Yes, free parking is available but from 6.30 pm to 8 am. This did not suit us but there was noting to be done. He should have made things much clearer. Anyway, moving along. We spent a nice first night. We awoke the next morning to find a small insect crawling in the bed. I didn't give it too much thought. went to bed on the second night, straight to sleep - was woken 30 mins later with more insects crawling on me. We called Massimo who tried very hard to make out that the insects must have flown in from an open window whilst the place was being cleaned the day before. He wouldn't listen to what we were saying. He said he took his responsibilty seriously but was prepared to do nothing at all until the next day. There was no way we were sleeping in that bed. Finally after some very heated conversation Massimo's brother Simone turned up - it was after midnight by then. He was calm, helpful and very understanding. He went back to his place and brought some fresh linen to make up the couch bed a it was too late to organize another place to stay. He was reassuring and kind. we spent a difficult night on the couch bed. The next day we went to Firenze for a booked trip to the Ufizzi and waited to hear from Massimo about what was going to happen - he didn't contact us until late in the afternoon. We were being moved to another apartment. Massimo's mother and father escorted us once we'd packed all our gear. The new flat was superior to il giardino but on the other side of town. Whilst we were happy that we had someplace to stay over Easter we would have appreciated an apology from Massimo and a refund for at least one night. We understand that these things occur and were patient and grateful with Massimo's family, we felt that Massimo was immature, lacked hospitality and service. A difficult situation was handled less than satisfactorily. It was left to his family to deal with the problem with grace and sense.

  Owner response: Hi Andrea, thank you very much for your accurate review, it's very helpful to the other customers to know about the apartments and to us owners, to improve ourself. Normally I'm really quiet and helpful and I'm sorry I wasn't in that circumstance. Sincerely I think it's happened cause your bed reaction with my parents about the parking, though I wrote to you that it's close by, not just down in the street next to the front door (also them were rather impressed) and cause your unkindly tone by phone; during the call you did to me, I didn't understand the problem (my english is not so good, especially by phone..), I thinked it was only an insect, like there are a lot in this season; the cleaning is one of the most important thing for us and a thing like this is never happened (now, fortunaltely, is solved!). Anyway, I menage the apartment with my family and we take care about our customers together, to give the a good service; I told to my brother to give you others new linens (not only of the bed, but also of the bathroom) and I found the other apartment (it was no easy at the last moment, for this reason I phone you with a little bit of late..); that apartment, like you saw, is more beautiful and bigger than mine and more expensive; I paid the balance for you, I felt it was the minimum I can do for that unfortunately situation, and I wanted you had a good stay. Our discussion apart, I think that me and my family behaved correctly, solving immediately the problem, without any cost from the customers (but, also, with an upgrade apartment): so I think that some words like "immature" are unfair and quiet offensive. Anyway, I'm glad you appreciated at least my family and to been objective in your review. I'm sorry again for the inconvenience, I hope you had a good stay anyway and please understand that we did all we can to resolve it, like we always do. Kind regards. Massimo.

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• Family form Colorado, USA

  Family form Colorado, USA

  • Guest Wanda
  • Date of stay 06/26/11
  • Review Submitted 07/14/11
  A wonderful pretty apartment, exactly as pictured and described, if not better. Very central, VERY clean and cool during a hot summer week in Lucca. Of the 5 aparments we stayed in for our month long trip to Europe, Il GIardino was by far the best value. Best suited for 2 people, or 4 with kids under 12 yrs old.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, families with young children, tourists without a car, girls getaway, sightseeing.

  Owner response: I'm very glad you had a good time in Lucca and in my apartment!

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• First Trip To Italy

  First Trip To Italy

  • Guest Eric and Barb
  • Date of stay 05/04/11
  • Review Submitted 05/15/11
  We had the pleasure of renting this lovely apartment in the beautiful city of Lucca. Massimo and his brother Simone were very helpful and responded to all our inquiries very quickly. Simone met us at the apartment with a bottle of wine, a bottle of water and a bowl of delicious strawberries. It was a real treat after such a long trip. The apartment was spotless, quiet and well maintained. We had no problems with any of the appliances or fixtures during our visit. The listing photos are accurate but we agree that the bedroom and living/kitchen area are bigger than what you would expect from the photos. The bathroom is narrow, but it had everything we needed (and we didn't spend much time in there anyway). The location is excellent. We didn't have a car but didn't need one. The train station is an easy 15 minute walk away, as is the main bus station, and there are two grocery stores within easy walking distance (about 10-15 minutes). There are many shops in the area and the beautiful wall is also nearby. We would recommend this apartment to our friends and family and would certainly stay there again. Thank you again Massimo and Simone.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, families with young children, tourists without a car, girls getaway, sightseeing.

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• Great town but a so-so stay

  Great town but a so-so stay

  • Guest Curt and Celeste
  • Date of stay 10/23/10
  • Review Submitted 12/19/10
  We spent the last week in October here in our 10 weekly VRBOs tour of Europe and would put this stay as the absolute average.The location description was accurate-you will be inside the walls of Lucca in a perfect location for all needs. The listing description was not accurate--no dishwasher just drying rack. No washing machine-walk to the laundromat. The photos did not reveal the smallness and close positioning of the bathroom fixtures nor the nice size of the bedroom and living room.The apartment was SPOTLESS,furniture okay,mattress okay,linens okay,limited kitchen pots/pans, just salt and pepper provided. Maintenance not good-the heat/hotwater system broke on Sunday am and it was Monday afternoon before we had it fixed.The owner spoke no English but her two adult sons could and were delightful in help and recs. It was not an expensive rental so I would strongly rec. this property to those that I know that are on on a budget.

  Recommended for: Tourists without a car, sightseeing.

  Owner response: Hi Curt and Celeste, first of all thanks again to have choosed my apartment! I hope you had a good time in Lucca! Again, I'm very sorry for the breakdown of the water system..I never happened and, like always, it happens on sunday..................Just one thing: in my listing there's no written that there are washing-machine and dish-washer.................................. anyway, thank you very much! I hope you torn back in Lucca and in my apartment!!!

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• Charming Apartment

  Charming Apartment

  • Guest John Murray
  • Date of stay 09/29/10
  • Review Submitted 10/26/10
  A truly enjoyable stay within the walls of Lucca. The apartment was one flight up, with kitchen, living area and separate bedroom. Bath was small, but adequate. Easy walk to everywhere - many restaurants, shops, and especially to nearby bakeries for pastries and cappuccino. A walk or bike ride around the wall is a must. Massimo and his family were most helpful in meeting us and showing us to the apartment. A word of caution - there is very limited parking within the walls, and what there is costs from 1 to 1.50 Euros per hour during the day, but is free overnight from 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM. Be careful though of parking just inside the Porto Elisa gate where they have a crafts market, evidently on Wednesday and Saturday mornings when cars must be removed prior to 6:00 AM. I learned the hard way with a 38 Euro ticket and narrowly averted having the car towed. I woould highly recommend the apartment.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, romantic getaway, tourists without a car.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• First time in Lucca

  First time in Lucca

  • Guest Andre
  • Date of stay 06/19/10
  • Review Submitted 07/01/10
  This was our 6th trip to Italy and our first to Lucca. We are extremely glad we chose Lucca and even happier with this apartment. Everything was perfect, my wife and I couldn't be happier with both choices. Massimo and his Mom and brother took very good care of us. The apartment was well equipped and extremely clean. The location cannot be beat. 15 minute walk from the train station on the main street that splits the city (inside the wall) in half. Just downstairs a great place for a Panini and next to it the perfect place for a quick cappuccino. Several great restaurants within a short walk. We can't wait to go back and definitely stay longer then the 5 days we had this time. We highly recommend this apartment!!

  Recommended for: Age 55+, romantic getaway, tourists without a car, girls getaway, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/5

€300-€460/week
Normally I Request a little deposit by Bank Transfer or Paypal.

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.

Sorry this information is not available. Please contact the owner/manager for more information.