Ai Marinai

As a seasoned traveller and huge fan of Italy, I can only profess to have thoroughly enjoyed my week long sample of this enchanting and perhaps little lesser known slice of this beautiful country. For me, as a solo traveller, my accommodation can make (or break) a holiday. On this occasion fortune blessed me with the delights of Ai Marinai nestled in the heart of the madding Italiano Taranto city, although you’d wouldn’t believe it on stepping inside its cooled and cushy confines. It felt a true home from home from the outset, accentuated by my attentive welcoming host Patrizia. My room and bed were spacious and comfortable, cooled at ‘the’ perfect temperature, I slept so soundly every night, more so than at home! A fresh continental breakfast was served al fresco on the communal balcony with every effort made (a common theme) to accommodate my timings, and always served with the warmest of smiles by the lovely Tamara. Days out were some of my own and others Patrizia kindly recommended, always remaining on hand to help and advise on any matters however big or small throughout my visit. Many a balmy evening was enjoyed on the balcony taking in the sunset and magnificent twilight vistas of the famous castle illuminations either in quiet contemplation, talking with other guests or quizzing Patrizia on recommendations and learning about Italian culture, she really is a mine of information and an absolute joy to meet and converse with. In brief, I found Ai Marinai safe, homely, friendly, comfortable, clean, well air conditioned, served by speedy & consistent WIFI, perfectly located betwixt the old & new town, convenient for the local beach and a preferable alternative to a hotel particularly for solo travellers. Seven nights passed so quickly, and I somehow missed my planned eleventh hour guided tour of the famous castle due to a clash with the local festivities & VIP visit, so I now have the perfect excuse to revisit Ai Marinai….

Nothing

Beautiful apartment close to everything, shops, restaurants, cafes. Old town is a few minutes down the road on foot. Breakfast was lovely. You can sit on the balcony, eat and admire the view of the sea. Apartment has an elevator. Apartment has all amenities , and is tastefully decorated. Housekeeper was a warm friendly person who would go out of her way to assist. She even helped me with my luggage. The host even organised a taxi for me to pick me up from the bus terminal. Would definitely stay again!

Nothing

Extrêmement bien situé, à la fois en plein centre et à deux pas du "centro storico" qui mérite vraiment d’être découvert. Depuis la terrasse, on peut voir la mer de tous les côtés. La chambre dispose de tous les équipements nécessaires pour passer un séjour agréable : un grand placard, une vaste salle de bains et une terrasse intérieure. Ce B&B est extrêmement bien tenu. La propriétaire a beaucoup voyagé et connaît les standards et les petites attentions qui font la différence. Son assistante, Tamara, est une personne très attentionnée : elle saura vous écouter et veillera à ce que vous ne manquiez de rien.

Rien

Perfect location, amazing view, beautiful old villa with old furnitures and huge space.

All in all, they were friendly and helpful, although there were several circumstances that affected our stay. First of all, the lady who took care of us asked us when we want to have breakfast, 8:30AM will be ok? I was surprised, we are entitled to stay there and check out until 10:30AM, why should we pushed to eat breakfast earlier? So, we did not have a chance at all for having a nice morning rest and wake up when we want to wake up. After that, around 7:30AM, I am hearing noise from the kitchen. Then I I see a lady walking through my terrace as the storage room was just next to out room for getting her cleaning spray, because she needs to clean the room next to us at 8AM. So if you want to be naked or not disturbed, you have no chance. If she was not walking on the terrace, then we have heard her hoovering on the other side from the corridor. Then, we wanted to leave our luggages there. To sum up, I am a big traveller and I normally book really good places for stay, but this one I am really not satisfied with. We had no chance to rest in the morning without any disturbances.