Villa Zara B&B

I booked one night at Villa Zara for Monday, and—because I fell ill—contacted the property well in advance to see if the date could be moved. Sunday evening: I messaged the property asking to modify or cancel the next-day stay. Monday, ~10:00 AM: I phoned to follow up. The staff member said a flat “No,” adding that my illness “wasn’t his fault” and that no changes or refunds were possible. Accepting this, we set off by car. Documented message timeline (all times Monday): Time Message Property’s Response 15:18 I requested a late check-in. Confirmed. 17:11 Property: “Are you coming or not? You said you wouldn’t.” — 17:52 I replied: “Yes, we’re on the motorway.” — 18:13 Property: “The room has been given away; I’ll refund you.” — 18:33 I reminded him that (a) the booking was declared non-refundable that morning, and (b) late check-in was just confirmed. — I then phoned again. During this call the same staff member repeated that it was “not his issue” and suggested I “just use the €50 in [my] pocket to stay somewhere else.” No name was provided despite my request. Ultimately we had to cancel and book another hotel (only €4 more) where the concierge greeted us at the car and carried our luggage—true hospitality. Key concerns 1. Room resold while still prepaid 2. Contradictory information (non-refundable in the morning, “I’ll refund you” at 18:13) 3. Rude, dismissive attitude (“Not my issue”; €50 remark) 4. Lack of accountability (refusal to give staff name) I have the full message thread to verify these times and statements. I hope management reviews this incident seriously. Travelers deserve reliable policies and basic courtesy—both were missing here.