Castello di Lispida

We recently visited this place for the second time, after a perfect first visit earlier in the year. The positives - excellent location, beautiful, spacious well maintained grounds perfect for children to be safe and free… plus a small playground. Striking building with tasteful, period decor. Quality furnishings. Very Well equip self catering accommodation (no food available on site which could be an excellent addition). Open fireplace with plenty of wood is a very nice feature. Interesting wine cellar on site, tastings available to book. Ample car parking, & some bikes to hire for free (although not well serviced). The negatives (only apparent on our second visit) - it seems that the hours of operation of the spa, which was the highlight of our visit, are now limited, because the lights are switched off at sunset. In the winter months this is around 16h, which means you get about an hour to use it after check in before it gets too dark and basically unsafe. For a 1 night stay; this is totally unacceptable. We complained and eventually (after about 45 mins) some lights in the pool were turned on… we cannot understand why they would be switched off… there were spot lights on in the spa area itself and at the thermal tub outside, but not at the pool? Some of the jets were also not working and the changing area is freezing & desperately needs a heater on. Plus no spa towels at all (unless you paid €5 per towel!) Really simple things to make a guests stay better (towels, heating and lights…. Surely when you’re paying €180+ per night this should be minimum). There is hand soap provided in the apartments but nothing else. So you need all your own toiletries. I was surprised by this… I’ve stayed at campsites which provide a small body wash complimentary… Also the pillows were really firm and I woke up with a headache, and the children only had 1 each. There were no extra blankets in the closets either. Sadly there was a stink bug and ladybird infestation in our bedroom, the toilet seat was cracked, and the jets in the bath were dreadfully filthy. Finally on check out, we at least expected an apology for the problems we incurred, maybe a “thank you for our repeat business” or a “see you again” but nothing… just took our money and “Goodbye!” I am pained to write this review, because the Castle offers something unique (especially for families because they offer a perfect combination for both parents and children alike, which is a hard balance to strike).

I was there with a group of photographers. We were in a room on the second floor of the Villa. I cannot call this a castle because it is not. For part of our stay we had no water in our bathroom. When we got water, it is only cold water. No hot water. Finally the water issue was resolved only to have the power go out. We tried to use the shower in the pool building but the floor drain was clogged. So the shower, the dressing area and the toilet area all flooded. There is not food services here. This entire facility looks like a work in process. I would recommend looking for another place to stay.

My stay at Castello de Lispida was absolutely wonderful. The grounds are beautiful and my accommodations were charming. We had young children in our group and there was a lot of space for them to run and play. The pool is warm and very clean. The staff were very kind and went out of their way to help me with a problem I had. I highly recommend Castello de Lispida.