B&B Residenza Ducale — Hotel in Bovino

Firstly, the town of Bovino is absolutely beautiful. The streets, buildings and people are all delightful. And the Castello Di Bovino from the outside is amazing. Such an amazing site. We arrived at dusk in heavy fog which made the castle look even more beautiful. Imagine driving into a castle on an eerie foggy night in a quaint little town. The kids (11&13) were loving it. There is ample parking and staff were helpful and professional. The town centre and access to really nice restaurants is a 2 minute walk away. Be aware that the shops are closed all day on Thursdays (no particular reason), however restaurants open at 8pm. So Bovino and Castle and location and overall feel... 5 stars.||However, it was the following points that let this accomodation down which is a shame because I really wanted this Castle + small town to be something special. I expected the castle look and feel to be translated to the inside and into the rooms. The rooms look like any other hotel room. I was hoping the rooms would be decorated/ renovated to have a castle feel with modern amenities. Not the case. They were clean and the bathrooms were well equipped, but the decor is standard. Breakfast was a bit of a let down especially after the amazing food elsewhere in Italy. Edible but nothing special. |The bed in the room (Camelia) is terrible. Solid as a rock. Like sleeping on the floor, and the cushioning was so thin we could feel the springs underneath. This needs some attention. |Finally, there are no signs at the front gates and no street signs to show directions to the castle so if you're arriving at night the location might not be that obvious. Google maps is no help... the road and castle driveway is not shown. ||I had high expectations which were all met as I arrived into Bovino and into the castle gates, but I was...

This is without a doubt an unusual place to stay. Situated in an old castle which was at one time a private home as opposed to a fortress. ||||It's out of the way and off the normal tourist route which we found quite an unusual experience. All around town the residents knew we had arrived and many walked out of their way to help us find places.||||Because this is the real Italy, don't expect to find anything open or anyone in sight from round 2-7 ish.||||The castle is minimally staffed but don't be put off by that. After you check in, you might not see anyone until breakfast the next morning. ||||Also, because the castle has so many priceless relics dating back many centuries, it's locked up for security purposes. Ask to see the Museo after breakfast as it's a must not miss.||||The town however was about the safest place we have been and we walked all over the old town down many an alley. Great exploring.||||Bovino is a town that once had 15000 inhabitants but now only 2000 or so due to lack of work for...

THIS PLACE SHOULD NOT BE MISSED. WE HAD NICE ROOMS AND A GOOD BREAKFAST. THE TOWN IS SMALL AND WE WERE PROBABLY THE ONLY AMERICANS WE SAW. THE OLD TOWN IS IMPRESSIVE. THE PLACE IS A BIT ROUGH TO GET TO AND THERE ARE A ONLY FEW SIGNS TO THE DUCALE. THE BEST PART OF OUR STAY WAS MEETING A WOMAN - FREDERIKA - AND SHE INTRODUCED US TO HER FAMILY'S RESTAURANT ONLY A FEW MINUTES DRIVE AWAY. PIANA DELLE MANDRIE IS A FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED FARM TO TABLE RESTAURANT. NO OTHER GRINGOS AROUND, WE MET THE FAMILY, HAD AN INCREDIBLE LUNCH, AND TOOK THE FARM TOUR. BEEF, PORK, CHICKENS VEGGIES THEY RAISE OR GROW IT ALL. AND...THE PRICES ARE CRAZY AFFORDABLE. SAYT HIS TO FREDERICKA FROM RUSS AND VICKI. YOU WILL LOVE THIS PLACE IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A REAL AUTHENTIC...