Residence La Piscina — Hotel in Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia

I stayed in Residence La Piscina for 5 weeks on a research trip and absolutely loved this place. It is owned by a couple in their 70s and they make this hotel/bed and breakfast feel like home.||||It is a bit hard to find if you're not from Italy, and you'll need a car to get anywhere (Isola del Gran Sasso is no metropolis, no public transportation). But it's a cheap (35Euro/night/person w/ meals), peaceful (at near Gran Sasso national park), and great place to explore Abruzzo and the surrounding areas from. It is a 10 min. drive from the Autostrada, which is incredibly convenient [1.8 hours from Rome, 30min to L'Aquilla, 20 min to Teramo...]||If you stay, definitely get the dinner option. Dinner is cooked by Tea (Sergio's wife) and is incredible! Antipasta, Pasta, main course, and desert/fruit... all are delicious local dishes, every day (coming from a guy who knows food). You couldn't get better food for less than 15/20 euro at any restaurant.||They do have internet that is free and works just fine. The pool is outdoor and pretty big and 3.5-7ft deep. There is a small supermarket downstairs owned by the same couple which is very convenient, and is open from 0800-2000 (i.e. no noise at night). The place is incredibly peaceful. ||The rooms are great - I stayed in room 8, which was more of an apartment than a hotel room. It had a kitchenette/living area with a sink, 2 couches, a stove, refrigerator, table, TV/remote... and there are 2 twin beds in 1 room, and 1 queen bed in the other room. Bathroom was just fine, modern, and clean. ||Sergio is still learning english, but when we had trouble, we just used google translate and that worked fine. And if you stay for over a week you may get to meet some friends/family which stop by every once in a while :).||This was my first time in Italy, so was a bit worried about how it would all work out (for 5 weeks!). But I had a peace of mind the whole time I was at Residence La Piscina and Isola...

I needed a place to stay while working as a visiting scientist at the laboratory under the mountain. Residence La Piscina came highly recommended by word of mouth. It hasn't disappointed. I've been here for about a week, and I'm very pleased. The room is very large. It shouldn't even be called a room--technically it's a 5-room suite. There are 2 bedrooms, a large bathroom with shower and bedet, a larger room with kitchen/living room area, and a separate enclosed porch area.||||I'll list the 3 most significant reasons this residence stands above others: (and I'll qualify my assessment by saying that I've stayed in numerous european bed and breakfasts in England, Ireland, and Portugal).||||1. The Food is amazing! Tea (pronounced Tay-uh) makes her pasta, gnochi, crepes by hand. Everything that can be fresh from the garden is literally fresh from the garden they keep behind the hotel. I thought I'd had good cooking, but this is sublime!||2. The hospitality. If you want to experience Italy, than you have to be willing to make the human connection. Meals are truly the best time to chat. The meals take a long time--anywhere from 45 minutes to 2+ hours depending on the occasion. Even if you're sitting at your own table everybody wants to talk--Italians practicing their English, and me learning Italian. ||I've met so many people and all the Italians have made us feel very welcome. They all comment that staying here, at 'Residence La Piscina' is experiencing the REAL Italy.||3. The location! The views are absolutely amazing. The mountain is so close (for hiking) and we've spent several afternoons exploring castle ruins, waterfalls, and touring the countryside. Every hillside is a post-card view of the Italian countryside.||||Overall, a...

Residence comodissimo a gestione familiare, situato sopra un supermercato, ottimo per comprare tutto ciò di cui si ha bisogno anche all'ultimo momento.|Poche camere ma grandissime come appartamenti! |abbiamo chiesto una particolare attenzione per la mia allergia alla polvere, abbiamo trovato una camera praticamente asettica, senza un granello di polvere neanche nelle coperte. |Il proprietario, il signor Sergio è la persona più buona e dolce mai conosciuta prima in un servizio alberghiero e la signora Tea cucina meglio di uno chef pluristellato, ci ha deliziato con piatti semplici tipici e meravigliosi per il palato, tutto rigorosamente fatto in casa. |Le sue torte fatte in casa al mattino erano spettacolari, mi ha cucinato apposta torte senza lattosio per poter fare una vera colazione senza star male, e le sue fettuccine ai funghi porcini me le sognerò a lungo! Arrosticini fatti secondo la tradizione abruzzese, meravigliosi, ne abbiamo mangiati una ventina per uno. |La spa privata poi è meravigliosa: dopo una giornata in giro, sulla neve o a passeggio, tornare e buttarsi nell'hydromassaggio, qualche minuto di sauna e di bagno turco, ti rimettono al mondo, prima di risalire e gustarsi l'ottima cena preparata dalla signora Tea. |Tra un piatto delizioso è una chiacchiera con Sergio ti fa sentire allo stesso tempo in un ristorante 5 stelle e in famiglia!!|Avevamo prenotato 3 giorni ma siamo state cosi bene che abbiamo prolungato la permanenza di altri 2 giorni. ||Consigliatissimo a tutti per la gentilezza, i piatti prelibati e l'ottima struttura! Torneremo sicuramente...