L'Uomo e il Mare in Gallipoli

We booked this property well in advance for our summer stay in Gallipoli. Just a few hours before our arrival, we received a WhatsApp message stating they could no longer honor our reservation due to “water system and maintenance issues.” That’s where the nightmare began. They offered us an “alternative property” that was in terrible condition—poorly maintained, outdated, and in a completely inconvenient location. We declined. Our original payment was charged in full, we followed their instructions and to this day, we have received no refund. Their handling of the situation was sketchy at best—offering other unknown properties, giving no clear guidance about refunds, and communicating in an informal manner. This appears to be a calculated tactic to take payment, cancel last-minute, and deflect responsibility. Travelers beware: This is not just bad customer service—it’s fraud. We’ve submitted a formal dispute through our credit card company and alerted the booking platform. The same operators may be running other listings under different names, so do your homework. Avoid this property and any other they manage. Cancel your reservations in advance if you can.