We recently took a break from The Long Barn and headed to one of our favourite places: Italy in September.
Exploring Southern Italy was wonderful. We experienced the peacefulness of Ischia, the dolce vita of Sorrento, and the beautiful madness that is Naples. We can highly recommend all three for very different reasons, so drop us a message if you’d like any recommendations for things to do or places to eat
We stayed in three different self-catering apartments, and as always, came away with a few thoughts on what it feels like to be a guest in someone else’s place. And plenty of fresh ideas on how to make your stay at The Long Barn even better.
What We Loved
Thoughtful Touches
We loved the small, thoughtful touches. This ranged from fresh fruit and water in the fridge on arrival to generous amounts of towels and linen. One place even dropped round a box of pastries on our first morning—a delicious surprise.
Personal Recommendations
The hosts’ personal recommendations were invaluable. Without them, we wouldn’t have found some of our favourite neighbourhood restaurants (where we were sometimes the only tourists) or discovered the most incredible sculptures in a back street of Naples. The sculptor, Jago is just 38 years old and has set up a museum as a social enterprise. Finding his work was one of the absolute highlights of our trip.
Going Above and Beyond
We really appreciated the hosts who went the extra mile, such as organising taxis and transfers for us. One host even arranged for her son to chauffeur us to and from Pompeii. These gestures took the stresses out of our holiday and truly allowed us to relax from start to finish.
What We Didn’t Like So Much
Maintenance Issues
The small things that didn’t work were a minor frustration—everything from a fridge door that wouldn’t close properly to broken outside furniture. As hosts, it reminded us how vital it is to stay on top of maintenance.
Lack of Information
A proper welcome guide makes all the difference. We struggled when there was no guide to explain where things were in the apartment or how to use a private path with locked gates. A little information upfront saves a lot of guest stress.
The “Here’s what you could have won” Moment
Our least favourite moment was the host who, as we were leaving for the airport, asked what we’d done during our stay… and then gave us an amazing list of all the things we should have done. For those of a certain generation, it was a little like the game show Bullseye showing all contestants, “Here’s what you could have won…” Some fantastic suggestions, but not at the right time.
Taking This Home
Now we’re back home, this trip has made us look at The Long Barn with fresh eyes.
We are now in the process of:
- Rereading and updating our welcome guide to ensure it’s perfectly clear.
- Checking our website for detail.
- Thinking of any other touches, we can add to help our guests have a perfect, stress-free stay.
If you have any suggestions of things you’ve experienced this summer while staying away—positive or negative—please let us know. We’d love to hear them.
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