Vila Pascucci in Durres

Yes, the villa looks very impressive at the first glance, but that is where it ends. We were there second week in September on the weekend and it was empty! Yet , the city , Durres , was bustling with tourists , restaurants were full, beaches and sea promenade were packed. That is the first indication to us how popular the villa is. Regarding accommodations , yes ,rooms are good size, walk in shower, bath robes, his and her sinks, fancy painted ceilings. Air conditioning in the room is pre set at 23C , and you cant adjust it either way, contrary to the list of available services in the room that states AC can be adjusted 3 degrees up or down. The same list indicates that the Jaguar service is available for guests transfer to town and back. no it is not! The main restaurant has very limited food choices, basically pasta and risotto, all fresh fish choices are limited to Mediterranean sea-bass. The two gorgeous pools are not heated, the pool restaurant across the street serves pizza and a few salads. The wine choices are limited to entry level italian white wines and high end red Barolos. Villa does have private parking, which is a big plus, yet no one helps with the luggage, which you need to carry across the pool to side entrance via a restaurant with a few stairs along the way. Overall , the pompous villa has little conveniences for the guests. And the location is a good 30 min drive in traffic to closest public beach and about the same to centre of Durres.

We stayed at this 5-star hotel during our vacation, but unfortunately, it did not fully meet our expectations. The breakfast was quite repetitive, with the exact same options every day, which became boring after a while. In addition, the food was not labeled with allergens, and many dishes contained nuts, which made it difficult for guests with allergies to make safe choices. One of our rooms had a persistent smell of urine, especially in the bathroom. We reported it to the reception three days in a row, and although they said they would inform housekeeping, nothing seemed to improve. It didn’t feel like the issue was taken seriously. The air conditioning in the same room also didn’t function properly, making the stay uncomfortable. On a positive note, the rooms were spacious and nicely furnished. The sunbeds were fantastic, and the hotel had two beautiful pools in different areas. However, one day one of the pools was rented out for a private event, leaving very limited space for other guests — and there was no prior notice given. Overall, the hotel has potential, but several important areas need better management and attention to detail.