Darn Good Digs in Europe

Darn Good Digs are travelers' all-time favorite hotels, inns, and b&b's that have rooms from US$1 to $150. All Darn Good Digs are independently owned, and stand out for their originality, spectacular locations, scrumptious food, and great vibes.

Italy - The Beehive • Saint Anthony's Guest House • Vento di Rose
Portugal - Zuzabed and Breakfast


In addition, please visit our Bulletin Board to check out other traveler nominations for France and Ireland.


ITALY
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Traveler Review

The Beehive, Rome, ItalyMap

Nominated By: Jamie, Brooklyn, NY, May '08


Price Range: 20-80 Euros # of Rooms: 7 + dormitory Kid-Friendly: Yes


What makes The Beehive so Darn Good? We LOVE the Beehive. It’s modern, cool, comfortable, and has a beautiful outdoor garden. The Beehive is just a few blocks from the main train station, the Stazione Termini, so with a snap of your fingers you can get just about anywhere in Rome.

Location: While the Termini neighborhood may not be Rome's most exciting, you can still find some restaurants and outdoor cafes. The neighborhood felt safe and there was always someone at the Beehive’s front desk when we came home at night.

Rooms: The hotel has 6 double rooms, 1 double/triple room, and a dormitory. The rooms are not lavish, but they are modern and colorful with some funky furniture and great artwork on the walls. Although the rooms do not have en-suite bathrooms, the shared bathrooms are very nice and clean, and there was never a wait.

Food: The Beehive Cafe serves Mediterranean-inspired, vegetarian meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The kitchen uses local and organic ingredients and offers a selection of organic wines. Guests can eat inside, or outside in the garden.

Vibe: The Beehive is a very relaxing and easy going place to wind down after a day of sight-seeing. We enjoyed just hanging out in the garden with good books until dinner. The owners, Linda and Steve, are a friendly and down-to-earth American couple who were always happy to chat with us and give us tips on things to do in Rome.

Things to Keep in Mind: Call way in advance to make a reservation because The Beehive books up quickly.


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Traveler Review

Saint Anthony's Guest House, Assisi, Umbria, ItalyMap

Nominated By: Allison and Michael, Brooklyn, NY, March '08


Price Range: 40-60 Euros (breakfast included) # of Rooms: 20 Kid-Friendly: Yes


What makes Saint Anthony's Guest House so Darn Good? St. Anthony's Guesthouse is run by a fabulous group of Franciscan Sisters, and is situated smack dab in the middle of Assisi. Many of the rooms have tiny terraces which provide amazing views of the Basilica di Santa Chiara, the town of Assisi, and the surrounding countryside. And to top it off, the price is right!

Location: Assisi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a gorgeous Umbrian hill town two hours from Rome. It is the birthplace of St. Francis, Italy's patron saint of animals and nature, and a major pilgrimage site. Although it can get a little crowded during the day, when the tour busses go home, the place is yours, and oh what a wonderful place it is! The location of St. Anthony's Guest House can't be beat. It's just up the hill from the Piazza del Comune and a fifteen minute walk from the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi, famous for its incredible frescoes depicting St. Francis's life.

Rooms: The rooms at St. Anthony's are simple, and all have twin beds. You should definitely ask for one with a view! The guest house also has plenty of places to relax outside of your room, including a library, garden, and comfortable sitting area.

Food: The Sisters serve an Italian-style continental breakfast in a twelfth century dining room on the lower floor of the guest house. Breakfast items include yogurt, cheese, chocolate spread, cereal, bread, juice, and coffee.

Vibe: Good vibes emanate from the Sisters who run the guest house, and peace and tranquility preside over the grounds. Each Sister has a fascinating story to tell and they were all very happy to advise us on our day's activities. We especially liked the tree-lined garden outside the chapel for reading and relaxing.

Things to Keep in Mind: The guest house has a five Euro per day parking fee and an 11 pm curfew.


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Traveler Review

Vento di Rose, Monterubbiano, Marche, ItalyMap

Nominated By: Allison and Michael, Brooklyn, NY, February '08


Price Range: 80-90 Euros (breakfast included) # of Rooms: 3 Kid-Friendly: Yes


What makes Vento di Rose so Darn Good? Vento di Rose is a true labor of love. The owners, Emanuela and Emidio, are some of the kindest and most generous people we have ever met. Their home and bed and breakfast is a beautifully restored Italian country house with views of medieval hilltop towns in every direction. And as if this weren't enough, Emanuela prepares an incredible, delectible breakfast for all her lucky guests.

Location: Vento di Rose is located near the small hilltop town of Monterubbiano in the Marches province, just east of Umbria. Within a short drive, you can sun yourself on an Adriatic beach, hike the great Sibillini Mountains, or explore any one of a number of lovely hilltop towns. The Marches is a remarkably beautiful part of Italy and well worth the trip.

Rooms: Vento di Rose has three lovely rooms. We stayed in the orange hued Crepuscolo (a.k.a. sunset) room, which was large and delightful. Emanuela and Emidio have scattered chairs and hammocks throughout their gorgeous garden property so guests have plenty of choices when they just want to relax and let the Italian countryside do its magic. The B & B also has a downstairs kitchen available for guests to use.

Food: You don’t know what breakfast is until you’ve stayed at Vento di Rose. Emanuela puts out a spread like you would not believe, using mostly local ingredients and including many regional specialties. Just a few of her delicacies include rose petal cake, frittatas with wild asparagus, crostini smothered in truffle spread, and cucumber slices coated with parmigiano and walnuts. If you can’t eat everything, don’t worry! Emanuela gives you tin foil so you can wrap it up to enjoy for lunch.

Vibe: Emanuela and Emidio were extraordinarily warm and welcoming to us and our two year old. One evening, they invited us to join a toast when their friends came over to celebrate their engagement, and the next day Emidio schooled our fascinated little boy on the art of gardening, even giving him a little shovel to join in. Emanuela and Emidio truly made us feel as if we were part of the family, and a much loved part of the family at that! Vento di Rose is a secret gem and should not be missed.

Things to Keep in Mind: There is about a one kilometer drive up a slightly steep gravel road to get to the house.



PORTUGAL
zuzabed and breakfast zuzabed and breakfast zuzabed and breakfast view from zuzabed and breakfast

Traveler Review

Zuzabed and Breakfast, Lisbon, PortugalMap

Nominated By: Don and Julie, Hampshire, United Kingdom, September '08


Price Range: 70-95 Euros # of Rooms: 4 Kid-Friendly: yes, but no babies


What makes the Zuzabed and Breakfast so Darn Good? The star attraction at Zuzabed is its owner, Luis. He made us feel incredibly welcome, and was helpful in all possible ways. He even gave us a cell phone so we could call him anytime we needed advice or a reservation. Luis knows the best places to hear fado music, and is very knowledgeable about all things Lisbon. You couldn't feel more at home in a strange city than at Zuzabed.

Location: Located up a steep alleyway near Lisbon’s historic Bairro Alto neighborhood, Zuzabed offers amazing views of the city from its bedrooms. Come nighttime, the neighborhood’s narrow cobblestone streets and 17th century buildings light up with a lively restaurant, music, and shopping scene. The B & B is conveniently located just off Rossio, one of the Lisbon’s main squares, and is very close to the Metro.

Rooms: Zuzabed’s four modern rooms are beautifully appointed and spotless. Two have a shared balcony overlooking the city and all come with a DVD player, heated towel racks, and even a pair of binoculars to admire the view.

Food: Luis serves an excellent breakfast of fresh fruit, pastries, local cheeses, meats, breads, and yogurt. For lunch or dinner, you will find no shortage of restaurants on the street just below Zuzabed. The nearby Argentinean restaurant "Café Buenos Aires" is especially good.

Vibe: Luis is an inspired host who simply cannot do enough for his guests.

Things to Keep in Mind: The last 20-30 meters of street leading to Zuzabed’s front door is too steep for cars, so guests will need to be able to climb up and down stairs.


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Darn Good Digs around the World

Aryani Resort • The Beehive • Casa Bella Rita • Casa Grande • Catalina Park Inn • Cranberry Cove Inn • Exotic Fruit Farm • Finca Caribe • Finca la Suiza • Grace’s Secret Garden
Hacienda de Sonoita • Inn Seventh Heaven • Jake's Resort • Kennedy School • La Dona Luz • La Loma Jungle Lodge • Mansion del Bosque • Mary Lee’s by the Sea • Mayoka Village
Mosetlha Bush Camp • Ramsdell Inn • Rock Cottage Gardens• Rockhouse Hotel • Saint Anthony’s Guest House • Soppong River Inn • Torre Dorada • Vento di Rose • Zuzabed and Breakfast
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