MUSE Holiday in Merano, Italy
 

As a 68-year-old retiree with asthma and COPD, and my Thai wife, who’s accustomed to the tropical warmth of our home in Thailand, we’ve always sought out Merano, Italy, for its reputation as a serene spa town promising healing and relaxation. Last year, we enjoyed a blissful month-long stay at a nearby apartment where the heat ran 24/7, allowing us to fully embrace the crisp alpine air without discomfort. Eager to return, we booked 21 nights at a charming apartment through MUSE Holiday, a property management company based in Val Gardena. What should have been a rejuvenating escape turned into a nightmare of freezing nights, health setbacks, and a shocking lack of accountability from MUSE.

Our troubles began immediately upon arrival in early November. The apartment was frigid, with every radiator stone-cold overnight. Outside temperatures hovered around 4°C, dipping near freezing, but inside felt no better—especially jarring for my wife, who had never endured such chill. I messaged MUSE via WhatsApp, explaining our situation and health concerns, hoping for a quick fix. Their response? The heating schedule was fixed for the entire building: on from 6 a.m. to noon and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., off all night. They called it "common practice" in the area, suggesting we crank the thermostat during those limited hours and "keep understanding."

We tried, but after two sleepless, shivering nights, my wife fell ill—her body shocked by the cold—and my breathing issues worsened dramatically. The apartment, unoccupied before us, hadn't warmed up properly, and on our final morning, the heat didn't even kick in until after 7 a.m., well past the promised time. We had no choice but to vacate early on November 8, cutting our stay short by over two weeks. This meant scrambling for new travel arrangements: trains out of Merano, a stop in Rome, and an earlier flight back to Thailand, racking up unexpected costs in transit and lodging.

I politely requested a refund from MUSE, highlighting our financial losses and the landlord's apparent penny-pinching compared to our previous experience down the street. Their team was responsive at first, forwarding the issue to administration and expressing sympathy. But after a weekend wait, the verdict came: no refund. They insisted the heating worked "correctly" and was beyond their control, suggesting I contact travel insurance for my wife's illness instead. They did refund the unused tourist tax—a minor gesture—but ignored the broader injustice. As managers, shouldn't they advocate for guests or vet properties better? Italian guidelines recommend habitable temperatures around 18°C, yet we suffered in what felt substandard conditions.

MUSE's handling reeks of poor business practice: prioritizing rigid policies over guest well-being, especially for vulnerable travelers. Merano's allure as a wellness destination is tarnished when companies like this fail to deliver basic comfort. Fellow travelers, beware—book elsewhere if warmth and fairness matter to you. Our "holiday" with MUSE was anything but.

I understand your feelings and having asthma I can really understand but if that building had communal heating short of getting you an electrical space heater there isn't much they could do.

Thank you, Nick, for your reply.

Did you pay with a credit card? If yes, have you disputed the charges? And did you give any thought to simply purchasing a small space heater and running that?

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Paid up front with a debit card, so that's that.
As far as a space heater, this isn't something one would expect to be doing when vacationing, running to a store looking for a space heater, not knowing if the property master would even allow for it. Whatever.

That's terrible. But oould you not have attempted to find another apartment, rather than giving up your vacation and rushing home?

Here's his son weighing in:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Americansin...lks_should_be/

I'm thinking the system had some problem. Air in the rads? Maybe the boiler is running too cool. Maybe the system is undersized.

But if the system stuck to the schedule most of the day it shouldn't be that cold. It'll be cold first thing in the morning but rads tend to heat things up fairly quickly.

A half decent duvet should have kept them if anything too warm.

Would travel insurance have covered this? With pre-existing health issues and in this trip the requirement to pay all upfront, I don't think I'd travel without insurance, but I don't know if this would be included in most policies.

I feel this, it regarding health issue Asthma, hope you and your partner is doing fine.

Thank you 🙏

This is a heavy issue to deal with. Please take care of yourselves, and I wish you and your partner comfort and relief.

Thank you for your kind words.