RedRose Piran

RedRose is in Obzidna ulica, the small street which in Pirano follows the line of the medieval walls, in the upper part of the old town, a few metres above sea level and two hundred metres from the cathedral of San Giorgio with its Venetian bell tower. The Punta beach, at the tip of the peninsula, is three hundred metres away; Piazza Tartini, the Fiesa lake and the Dolfin gate are part of the same walk. It is an address you reach on foot: Pirano is an old town closed to traffic, the car is left in the car park and from there you go down through the alleys.

The accommodation is a suite for two, renovated recently, and it does not hide what it is for: walls in dark and white stone, black glossy furnishings, red fabrics, warm lights and, as the centrepiece, a whirlpool bath installed in the living area, in front of two reclining armchairs. The host photographs it with rose petals on the water and lit candles, which says clearly who it is addressed to. It comprises a bedroom, a living room and a bathroom with toiletries, bathrobes and a hairdryer, as well as air conditioning and heating; linen and towels are provided, and there is a coffee machine. The property offers a concierge and surveillance service, and the wifi is free. From the windows and from the murals inside you find again the theme of the port of Pirano, which is a few steps away.

On age the position is clear: the booking portal, in the children's conditions section, writes that children are not allowed, and adds that no cots or extra beds are available. The exact figure, however, is published by nobody. The property has no official website on which to check it and the portal gives no threshold: the only number that appears, eighteen years, is the minimum age for check-in, that is, for putting the booking in one's own name, and must not be confused with the age of the guests. This page is therefore based on the portal and says so. Anyone travelling with a teenage child has to get an answer in writing from the host.

The other conditions are consistent with a suite designed for a couple: smoking is not allowed, pets are not allowed and quiet must be respected between 22.00 and 06.00. Payment is handled by the portal on behalf of the property, so it is worth keeping some cash for any extras during the stay.

Pirano can be walked all round in a morning, but it is worth staying longer. From the walls, which can be visited and walked along the top, the whole peninsula can be seen and on clear days the Julian Alps beyond the gulf; the maritime museum, the Venetian house and the small harbour are a few minutes away. By car, the Sicciole salt pans nature park is about ten kilometres away, Portorose with its thermal baths is the next bay along, and Trieste is a little more than thirty kilometres away.

It suits a couple who want two or three nights in the old town with the whirlpool bath in the room and have no need to cook. It suits less those looking for sobriety, or for an apartment to use as a base for a long holiday, with a full kitchen and space to put things away.