Lol, just be careful.
A 2000 Euro cash payment to a service supplier is illegal in Italy.
Looks like they have asked you to pay "in nero" i.e. not an official transaction so that it will not show up in the hotel/b&b accounts and they will not have to pay taxes on it.
IS THAT MY illegal, or the inn keeper? i have taken to paying most everything in europe with cash. on a 10 day trip, we would have over 50 charges, and i just cannt sort them out.
hotels usually cost us 1-3000 euro. i pay cash in spain, france, italy, britain, and elsewhere. how else would i pay were i not to have a credit card? pay by check?