Palermo Soho Apartment 1

There were no instructions for the room's Wi-Fi. I tried contacting them by email, through Agoda messages, and via the website's contact form, but a day later I still hadn't heard back. Hopefully this message gets a response.

We stayed for four nights and found the pool facilities nice, though the gym was extremely basic. The building has 24/7 security at the entrance, but service was the weak point: a grumpy security guard handled check-in, and we got no information about the building's facilities or the surrounding area. It would've been nice if someone had handed over the keys and shared some basic details. The place is centrally located, about a five-minute walk from the metro and in the middle of Palermo Soho. It used to be a hotel and is now apartments. Our room felt like a large, clean hotel room, with a small kitchenette that had very little cooking space. That wasn't a problem, since there are lots of nearby restaurants and takeout places.

This felt more like a rented flat or Airbnb than a full-service hotel, and I don't think the websites explained that clearly. There is a 24/7 front desk, room service, a pool and a gym, but when I stayed here in 2016, the facilities were much better. The back lobby area is now just seating, the pool was too cold to swim in, and the gym and sundeck had outdated equipment. Back then there was a restaurant area, a heated pool, and a fully stocked gym with towels. The beds were quite comfortable, and the ceiling-mounted AC worked by remote and got very cold. The kitchenette had a microwave, stovetop, fridge, utensils and dishes. We got two bath towels, two large wash towels and a bath mat. Extra towels cost 55 pesos. The bath drained terribly, and the shower head was nearly falling out of the wall. There are no RFID cards, just a physical key for the apartment deadbolt and a keyfob for the lobby door. Security at the front desk wasn't especially friendly, but did get me checked in. Management offered late checkout if available, and we agreed on 1 pm. Still, a man with a backpack knocked at 10:30 am, before the normal 11 am checkout, and came back at noon. I was frustrated and left. If you want a full-service hotel with nice amenities, there are other options in Palermo for a few more dollars a night.

The staff were friendly and incredibly helpful. We were allowed to check in early, and the facilities were just as advertised. When our Uber didn't show up, security arranged transport so we wouldn't miss our tour. The location is great too: walk about ten minutes in any direction and you'll reach shops, well-known restaurants and tourist attractions. I'd happily stay here again and recommend it to family and friends.