Roba degli Ulivi

The accommodation is in a quiet area with nice views, and breakfast was reasonable. Still, I wouldn’t recommend it. We went in August for two nights, and the very rude owner wouldn’t let our children use the pool, saying they wanted it quiet. The pool was very unclear and had huge amounts of chlorine. Shower pressure was almost nonexistent, the water was nearly cold, and the electricity kept varying all the time.

The host’s behavior turned a charming stay with a nice view and friendly, helpful staff into a frightening experience. After our first night, the power went out and we had no running water. With the temperature outside at 46°C, we couldn’t stay, so we asked to check out a day early and get a refund for that day. I understand the outage wasn’t his fault and he may have been stressed, but he became verbally aggressive. I asked him three times to calm down, yet he kept arguing until I felt scared and we left. Another employee witnessed the conversation and can confirm I stayed civil and polite throughout. There’s no excuse for treating people that way. The Wi-Fi, mini fridge, and air conditioning also didn’t work properly. It’s a shame, because the place itself was cute and charming.

The landlord was really cosy and nice, and the room had a good bathroom and a bed with a 'klamboo' to keep mosquitoes away. There are pleasant spots to sit and talk, some rooms look onto the swimming pool, and the mountain view is great. The atmosphere here is amazing.

The olive grove and magnificent scenery were lovely to wake up to, and breakfast was acceptable, with croissants, chocolate, jam, toast, and juices. The kittens were lovely too. But we paid dearly for two nights at this one-star property and found serious problems in the rooms and shared outdoor areas. We had booked four rooms for four families five months ahead, with free cancellation up to a month before arrival. The owner didn’t honor that offer, and after several calls and emails we still lost our deposit. He was arrogant on the phone, and we ended up making arrangements to go there. Once there, we found no refrigerators, dim lighting, low water pressure, too few outlets for charging devices, uncomfortable beds with springs felt through the mattress, no fresh towels, no room cleaning, and no bins. The owner also asked us to keep our six kids quiet around the pool. After three hours cooped up in a car, they wanted to play. His son had said we could use the pool until 9 p.m., but Alberto later said it would close at 7. When we disputed that, he told us to leave, saying our shouting kids were making a “brothel.” He also complained when we used the pipe outside the bungalow bedroom to rinse our sandals, saying water was scarce in sicily, then dismantled the tap in less than ten minutes so we couldn’t use it. Meanwhile, he didn’t stop other guests’ children from swimming without swimwear, possibly peeing in the cloudy, heavily chlorinated pool. The owners’ rude treatment was a real shame. The scenery earned the one star.