Case di Sandra

We stayed at Case di Sandra after mid-August 2022, and the price didn’t match the service. The house was extremely hot: air conditioning only worked in the master bedroom, while the rest had fans. The bedroom was small and couldn’t fit a second bed, so even though the house sleeps four, it didn’t suit two couples. A fourth bed could go in the living room or master bedroom. The master mattress was stained, as were the washed mattress covers. Sheets and linens cost €30 per person. The bathroom was tiny, had no outside window, and only opened onto the kitchen. Its narrow shower had a curtain instead of a stall. There were ants inside and out, and we had to throw away several pieces of food. The beach from the residence was sandy, but rocks near the shore made swimming difficult. There was no entertainment, music, or other activity at the property. A power outage from Enel kept causing the pump to fail, and we had no water all night until 11:00 AM. The owner didn’t contact us until we reached out ourselves. Her replies weren’t satisfactory, and she blamed Enel, although I felt arranging a technician for the broken pump was her responsibility. She has no POS terminal, so we had to pay the balance in cash and got a “substitute” receipt. We definitely won’t return, even if it were free.

We liked how close the sea was, especially the lovely views in the morning and evening. The apartments are in a quiet area, only a few minutes by car from a shopping center with a supermarket and gallery. We stayed in the last week of September 2022, and the value seemed excellent compared with similar places. The location also worked well for our visits to Palermo, San Vito, Scopello, Mondello, and a few other places I can’t recall. The girl we spoke to was very kind, though I’ve forgotten her name.

The apartment was spacious and very clean, and the sea view from the terrace or dining room was lovely, though not completely open. It sits in the courtyard of an abandoned building, a ruined hotel that reminded me of the Tower of Terror at Disney. Calling it second row from the beach wouldn’t be accurate: you walk about 300 meters to the fence and pass buildings on both sides. The beach itself is reachable in 45 seconds, with soft sand, lots of rocks where you enter the sea, and plenty of people. This isn’t a quiet spot, either, since nearby complexes play loud music late into the night. The listing says there’s air conditioning, but it’s only in the master bedroom. The rest of the apartment gets like an oven, especially the other bedroom, where I wouldn’t even leave a pet. There’s a decent standing fan in the dining room. The kitchen gets just as hot. It’s missing bowls for cereal or gazpacho, chef’s knives, a cutting board, serving spoons, spatulas, tablecloths, and dishwashing supplies. A coffee maker, aluminum foil, dish soap, salt, and pepper would make things more comfortable without costing much. The bathroom and shower are tiny, about 22 inches wide by 60 inches long. Great for a crab, or for someone who showers sideways. I was disappointed with the management and don’t think the price is justified. A week before arriving, I asked the owners about check-in and learned sheets and towels cost €30 per person. The issue wasn’t the €60 itself, but that this charge wasn’t disclosed in the listing, even though it mentioned fees for late arrival, late departure, extra beds, and other things. When I pointed it out, they said it had been mentioned in a customer review. Reviews aren’t the legal terms of the offer, and I don’t like extra charges being added after booking when the reservation can’t be refunded. They told me, “We forgot to include it.” That felt petty. Communication with Giulia was very good, and she answered messages quickly. Be sure to give your arrival time, as the owners will ask often. The apartment looked much as pictured. Wi-Fi is available in the shared outdoor areas, but the connection was so poor it felt like Cuba in 1995. Even two-star Caribbean resorts have better internet.