Casa Vacanze Tiziana

It’s clean and right in the center, but getting to the second floor is awkward. First there’s a steep staircase, then a very uncomfortable iron spiral stair. The bedroom has no window, and the Wi-Fi doesn’t work. I also couldn’t find the microwave or coffee maker mentioned in the description. There is a terrace and balconies listed, but what we had was a small balcony about the width of a chair. I’d suggest it for a weekend, not a long holiday.

Tiziana made the stay special. She welcomed us right away, was helpful and friendly even before we reached town, and found solutions that worked for our requests. Once we arrived, she pointed out lovely places to visit and suggested restaurants that lived up to expectations. The house is near the center of Castellammare. It’s new, clean, and has what you need for a holiday. Even though air conditioning was available, the house stayed cool without it. We had a wonderful vacation, thanks in part to her. Highly recommended!

My son and I stayed in the first-floor apartment from July 20 to August 2, and it was a total disappointment. Mrs. Tiziana was kind and helpful when I booked by phone, but I’d found the rental on Booking.com and she asked me to book directly. I chose it because the listing said each unit had a kitchen with a microwave, toaster, kettle, and coffee maker. We arrived to find only a coffee maker. I messaged her about the toaster and microwave, without even listing everything else that was missing. She didn’t answer the first message, so I asked again. Her reply was, "Tomorrow I'll bring you the toaster I have at home." The toaster was left in the stairwell the next day, and I obviously didn’t use it. There wasn’t a pan either. She said the previous guest had broken it, but at least she bought and delivered one the next day. At first, she’d been very kind and offered to tell me where to go, what to see and eat, and which restaurants to try. After those messages, she disappeared. We figured things out ourselves, even though it was our first time travelling alone and so far from home. The apartment was dirty when we arrived, especially the kitchen, with oil splatters everywhere and a greasy bowl that looked as if it had never been washed. The rest wasn’t very clean either. The bathroom had a mini hair dryer, nowhere near a full-sized one, and I couldn’t have dried my hair with it. We were there for two weeks, but she didn’t leave a spare towel for each of us. There was one face towel and one shower towel as a change for the two of us. Before packing, I’d asked if towels would be provided or if I should bring them, and she said she’d take care of everything. The description also included lots of listing details: one bedroom, one bathroom, four guests, a three-night minimum, a newly renovated historic-center residence near hiking, 21 km from San Vito lo Capo and 27 km from the airport, with modern furnishings, LED lighting, kitchen, bathroom, sheets, towels, hairdryer, digital terrestrial TV, and free Wi-Fi. It said pets weren’t allowed, children were welcome, smoking wasn’t permitted, and guests should keep the furnishings in perfect condition. The beds listed were one double and one bunk bed, and the bathroom type was unspecified. The property was offered by a company, and TIZIANA Z had been offering stays since May 2017, spoke English, usually replied within a few hours, and interacted with guests. The page also had booking and review prompts, said reviews were checked, showed six reviews, and an option to see the owner’s other properties. My advice is to book through Booking.com, where you can at least ask for what’s missing and get it. Since I booked by phone, I got nothing, and felt taken for a ride.

The apartment is bright, has everything you need, and sits right in the center with all the amenities close by. The owner was so kind and welcoming. Highly recommended!