Teatro sullo Stretto

The rooms were clean and well organized, with a lovely view, a nice bathroom, and free coffee, tea, and sweet snacks. Street noise was almost entirely shut out by the four layers of windows, and the bar downstairs had great croissants. A very decent B&B overall, and both check-in and check-out went smoothly, though I found all the calls back and forth with the owners a bit much. I’d rather have written instructions or a reception. The shared kitchen is part of the corridor, and our flatmates didn’t keep quiet after 11 pm, though only for a while. One neighbor probably smoked weed, which felt odd. Solid 4.5 stars.

I only booked a short stay for convenience while travelling, but this would work just as well for a longer break. It’s excellent value for money, with amazing views over the port. The staff were friendly and even made an early check-in work at very short notice. The apartment is spotlessly clean and newly renovated inside a beautiful old building. There’s a shared kitchen with free coffee, snacks, water, and cooking facilities, and it’s conveniently close to Messina Centrale and the city centre.

I booked at the last minute because it was so cheap, and arrived with low expectations. The place turned out to be amazing. It’s in a beautiful old waterfront building, with lovely views across to the mainland. The rooms have free water and WiFi, and good air conditioning. The high ceilings keep the old-building charm, while everything was spotlessly clean. Bathrooms are new, and guests can use a small kitchen. The owner was flexible about check-in times, which I appreciated. This must be Messina’s best kept secret!

After driving 250 km, we got there at 10 pm and found every door shut, with no lights on anywhere. Pressing the buzzer got no response. It looked as if the place had closed down, but who knows? We’d already prepaid for a room and had to find somewhere else.