B&B Villa Rodriguez

The breakfast is served on a balcony, and the host makes very good fresh coffee, thanks for that. The food options were limited, though: warm but not fresh croissants tasted okay, but there was nothing savory. A small omelette, a couple of sausages, or some ham would have helped, since we weren’t full after eating everything offered. Ms Rodriguez was quick to answer messages, punctual, helpful, and friendly, and we liked her a lot. The room itself was a letdown. The bed and the surfaces used most often were clean, but it needed more than routine cleaning. We found another guest’s shower gel in the shower even though the shower was clean. The AC was in the worst state I’ve seen in years, with a stain, cooking oil or grease residue, and dust flakes in the evaporator. The lamps looked uncleaned for months, and the sofa looked soggy and dirty. Small amenities were lacking too: the Wi-Fi was very poor, with just one ground-floor modem and no proper mesh setup; there was only one espresso cup for at least two people, no kettle or coffee machine for a hot drink, empty spice jars, and an empty fridge with a drinks price list but no drinks. It all felt rather lazy. The induction hob probably won’t get used in the same room where people sleep, with no ventilation. There were no shower products like gel or shampoo, just someone else’s forgotten hotel items. I’d recommend hiring a professional hotel cleaning and organizing team at least once every two weeks and doing it properly. At 120 euros a night, it should be possible to do this more often too. The location is near a great but crowded beach. A few discos within easy reach can be annoying or enjoyable until 3am, depending on what you’re looking for. After 3am it’s very quiet. Although the beach is close, the rooms don’t have a sea view, big panorama, or anything particularly special. From one side of the building, you can see Etna and the back of the castle. The hotel is a 30-minute walk from the centre with its restaurants, and the walk is rather ugly. Nearby there are two beach snack bars and one lazy restaurant. We felt we paid without getting the service the price called for. This kind of place would be more suitable at 70-80 euros. For 120 euros or more, you can find somewhere much nicer elsewhere.