Amaranta

We rented a deluxe room here for five nights. From the photos it didn't look deluxe, but for the price it seemed like what we wanted. On our usual 2-5 day trips, we're not too focused on where we stay since we mostly use the room for sleeping and the bathroom. Palermo is a very shabby area, and services everywhere leave something to be desired. We've stayed in much worse places, though we did get clean towels every day, shower gel and soap refills, toilet paper and so on. We arrived at 2 at night. We were told where to collect the keys and given the information we needed, which deserves a 10. The first thing I noticed when we got into the room was that there were two toilet rolls, both half used. That made me think there'd be no issue with towels or other supplies. Staff first came into the room after the third night. By then, two people had used three shampoo sachets over three days and gone through one toilet roll, with Palermo also at 28 degrees Celsius. On the fourth day, on the way home, I stopped at Lidl and bought shower gel and toilet paper. We were close to buying soap too. It wasn't like at home, where I wash once and put it in the wash. There was nowhere to dry it, so it picked up a cloying smell. After almost four days, staff did come in, changed the towels and added liquid soap, which we'd been without for three days, but there was no shampoo. My Lidl stop saved me there. For a visit of three nights maximum, this accommodation is totally worth it. For a longer stay, I'd choose somewhere more qualitative, not because Amaranra is the problem, but because Palermo is shabby and the services leave you wanting in every area.

The first room was nicely furnished and had a pleasant garden-view balcony, but there was no soundproofing at all. We could hear every word from next door, where the neighbors had a baby, so we barely slept. After I asked, they moved us the next day, but the new room was much worse, with a terrible bed and bathroom. The floors were dirty, too. The breakfast was the biggest letdown. It was very low quality, made with the cheapest market products, which was disappointing since it was our last meal in Italy. The receptionist clearly knew we weren't satisfied and cancelled our reservation through Booking, so we couldn't leave an opinion. We had paid on the spot by debit card. Because of that dishonest move, I can't give more than two stars.

I only needed a room by the train station for one night and didn't expect much, but Amaranta really impressed me. It was clean and spacious, and so was the bathroom. There's also a fully equipped kitchen and a dining room. With the antique furnishings, the rooms gave me the feeling of being in a palazzo, somewhere much more expensive. The staff were lovely, the bed comfortable, and the place was cheap and well located for both the station and city center. I was tired after a whole day and had a few Aperols, so I probably could've slept on stone, but the bed seemed comfortable. Just don't expect a five-star hotel with rooftop bar, spa, gym and all that. You get more than you pay for.

A very nice place, with great staff. The rooms and bathrooms are comfortable and well furnished.