B&B Maqueda - Room & Suite

My deluxe double was spacious, clean, and modern, right in the heart of the centro storico. We could walk to all the places we wanted to see. Just remember that check-in is at Hotel Garibaldi before heading to the room, and it's at least a 10 minute walk between the two.

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I had a bad experience with the way this hotel-like B&B is run. After self check-in, they told me the AC wasn't working, then said it was advertised because it was physically there, even though guests couldn't use it. They blamed an ordinance, saying the AC didn't need to be on until May. The ordinance does exist, but it doesn't apply to this room and type of AC unit. They suggested opening the window for fresh air and offered to switch on the AC's “ventilation,” but the place is right off Palermo's busiest street. With alarms, street vendors, motorcycles, music and more, sleeping with the window open wasn't possible. I travelled Sicily for 14 days and stayed in 7 B&Bs. This was the only one where something was deliberately advertised despite not working. All the others had working AC. The apartments have very thin walls, so you hear what's happening in other rooms. The main hall door slams so loudly each time it closes that it sounds like someone's ramming it down. The entrance hallway was dirty, smelled like a sewer, and had trash cans in it. The elevator is very small, and the staff seemed poorly trained. If you want a straight deal and a chance to sleep, go somewhere else.

The location is the strongest point, and the hotel was very clean. Rest was another matter. Sound insulation is awful: even ordinary conversation in the next room comes through so clearly it feels like the neighbors are in your room. Running water makes the pipes squeal loudly, and the ventilation kept starting every few minutes in the evening with no way to switch it off. On our last night, the family next door had children, and there was constant shouting, noise, and furniture being dragged around. We were leaving the next day, thankfully, because another night would have been difficult. If quiet is what you're after, this probably isn't the place.