Gran Tour Profumo di Sicilia - B & B

The rooms are big and clean. Good for a family.

The bed was comfortable, and the rooms were spacious, but plenty of things let us down during our three days here. The shower needed attention, there was mold on the ceiling, the toilet seat kept dropping, and the toothbrush holder was extremely dirty. Our sheet kept slipping off, though extra blankets were in the closet. There was no breakfast on day two, and the air conditioner had a bright light. One night it leaked enough to leave a puddle on the floor. When we reported it, the staff didn’t seem surprised, so it may have been a known issue. We were also asked on WhatsApp to send passport photos, which didn’t feel safe. Palermo is noisy and hectic, and we could hear a lot even with the windows shut. Light sleepers should bring earplugs. In the morning, a friendly woman was there, though she didn’t speak much English, and she made the atmosphere pleasant. The advertised “balcony” was really just a large recess in the wall, which was disappointing. At €60 a night, I don’t think this B&B is worth the price.

The central location was the one good thing, though the traffic made it hard to sleep. The real issue was how filthy the place was. There were clumps of hair in the bathroom, grime behind the doors, hair on the bed, stained sheets that didn’t smell freshly cleaned, and dead bugs on the floor. Used shower gel packets were still in the shower. It looked like cleaning had been skipped or done only superficially. I travel a lot and have never had such a bad B&B experience. The owner seems to have improvised rather than run it professionally, and the apartment isn’t suitable either.

The staff, including the owner, were very friendly, and the place is near the center of Palermo. It’s an apartment adapted as a B&B, so the rooms aren’t soundproof and need some work. The room and bathroom are large, breakfast is basic but sufficient, and there aren’t enough tables when everyone sits down at once. It’s decent value for a short stay. Breakfast can be a nice chance to chat with other guests.