Mondello - Addaura - Le Dimore dello Zodiaco - Dimora della Vergine

Great spot right by the magical Ombelico beach.

The taxi service was really good, but the apartment itself needs a serious clean. Our bed sheets were stained, so we had to wash them ourselves on arrival, and I wouldn't even want to check the mattress. There is internet, but not in the apartment since there's no signal there. Breakfast comes as one voucher a day for a nearby restaurant, enough for a coffee and croissant.

The only real drawback was the walk to the beach and shops, which felt a bit long. The apartment was nice, with a small balcony, a fan, air conditioning, a kitchen and a lovely shower room.

The price I got through Booking.com was 1250 euros for six nights, while booking directly with the owner came to 900 euros. This isn't a hotel. The owner rents out several apartments, and the neighbors are friendly. It's a pleasant place to stay, and the renovation is modern. Mine, called Virgin, has two bedrooms and a living room with a kitchenette. There was plenty of equipment: a fridge, freezer, oven, dishwasher, washing machine, iron, hair dryer, plus a beach umbrella and thermal bag. Dishwasher and laundry capsules, shampoo and shower gel weren't included in the room price. Breakfast is picked up at a nearby bakery, not served as a buffet. The owner gives you coupons, each worth one bun. The buns are large and delicious, both sweet and savory, and one coupon costs 2 euros. A few suggestions for housekeeping: the big frying pan burns food, so I'd replace it with stone pans, which last and are easy to clean. A straight-bladed knife would be useful too, as there isn't one. And if the apartment has a dishwasher and washing machine, it would make sense to include the capsules in the price.