SantOnofrio Terrace

This feels like a scam. Don’t book this place! We’d already paid through booking, and our bank sent confirmation that the charge had gone through, but the host then asked us to pay again in cash. We asked to cancel. We were told it would be free because he hadn’t told the truth, yet booking charged almost the full price to our card. From the other reviews, it seems he does this every time. He doesn’t explain it by SMS, but calls instead, so there’s no proof, and you never meet him. He just sends a girl who says she knows nothing about it and only hands over the keys after you give her cash.

We landed in Palermo only a few minutes before midnight after an unexpected flight diversion. I booked with the owner soon after, and he arranged for staff to let us in by 2 a.m. We were also given the large top-floor apartment, which was a bonus and saved us a lot of hassle. A great host, really accommodating and willing to go the extra mile.

We stayed in this clean attic apartment for a weekend, and the small terrace was a nice touch. It’s right in the middle of everything and suited us well as a couple or a family. Giammarco was very helpful, too, and sent us a detailed list of local restaurants. We’d visit again.

We were allowed to leave our bags two hours before check-in, which is the one reason I’m giving this a star. Four hours after check-in time, the room still hadn’t been cleaned. The toilet was outside the room and had no toilet paper. When they eventually cleaned, they left the room unlocked with our belongings inside. They should’ve been more careful. There’s no Wi-Fi either.