Torrekalsa Apartment by Wonderful Italy

SCAM, stay away from WONDERFUL ITALY. Our stay in Palermo, listed as “due passi da Villa Trabia,” turned into a mess. Less than two hours before we arrived, after they’d charged us and the free-cancellation deadline had passed, they said there was a maintenance issue with the room we’d chosen. Then they sent us to a miserable apartment and called it a free upgrade. The place we’d booked looked attractive online, but what we actually got was dirty and humid, smelled of cigarettes, and had stained sheets and used towels in drawers. It was in what we felt was a completely unsafe neighborhood, full of mosquitoes, and had no Wi-Fi. Sensors in every room flashed very brightly whenever we moved, disturbing our sleep and making it feel as if someone was taking pictures of us. We contacted Wonderful Italy, but nothing changed during our five-day stay. It was hell for us. This could happen to you too. Don’t get scammed, stay away from WONDERFUL ITALY and find yourself an actual host. I’m attaching photos of the stained, cigarette-smelling sheets, used towels in a drawer, spider webs around the lamps, medicine left by previous guests, and the creepy room sensors.

The apartment was modern and in a good spot, and the man who met us was friendly. Those positives didn’t make up for the problems. We had a serious cockroach issue, something we hadn’t encountered anywhere else on our Italy vacation, and because of the conditions there we now have these animals at home too. Thanks for the present! There was also mold in one bathroom, and the shower tray was clearly broken already, letting water into the historic building. Damage like that can cause significant problems. These issues in an otherwise nice apartment should have been fixed before it was rented out. I don’t think a company like Wonderful Italy should be looking after a place with problems like these.

Local support and follow-up on problems were very poor. I had to call the CEO directly to get the water turned back on in the house. Wonderful Italy had ignored our earlier questions, and nobody had mentioned that the house had rats and mice. The furniture and cooking equipment weren’t adequate for a house at that price.

Absolutely dreadful and potentially dangerous. There are 72 steps up to the apartment floor. Guilia checked us in and seemed bored, without even offering a simple smile. At first it felt like a student hostel, with a shared kitchen and common room. Then we were asked to sign an apartment “contract” during a very awkward check-in, which felt strange and a little unsettling. The room itself was okay, with a great view and decent bedding, though the shower was a bit grubby. After going out to explore, we returned at 8 p.m., used the tatty old keycard to open the ground floor door, climbed all 72 steps, then found we couldn’t get through the second door into the apartment and common room. I messaged Guilia on WhatsApp for help. No reply. I called, but it wouldn’t connect, and sent three more messages with no response. We kept trying the door. It wouldn’t open, perhaps because the deadlock had been set from inside or there was a fault. I contacted Booking.com, who tried to reach the owner and eventually got hold of him in Milan. At first he couldn’t help. We’d already been stuck outside for over an hour and a half by then. Other guests came up the 72 steps, including a woman with her tired and distressed little boy. None of our keycards worked. Nearly two hours later, the owner called from Milan and gave us the code for the emergency front-door key. Once inside, we tried the front door from both sides several times, but it still worked unreliably. We were at risk of being locked inside or stranded outside again. We packed up and left straight away because we were afraid of getting trapped, then found a much nicer place around the corner, Heritage Collection B&B, which was stunning. Guilia never contacted us to apologize or help. We understand mistakes happen, but the disregard for our safety and the lack of assistance or accountability were shocking. Booking.com is now investigating the hostel. Don’t risk staying here.