Maison De Trazegnies Marina Di Ragusa

We were really looking forward to our stay, especially since the hotel had been in touch about the beds after we booked in August. We were travelling as four adults, including my elderly parents, and arrived in the late afternoon in early October to find the hotel closed. Nobody was there, nobody answered the intercom, the phone rang out and then was engaged, and our emails went unanswered. Finding somewhere else at that time of day was stressful. They had taken the full payment upfront. Thankfully, I booked through a broker, who promptly refunded us after they also couldn't reach the hotel. I still haven't had any apology or explanation from the hotel, even a couple of weeks after we got back. I can't recommend it, and wouldn't trust it to be open even after taking your money.

The room was spacious, the bed and pillows were comfortable, and the big window gave us a spectacular view that we could enjoy even from bed. It's a new property in a very quiet part of Marina di Ragusa, close to the sea and an excellent bike path. We chose an upstairs room with a jacuzzi, which also had a beautiful sea view. The colors, blue and brown, worked really well together, and the attention to detail showed throughout. The bathroom linens were soft, breakfast had good variety and was served by the staff, and you can reserve the hotel's bicycles. Parking nearby is free. Special thanks to Grazia for her kind, professional advice. There were some real drawbacks. There's no reception, and the jacuzzi made noise all night. The deposit was exorbitant, and we were asked to pay it on arrival without it having been mentioned when we booked. It's listed in the website policies, but to me that approach felt more like a rental room than a hotel. The site also says sheets are changed daily, but that didn't happen, so I had to ask. They said it normally happens every three days, though they kindly changed them once I requested it. The hotel price would have seemed reasonable without these issues.

The bed was large and comfortable, and the staff were extremely friendly. But the duvet felt impractical in Marina di Ragusa in August, when it was 37°C, even if it did look nice. As for the room, mine was small and dark, with a musty-smelling bathroom that had no window, and a terrace that was practically nonexistent. The price felt far too high for that. There's a lot of design here, but not much practicality. There are no shared spaces, so it's really an elegant B&B with bicycle service. For me, only the sea-view rooms with a jacuzzi are worth considering. Guests used to be able to access the sea-view terrace, but now it's reserved for one room. That would have made the stay feel less claustrophobic and helped justify the price. I also found the deposit required on arrival inappropriate.

The breakfast was a real treat, especially the granita and proper Sicilian brioche with the "tuppo." We were there for five fantastic days and Alessandra and Vanessa looked after us wonderfully from beginning to end. The property is brand new and in perfect condition. With the unusual pandemic situation at the time, we also really appreciated the anti-Covid measures. We'd definitely do it again.