B&B Baglio Maragani

The staff were welcoming, and the beach was lovely.

We left a night early after a really awful stay. When we asked Luigi to give the room a proper clean the next morning, showing him photos and videos, he said it would be done. We spent the morning at the private beach, reached by a steep, unpaved track that felt like Paris-Dakar. The Sicilian sea was beautiful, but back in the room the cobwebs and dead bugs were still there, and the towels hadn’t even been changed. Luigi didn’t ask why we were leaving or apologize. He took us straight to pay, and dinner for two came to €110, with no way to find out what each dish had cost. We paid and got out of there as fast as we could. Never again. We’d booked two nights by calling the owner, Luigi, directly the day before. The rough road to the Baglio wasn’t a problem by itself. We’d pictured a little retreat between the sea and countryside. Instead, the entrance courtyard doubled as a car park, right beside tables that were supposedly for drinks or meals. Dust from every arriving and departing car made sitting there impossible. Luigi greeted us warmly and showed us our room, where the trouble started. It was cramped and bare, with two single beds pushed together, a dusty wardrobe missing its knobs, a TV on top, and lots of long-dead insects. He struggled to lower the mosquito net on the window, which had a lovely view of the Sicilian sea, because it was held with clothespins. The bathroom looked like a barracks. There were enormous cobwebs all over the room, from the corners and bathroom light to the bed, plus hairs on the bed and a dirty bedspread. We told Luigi, and he sent the girl who supposedly handled cleaning. In an annoyed tone, she asked what was wrong. When we showed her the webs, she said it was strange because they hadn’t been there before, then removed one with her finger. She said the bedspread wasn’t dirty, just stained, maybe with rust. We asked if she could do a quick clean before the proper cleaning planned for the next morning, but she ignored the request. We ate dinner at the restaurant. The fish was good and the chef was skilled, but there was no menu or pricing. You had to ask Luigi a few hours ahead what you wanted. We ordered raw shrimp and scampi, plus two plates of pasta with sea urchins, and both were delicious. Back in the room, it felt like a horror movie. All kinds of insects were on the ceiling around the chandelier light. The tap water was yellowish, and a dead cockroach was inside the bedside lamp. Because of the time, we tried to sleep in that hovel, but couldn’t.

It’s a peaceful place to get away from the city, and you can bring your furry friends anywhere. The staff are attentive to what guests need, and the owner is wonderful and looks after everyone. All the rooms have air conditioning. There’s a private beach with exclusive access, umbrellas and loungers, and a lovely lunch by the sea. Cold dishes with a view of the water were fantastic, followed by aperitifs at 5:30 PM. The cuisine is top-notch. See you next time.

The place has potential, but it’s been left neglected and needs renovating. There was hair and sand in the shower, which points to poor cleaning. The cockroach in the room was something I could accept in the countryside, but the tap water came out brown, as you can see in the photo. They blamed an electricity problem when we asked about it. Maybe it was the same issue affecting the delivery person who was meant to bring the croissants for the supposedly included breakfast. He never arrived and apparently wasn’t answering the hotel’s calls either. Around 9:30 they made us leave our rooms, saying they needed to clean them. Given the state of the rooms when we arrived, they probably hadn’t been cleaned in a while. And if you’re a fugitive, this might be the place for you. They didn’t ask for ID, and we weren’t registered.