B&b Colletemenite

It’s easy to get into the building, though the signs are limited to a large one on the third-floor terrace and a small plaque by the door. Ortigia is close, and the place has air conditioning, a window in the bathroom, a kitchen, and good cleanliness. Check-out is at 10:00 am. A few things were disappointing. The “free parking included” means free spaces on Via S. Simeone, on the street between the building and the gas station, not private parking. Breakfast isn’t made on site either. You get vouchers from the B&B owner and go to the Eni Café downstairs or a nearby pastry shop. There’s a strong musty smell as soon as you enter the building, though after a few days you get used to it. The old windows do little to block noise, so traffic comes through as if they were open. It continues day and night, with ambulances heading to the nearby hospital and sounding their sirens. The air conditioning blows a little room-temperature air after you switch it on, then takes a long time to reach the setting. There are two shared bathrooms, but one was closed and assigned to a separate room without that being mentioned. The bathroom that is shared stays clean depending on the other tenants, so it isn’t always spotless. The kitchen is sparsely equipped, with few pots and pans, some in poor shape with peeling non-stick coating and crusty exteriors. Fridge and freezer spaces aren’t assigned by room, and the other kitchen shelves are full of food from tenants who seem to have been there a while. The common area is under video surveillance, but there’s no sign saying so. In my view, the prices are a little high for what’s offered.