Populus

For a quick one-night stay, Hotel Populus was a great deal. It’s very cheap, so there’s no luxury, but I didn’t mind. You get what you need: clean sheets, soft towels, a hot shower, air conditioning, and great wifi. The staff were very helpful, and they can make a silky smooth espresso if you ask.

I felt unsafe and had to leave as soon as I found another hotel. I wouldn’t stay here even if it were the last hotel on earth, and I’d tell people to avoid this dangerous, dodgy place. I’m an elderly disabled woman, and the manager is a young, fit man. He showed no apology, sympathy, or concern, just aggression. On 11th of July 2025, I arrived at hotel Populus in Siracusa after asking in advance for a quiet room and being assured I’d get one. Instead, I managed only three hours of sleep each night. Almost every night there was a drunken argument inside the hotel, and early each morning someone shouted on a phone using speakerphone beneath my windows. It was very disturbing when I was trying to sleep. I raised the noise with the manager/owner, only to find that he was the one regularly keeping me awake by chatting on his phone outside for hours. I told him this wasn’t acceptable, and he became berserk instead of trying to fix it. He seemed sociopathic and unhinged. Though I’d paid in full, he demanded that I leave immediately. He said that because I’d booked through a third party, booking.com, he wouldn’t refund me and I should just leave. He was jumping, shouting, and insulting me. A member of the public had to step in and pull him away from me. I felt he’d rather see me homeless than help with a problem. There were many other issues with the room, security, and customer service, but I’m writing to describe the very unsettling experience I had with the manager/owner. I’ve never experienced such a lack of care for guests. Something feels very off about the management of this property.

The room was clean, though it was small and up on the second floor of a converted attic, with no lift. There was an ashtray and a smell of cigarettes. Breakfast felt like a joke: just a small Italian-style croissant and coffee in a plastic cup, which really put me off.

The room looked like it was being renovated, and the toilet floor was leaking. We also had cockroaches and no hot water in the shower. For the quality we got, the nightly price should be lower, around 35 to 38 euros.