Cinque Suites

With the smell and a little maintenance, this could be a great base for exploring Ortigia. As it is, I can't recommend it. If you book, bring deodorizer. Our biggest problem was a strong wet-dog smell inside the apartment. It wasn't coming from outdoors. We aired the place out, but the smell kept returning. We wondered whether a previous guest's wet dog had left it in the carpet, especially since it had rained, but reading other smell complaints makes me think it could be a more persistent and serious issue. Our room deodorizers reduced the odor but didn't get rid of it. Without them, we might have left and found somewhere else to sleep. CinqueSuites removed a used diaper we found on the balcony while airing the place out, but didn't address the odor. They apologized once and said they'd send maintenance the next day. When I explained we were only staying one night and would already be gone, they didn't reply. The building itself has been renovated nicely in principle, and the street is well kept, though the smell of cat feces is unfortunately everywhere in Ortigia, where there are cats all over. I don't think one property can do much about that. During check-in at a hotel outside Ortigia, they registered us for ZTL loading and unloading, but we had to pay €15 ourselves to park at Parcheggio Talete, 850m away on foot. Nobody explained how to get close to the building, even though the street is closed at some times of day. When we briefly stopped outside a restaurant to unload, someone yelled at us in Italian, I think because of where we had stopped. The furniture in the main room was fine, though an apartment for three people might reasonably have three chairs. Despite the recent-looking renovation, several things were already in poor shape: the bathroom fixtures and toilet seat were scratched and cracked, and the caulk was rotting and peeling off. The bathroom workmanship looked like it had been done as cheaply as possible. I rounded my rating down from 3.5 stars. CinqueSuites Ortigia could be nice with a little investment and care.

The staff were so friendly and cheerful, always ready to help with a smile. Our room was clean, modern, and roomy, and the hot tub was a great extra. It had AC, heating, and Wi-Fi. My girlfriend brought me here for my birthday, and I found balloons, decorations, and a bottle of red wine in the room, all complimentary. The location is really convenient for exploring beautiful Ortigia. I'd highly recommend it.

The decor was pleasant and the location was the only real positive, but this was a very stressful and uncomfortable stay. It was expensive for what we got. Booking.com didn't disclose that you can't collect the key at the suite. We had to check in at Hotel Cavalieri outside Ortigia. After driving from the airport, I couldn't find anywhere to park outside the hotel. I ended up leaving my children in the car and rushing inside from a nearby driveway. They shouldn't expect international travelers to handle that. There's no parking at the suite either, so Talete parking added €16 per day. Our shower in suite 5 didn't drain properly, and we needed several towels to keep the bathroom from flooding. It smelled bad as a result. There was a large dirty rug on the floor; I sent a video over WhatsApp to the assistance number, and they vacuumed it the next day. The sofa bed mattress was uncomfortable. We couldn't get the TV to work even though we were given instructions, and Wi-Fi only worked in the living area, not the bedroom. Avoid it.

After a long flight and an overnight train, we walked to the hotel and found we couldn't get in. The listing doesn't say you have to collect the key near the train station, or that there's no 24-hour desk. They shouldn't assume international travelers will have internet access while in transit. Staff told us someone would meet us in 20 minutes, but after 40 minutes we were still told it would be another 10. We gave up waiting and walked back to meet them. Booking.com, the hotel website, and Google should all make the key pickup arrangement clear. Avoid this if you care about your family's time.