Bb CasaRupilio

The photos made the place look fine, but our stay was awful. My friend and I left soon after arriving and tried to get a refund. The rooms were dirty, and there was no reception where we could raise concerns or ask questions. Although they were described as having private bathrooms, they didn’t, and every room was open when we arrived, so anyone could get into ours. It felt unsafe. They’d also claimed there was AC and Wi-Fi, but neither was there.

The owners were lovely and brought us cappuccinos and breakfast in the morning. They speak Italian but not English, though we managed to communicate without much trouble. We also enjoyed the balcony and the rooftop terrace as a place to have breakfast. The room was clean and the bed was okay, but the decor felt dated, and the bathroom wasn’t very clean, even if it was better than some comments had led us to expect. The accommodation is a two-minute walk from Taormina’s main tourist street, with its restaurants and old buildings. A decent, cheaper place if you don’t need a modern room.

We only needed somewhere to leave our bags and sleep while on vacation, and this hostel was better than we expected. The owners were personable and brought us cappuccinos and snacks each morning for all six days, at whatever time suited us. They were flexible at checkout too, which helped with our uncertain travel plans. The main strip in Taormina, with restaurants and shops, is very close. The facilities aren’t upscale, but for the price I felt we got more than we paid for. I can see families with children preferring to spend more on a higher-end hotel or Airbnb. I’m not sure why there are so many negative reviews.

After the uphill walk from the train station, I was glad to find a cute welcome note showing me to my room, where I could collapse. The balcony was lovely, and the owners were kind. It’s a humble, sweet little place that reminded me of my grandma’s house, and a good budget choice if you want your own space instead of a hostel. Cleaning and people moving things around started early and loudly, so it wasn’t ideal for sleeping in. There’s no Wi-Fi either, but otherwise I had a good stay.