Maison belle vu

The east-facing balconies get lovely morning sun, with wide views of the sea, Taormina, the coast, and mainland Italy. The city center is just a few minutes away on foot, and there's a small grocery shop along the route if you need food for the apartment. It's a very large, well equipped place, set up like a home. The bedrooms are comfortable, the bathroom has been modernized, and the kitchen has what you'd need to cook for a family. The owner and staff were friendly and helpful.

We booked three nights and ended up adding two more after our first night. The apartment is spacious and has everything you'd need at home apart from clothes. Gaetano and Patrix were great hosts and went out of their way whenever we needed something. We arrived as maison belle vu. The main drawback is the climb, 50 meters of steep hill to the main road, plus the apartment is on the third floor with no elevator.

The worst part was the refund. I had to leave the apartment 24 hours before my last paid night, and although I politely asked the staff to speak to the owner, nothing came of it. I then contacted Booking.com, and they told me he wouldn't refund any of what I paid for that night. In the 21st century, this feels completely unfair. Never again. I also paid for the tax "service," but on my last day the staff made me take out the rubbish. My sheets and towels weren't changed during our stay either. I think both things should have been included. The sink was blocked, and the air conditioning didn't heat the room well enough to make it comfortable. The way this was handled was unacceptable.

We had breathtaking views from a stylish, well equipped place, with balconies on three sides. The owners looked after us well, and we'd love to return.