Trapani Appartamenti Gafada

Good apartment, and Angelo the taxi driver is excellent.

The old bakery by my front door was a lovely part of staying here. In the morning, the smell of fresh bread put me in a good mood, and my one-bedroom apartment had a small, charming balcony looking onto the main street. The kitchen had an oven, and the spacious bathroom had a shower and washing machine. The furnishings were newly bought, basic but practical. These recently renovated studios and one-bedroom apartments are in the Arab quarter, right in the heart of the city. It’s a 10-minute walk to the cathedral, the hydrofoil and ferry dock for the islands, and buses to Palermo and Trapani airports. Downstairs there are minimarkets, bars, greengrocers, all sorts of places to eat, and one of Trapani’s oldest bakeries. Mrs. Patrizia is kind and always ready to help sort out any problem, which is a real bonus.

The owner was always available and tried to make the place comfortable, which is the only reason I’m giving it two stars. Guests should be able to see photos of all, or nearly all, room types when booking a hotel or B&B. What we got was very uncomfortable and didn’t really feel like an apartment. It was on the ground floor, smelled strongly of mildew, and had peeling walls. There was no balcony, only very high windows that were hard to open and close. Without outdoor space, we had to dry swimsuits and clothes inside. The room looks onto an internal courtyard used by neighbors in the evenings, and they didn’t keep to any schedule or hold back their noise, which made relaxing difficult. The property is in central Trapani, surrounded by blue-striped urban parking zones that require payment, so you also need to budget a decent amount for parking. There’s still a lot of room for improvement.

Mrs. Patrizia welcomed us warmly and paid attention to what guests need. The room we picked on Booking suited us well, with air conditioning and a very comfortable mattress. Since we were out all day, it was lovely to have such a good place to sleep. The property is in Trapani’s historic center, near the seafront, and the street was quiet. The city center has lots of bars and young people, so even a really cool B&B can leave you with no sleep at night. That’s why I recommend this place. I’d stay here again if I come back to Trapani. Three stars from me.