B&B Marejada

The way check-in was handled made us feel unwelcome from the start. While we were still driving, the owner called and told us, “You’d better not stop for breaks, because at 1:45 PM reception closes until 4:30 PM. You’d better hurry, I’m telling you.” The person called the “receptionist” turned out to be the owner’s son, who lives next door. We had driven four hours from Palermo. Other guests were arriving from Calabria, Puglia, and abroad, too. Leaving people outside the property with their bags in the scorching sun for more than two and a half hours is unacceptable, especially when the manager was there in person but unavailable because he was “on break.” Hospitality should matter at a tourist property, and this felt truly unprofessional. After we arrived, the well-rested manager didn’t help with our bags. Instead, he immediately told us not to use the free beach in front of the property, and to walk 100 meters to the paid lido for its showers so we wouldn’t bring sand home. There was a €30 cleaning charge for two nights, yet we found belongings from previous guests under the bed. Payment was cash only. We paid €450 for three days, with check-in dictated by nap time and checkout strictly at 12 pm, plus €10 for electricity and €30 for cleaning that hadn’t been done. He photographed the meter, but we can’t have used €10 worth of electricity, so why take a photo? In short, €500 in cash for three days. It’s incredible for a tourist property not to have a POS terminal. Now I understand why it was the only place with availability for 12 days in mid-August. The conditions weren’t good when we booked by phone, but we accepted anyway, then left after just two nights.

Dear Manager, I feel I have to reply to your response to my daughter’s review, since you brought me into it. When my daughter said she planned to write a negative review, I told her she had every right to respond. I did not encourage personal insults or insinuations that amounted to clinical diagnoses. You were only there at checkout, not during the rest of our stay, so let me set out what happened. Your first claim was that my daughter showed strong discomfort around people from the moment we met. That is false. Your son didn’t even pretend to help unload our bags, and had already warned us about possible noise. He also told us to use the paid beach resort to shower before coming back. I was annoyed, but with my experience I let him talk. My daughter showed her disappointment. She was treated badly. The person who struggles to interact with people is not her, but someone who should know how to do that for a living. It’s false that the washing machine was running as soon as we arrived. I don’t see how he could claim that when he wasn’t in the house during our stay. It’s also false that the property accepts pets. Our dog was allowed as a personal favor to the person who recommended the property to me. Your son repeated at check-in that pets shed and pee, apparently unaware that well-behaved dogs go outside. I never praised the house for being clean. I said it was simple and bright. No waste disposal instructions were given at check-in, so I asked about the local rules at a restaurant and took out the rubbish each day. I left the bags on the terrace on departure day because it was outside normal hours. So it’s false that you found rubbish scattered around. Does your cleaning lady really go through guests’ rubbish bags? While we’re on cleaning, for €40 the area under the beds should be cleaned too. I reached under with a stick to retrieve an earring and pulled out various items and belongings left by previous guests. You asked for €450 for two nights, €10 for electricity, and €40 for final cleaning. The only payment option you gave me was cash. I walked in the sun to the center of Scoglitti to withdraw it from an ATM. Only when I returned did she say I could transfer the money if I wanted. By then, I had the cash and had already made the trip, so of course I handed it over instead of carrying all that money with me. If she’d told me beforehand, I would have made an instant transfer through the app. It’s false that I insisted on paying cash. I don’t usually write negative reviews. But after the personal insults in your response, calling her idiotic, disruptive, rude, and dirty, I felt I had to set the record straight. I still have the utmost respect for you, both for what I was told and for what I saw in the few minutes we met. You seem like a good person trying, as a father, to get your children into work. Unfortunately, they’re still immature and need to learn how to relate to people and how to live their lives.

Marcello made us feel at home with his thoughtful, warm welcome. He was incredibly kind and helpful, and clearly attentive to what his guests need. The Marejada B&B is spotless, welcoming, and just steps from the sea, with everyday amenities close by. We could enjoy the Sicilian coast without giving up comfort. It’s a quiet, relaxing place by the water, and I’d highly recommend it for a holiday where you feel well looked after.