We weren't sure what to expect with this flat. We liked the fact that it had a big kitchen and a deck with a view and it was in the heart of Catania. The host Marco met us at the flat, he was nice and laid-back gentleman. If you have large luggage, this may not be ideal for you because there are many stairs to climb to get to the top of the flat and some of the steps were not safe or sturdy. Marco was kind enough to help my partner with her luggage though.
The space was different, huge, lots of art pieces and the design on the ceiling was nice. However the "yoga room" was a big empty room with a shelving unit full of books and a stereo system. Otherwise, this room was a complete waste of space. The living room was small, with a low, long couch, looking into the big "yoga room" but there was no tv for the times we would want to just relax at home. So we were either on our phones if we weren't out. And not everyone is going to be out the whole day when visiting. Guests will want some down time but it was hard to have that when the place was just boring. It has potential to be so much more.
Marco was communicative the times we had messaged him. The kitchen was huge and nicely done, but this was the only exciting thing about the place. The deck outside was nice because we had outdoor space but the view wasn't anything special. Still nice to eat your meals out on the deck though. We didn't know this before arriving, but when using the toilet, there were signs that we had to dispose of the toilet paper in the garbage and not flush it down the toilet. This was unsanitary and quite disgusting because the garbage bins were not lined with a bag, so if you went number 2, you would have to put the dirty toilet paper full of shit in the garbage bin. Ontop of that, you are then expected to take out all the garbage so it was gross to have to handle the dirty toilet paper. There was also no notes on where to leave the garbage, only a note to take it out. so we weren't sure where to leave it. So we ended up walking the street to find a garbage bin to throw away the trash. The tap water was not cold and tasted funny. It would've been nice for the hosts to have left at least a bottle of water for their guests in the fridge, especially upon arrival and it being so hot.
The location was good, near the port and really good restaurants and just a 30 minute walk to explore other parts of Catania. We liked that the parking on the street was free because it meant we could rent a car if needed and not worry about parking. The neighborhood is safe. We would suggest that a light is installed in the entrance, inside the building because it was dark and hard to open the second gate at night without light. The stairs were slippery, and not the safest. One of the stairs was loose and my partner almost fell down. This flat has potential to be something better than it is. It just felt like it was meant for the people living there and not guests.