This remarkably stylish apartment is right in the centre of Ortigia (Syracuse old town). With it's high ceilings, exposed brickwork and astonishing number of lighting options, it's something of a design masterclass. Yes, that is a bathtub next to the bed. While nowhere is very far in Ortigia, the apartment is within a few minutes walk of major sights such as the produce market, fountain of Diana, and, of course, the sea.
As my partner and I visited this place as part of a driving tour around Sicily, one of the main attractions for us was the free on-street parking; however we think this is misleading. It's unclear which streets in Ortigia one can park in and the host Ivana was also unsure. Despite this, we did get lucky and managed to find a space on a street nearby (no fine has appeared yet - fingers crossed). Ivana came out to inspect the space and allowed us to check in early, which was really appreciated. However, if your host doesn't offer a resident's permit for Ortigia then on-street parking cannot be guaranteed, and the alternative is €15 per day for off street parking.
We booked the place a month before arriving, and messaged again the day before; however the host didn't communicate with us until less than 24 hours before check-in (and so once the free cancellation period had elapsed). After this, however, Ivana was responsive to our messages.
The place was missing a few small things that I would normally expect from an AirBnB, cooking bits in the kitchen such as salt, pepper and cooking oil, and no soap, shower gel or shampoo in the bathroom. The rules for the apartment are given in a book and are quite extensive - despite the £36 cleaning fee and £27 service fee, there is a fine for leaving dishes in the sink. Cooking fish is also not permitted -which is a bit mean considering the wealth of fresh seafood available in the market.
The apartment was spotless inside. Disappointingly, there was bird poo all over the balcony table and chairs outside.
Overall, this is great apartment. Given the limitations above, it would probably suit travellers arriving by public transport (rather than car) and on a short stay.