Look no further, fam! Roberta’s place is excellent and I’ll be checking with her first when next I hit Catania.
The Space: everything has been renovated recently. It’s clean and well appointed. The beds are comfortable and it’s quiet for a light sleeper like me. There’s great hot water with excellent water pressure.
The Location: it’s perfect. You can walk maybe 10 minutes to the plaza with the Duomo, but are not constantly having to listen to crowds pass your windows. There’s a great little snack/gelato spot around the corner and a coffee spot just a few minutes walk that overlooks the actual port. There’s a panificio down the street on Via Cali that speaks enough English to help you order.
The Host: Roberta just gets it. You have all the basics, including olive oil, some water, utensils, dishes, waiting for your arrival. Also, she keeps a small stack of tour operators and restaurants, etc., to help you kick start your exploration. We had questions for her most days and she was very responsive and attentive throughout. I hope she considers setting up another AirBNB location!
The bottom line: stop looking and book now!