I chose this flat for two reasons, the amazing reviews about Maria's hospitality, and proximity to a beach. Unfortunately, we were completely surprised because her behavior and attitude towards us was terrible most of the time. We constantly felt uncomfortable because of her erratic behavior. Then I realized most of the great reviews were years old. I felt that I should give my honest impression from my stay here.
The Good:
-Her dog Bruna was sweet
-great gelato and very friendly people at the nearby ice cream shop, maggiolandia. Near the bus stop.
-Picked us up from the train station
-gave my girlfriend a jar of jam
-Amazing pizza restaurant nearby(mistral)
-Neighborhood was great, people were really nice and friendly/helpful
-Nice views of mountains
-We loved the beach nearby, family beach with no sun beds, music, cafes but that's how we like it
-Room/house/toilets were clean
BAD:
-advertised as a bed and breakfast, but our first morning, she served us crackers and jam.
-language barrier was MUCH more of a problem than anticipated. She didn't even try to speak English and got angry/frustrated when we didn't understand her instructions in Italian. We really tried, even with google translate but she had no patience for it.
-extremely low water pressure made it difficult to wash hands or take a shower. Sometimes the water didn't run at all.
-her attitude constantly changed from very negative to positive then back to negative again
Ugly:
-Room was extremely hot, air conditioning turns on but only blows warm air. I barely slept at all.
-Host watching tv at loud volumes in the next room past midnight.
-VERY INTRUSIVE!!! Opened our room door and came into our room several times. Both when we were in it and when we're eating in the kitchen. Violated our personal space. Asked us repeatedly about our daily plans, then mocked us when we told her where we went/what we ate.
Overall, we had an amazing time in Palermo, we enjoyed the local beach, food was great and people in this neighborhood were friendly. But unfortunately our stay at Maria's flat was very unpleasant. I would not stay here again or recommend it to anyone.