This is a beautiful large apartment with beautiful views and ample space in a secure building. We've used Airbnb many times and this is the best apartment we have used - it has been well decorated, is well equipped, has excellent wifi and the apartment is well looked after.
The owners Alessandro and Laura's sister was there to greet us and they arranged a taxi to collect us from the airport. Laura's sister took the time to show us around the apartment and answered our questions. They had a selection of tea in all rooms with sweets, water and drinks in the fridge and some small cakes - this was a lovely touch. The apartment overlooks the sea but you will need to travel to Mondallo for the beach - I would recommend taking a 101 bus from Palermo Central, which is a 10 min walk from the apartment and then you change half way though the journey and take a 806 bus to the beach - it's around 30 mins drive in total. There is a map in the apartment so you'll be able to see it's proximity to the station. Laura's sister drove us to Mondallo beach on one occasion; she is truly a lovely lady! Alternately, you can take a taxi but it can be pricey - €25 each way - doing that every time you visit, the cost starts to add up! We did both but preferred taking the bus once we knew where to go. Tip: buy your bus ticket from a newsagent before you are ready to board a bus as the ticket can only be used for 90 mins after its purchase. A ticket cost €1.40 and children travel for free.
Outside the apartment, there are 2 restaurants where they cook fresh fish every night on the BBQ - it smells gorgeous and we ate there a couple of times. It's quite busy outside by late afternoon and so gets lively with families and groups eating together but nothing that will disturb you. There is a beautiful church on each side, which we would recommend popping in to see. Laura messaged us daily on what's up and we used this to ask additional questions and for tips on where to eat. Personally, we feel the apartment would have benefited from an information folder to give info on the nearest cash point, bus info, local restaurants and rubbish collection, rather than messaging the owners on what's up.
The only negative from our view is we found Palermo to be run down in some parts but if you want to experience old Italy and it's charm, love Italian food and want to be away from a busy touristy place, then this is the place to be. Tip: learn some basic Italian to get by as not many people speak English.