My teenage son and I feel as if we came to Sicily just to enjoy the amazing Villa Elloise. It was the highlight of our Italian travels. The entire family (as well as their neighbors and friends) welcomed us with absolute warmth and thoughtfulness. Louise and her lovely family (an awesome daughter and two awesome sons - all in their twenties, as well as an awesome husband) hosted us and included us like we were family, but they also allowed for privacy and time to explore independently. It helps that everyone in the family is bilingual English/Italian. And funny! They all made my teenage son feel welcome to hang out with them despite the age differences. It was his first time traveling abroad and it made him feel at ease to enjoy an Italian lifestyle.

The apartment itself is gorgeous, beautiful, very clean, new, spacious, and well appointed with comfortable beds and a big bathroom - and the space includes books, magazines, maps, etc. In addition to everything else, they give you some food provisions for the start of your stay! The 360 degree views from the terrace are amazing. Everything about the pool is perfect! Guests have access to the area at anytime.

We were given keys to the apartment, but felt safe and comfortable enough to leave the doors unlocked the entire time we were there (whether we were home or not). We are from a major U.S. city so it was amazing to feel such safety there. There is an electronic gate to Villa Elloise that ensures privacy and security for the property - the gate-opener provided by Louise gave us easy access for our comings and goings.

We did not have a car during our stay, but were able to walk everywhere – the family gave us information for public transportation to various sites as well as offers for lifts to great spots for shopping and eating in Mondello. It was so fun to see how errands are done in Sicily! The beach is literally a 10-minute walk away and it is clean with powdery sand and cerulean blue water. My son and I had plans to explore sites outside of Palermo, but found we preferred to luxuriate at the house and in Mondello center - and there was plenty to enjoy in that area. They family provided recommendations for: the best food (even great hamburgers), gelato, pizza, fresh fish, beach access, places to go for the sunset, how to rent boats on the beach, and wonderful markets. They even invited us to join them for delicious dinner!

We truly felt so fortunate to have our time at Villa Elloise and did not want to leave. It was truly an oasis amid our Italian travels. The only consolation is that we will return there again soon.

I cannot think of a single downside to this property. Sicily is beautiful and Villa Elloise makes it even more so. Highest of recommendations!