My background: We've stayed in over 40 Airbnb's around the world and also have our own home on AirBnB.
Overall, Giuseppe's place was a mediocre place to stay but with some key changes it could be much better. The experience started out well with great communication with Giuseppe. When we were just about to arrive he sent me a number to call to coordinate with his co-host Nella. Nella said she would be over to the flat in just a minute to greet us. A few minutes later a young man showed up, who was Giuseppe's brother, Andrea. Andrea didn't seem familiar with greeting people at the flat or how Giuseppe had set things up. I had to ask him about the trash, where different things were, etc. Most importantly I had to ask about the heat, as it was cold while we were there. There was a heat pump but no way to turn it on. Oops! Not a big deal, Andrea said he would go home and bring the remote back. There were sheets for each bed, but not enough blankets so I had to contact Andrea again to bring another blanket. Unfortunately, the blankets have all seen better days. They were old and smelled like it as well. The pillows were old, flat and hard and so were the mattresses. Only two of the four beds had mattress covers on them, which seems like an absolute must for any AirBnB, and the one on our bed didn't appear to be clean.
The house only had the heat pump and one radiant heater (meaning you feel heat when you're in front of it but it doesn't actually heat the room) and so the back bedrooms and bathrooms were like an icebox. We wore beanies and jackets most of the time we were in the house. We went to take a warm shower but the water was barely tepid, which made for a very unconfortable shower, plus the showerhead leaks more water through the connection than through the head). Again, I had to contact Andrea and he responded quickly and had to turn the water heater up.
First the good things:
- Communication with Giuseppe was great. He was quick to respond to any message or request.
- The flat is clean (except the shower)
- The kitchen is well stocked with dishes and silverware
- The flat is large enough to host a large group.
- TV's in each bedroom.
- Not far from the beach (mediocre beach)
- Parking was directly in front of the flat
Some areas that needed to be improved:
- Improve check in process (confusing with so many people involved and with someone not familiar with greeting guests)
- Ensure the house is ready for guests (heat, blankets, hot water, etc)
- Purchase new linens, pillows and mattresses which are badly needed. Towels were old and barely larger than a hand towel.
- The bedrooms are cold in the cooler months, with no way to heat them. Provide better heaters for each room.
- Fix the shower head and clean the mold from the shower. Fix the rocking toilet in the bathroom with the bathtub.
A few things to be aware of:
- The flat is along a fairly busy road. You'll hear cars as they drive by. This isn't anything Giuseppe can change, just something for future guests to be aware of.
- The area in Avola where we stayed wasn't very charming. I would stay in a different town in the region with more charm and character.
Overall, we would not stay in Giuseppe's place again. After staying in over 40 AirBnB's over the last 3 years, this one ranks at or near the bottom. I'm not sure how he has earned a rating of 4.9. However, with the suggested improvements Giuseppe's place could be a good place to stay. If this place looks appealing to you, ask Giuseppe if they've made any of the suggested changes. If they have, I would be comfortable recommending this place to future guests.