We stayed here for 4 nights on our trip.
Good things:
-The view - outstanding, probably the best in Palermo, though the view from the roof of the Cathedral is pretty awesome too.
-Communication - John and his team are very quick to respond to calls, emails, messages etc when we needed them. Especially Mr Mokbul who was a gem. We did not meet John himself, I understand he lives/works overseas currently.
-The neighbourhood - Excellent location in the heart of real Palermo, surrounded by markets and families. Lots of hustle and bustle. Close to all the major sights. We really enjoyed it here.
-Well equipped - Has all the things you'd need for a few days.
Things that could do with improvement:
(And after reading other reviews where past guests have politely pointed out certain issues I know I will be in for some criticism....)
-It should be noted that there are water restrictions in place for summer - and I feel we should have been informed of this if not before check-in, then at least upon check-in. No water in the apartment from about 9 or 10am (sometimes earlier..... ) until about 7 or 8pm daily. I know this is not John's fault at all, but a warning would have been useful as I know the restriction is not in every neighbourhood (we spoke to several locals who did not have it in their apartments) and when one searches online about it there is no information - so it is not something one can learn about before booking.. Travellers with small children might want to consider this fact especially for summer months.
-We had to keep going down the stairs to re-set the water pump (when we did have water available) each time the electrics cut out, which they did frequently, especially when using 2 appliances at the same time (eg air con and cooker). We also have an older apartment and so know what this can be like if not updated.
-Slightly shabby apartment chattels - the arm chair is threadbare in places, the towels are mismatched and stained, there is no lid for the bin, the toilet seat is broken, the bed linen had holes in it and there was no mattress cover/protector on the bed (this seems both unhygienic and fairly uneconomical as the mattress will have to be replaced more frequently).
-The front door does not shut easily and so when the downstairs neighbours go in and out they have to SLAM the door, as did we. And sometimes after slamming it still does not shut properly. The door needs attention, as does the door to the apartment which is very difficult to open at times.
We have stayed at many airbnb places on this trip, including a few in Sicily and their standards have been higher than this one, for about the same cost per night. It's a great little space that just needs some TLC to bring it up to others' standards.