Our flight arrived in Palermo at 10:30 pm, and Roberta, having made herself available to communicate with through WhatsApp, insisted on picking us up and driving us to the apartment. We were skeptical, worried that she was being overbearing and controlling, I'm sure because our correspondences were in Italian, and something was lost in translation on me(my Italian is OK, but I tend to confuse details). When she picked us up, we realized that she provided a taxi service for 35 Euro (we were glad to find out this was a paid service rather than a 'favor'), a better rate than the taxi's at the airport, and certainly more personable. Our skepticism was abated, when we arrived at the apartment, she welcomed us with drinks and snacks. She gave us a map of Palermo, a list of the best non-touristy restaurants as well as highlights of the city. These were invaluable, as we did very little prior research and would have otherwise been left to our own devices in the city.
The apartment was beautiful and immaculately clean, she even apologized when she found some stray leaves on the veranda that had fallen from her potted plants. During our stay, we decided not to use the air-conditioning, so the mornings were quite hot from the direct sunlight in the apartment. Over the course of the day, when the sun changed its course, the apartment cooled down, and the afternoons and evenings were beautiful. It is a 10-15 min walk to Teatro Massimo, a convenient location for markets, tourist attractions, and the city's main walking areas. We found it to be a pleasant place to settle into after long walks during the day.
The restaurants she recommended were delicious. She checked in with us via WhatsApp on a semi-daily basis, wondering what our plans for the day were, and if we were enjoying ourselves. When we traveled to Monreale, she explained the proper transportation approach and recommended food specific to the area. She was incredibly accommodating while also giving us the privacy we needed during our stay.
For our departure, again, she picked us up from the apartment and drove us to the airport for 30 Euro. She was friendly and engaging. Overall our stay was wonderful, that much more so by Roberta's hospitality.