My wife and I stayed at Alida's Baroque House for 9 nights in September and just loved it. Check-in was arranged by way of text messages with Alida and went without a hitch. The location is excellent, and is within easy walking distance to all the main attractions. The apartment is located on the fourth floor of a building with access by staircase or by using the small elevator. The living space really exceeded our expectations : It is large, modern, clean, bright (lots of doors/windows), very well-maintained and is a really good value. The bedroom has a large cabinet for suitcase and clothes storage. The bed was very comfortable. The spacious living room is situated on the corner of the building and has large doors on two sides that open to balconies. The outside temperature during our visit was perfect and we didn't need to use heat or air conditioning at all - we just opened the tall doors and let the breeze blow in. There are no screens, but insects flying in didn't seem to be an issue at all. The bathroom was larger than most European hotel bathrooms and also has a washing machine which we used once during our stay. The kitchen is very usable, and has a separate area with a counter and stools. We'd stay here again without any hesitation. Catania is a good central base for exploring eastern Sicily. Many firms offer day trips north to Mount Etna, Taormina etc., and south to Siracuse, Noto etc. We arranged pickup right at the Baroque House for the trips we took.
Catania is a gritty, bustling and noisy city. If you're looking for a quiet retreat without street noise, then you best look elsewhere... but we enjoyed the busy scene on the street below with great views from the balcony up and down Via Vittorio Emanuele and along a side street. The area the Baroque House is located in might be described as being a bit shabby - but in the context of the rest of Catania it's a pretty typical setting. We never felt unsafe at any time. There's a bakery right next door, and a small shop for other supplies about a block away. You'd have to be slightly crazy to rent a car in Catania, and parking is almost non-existent.
Mark and Catherine