Mario is charming and accommodating, a good host. Friendly and knowledgeable. He met us at the ferry and helped us get set up.
The apartment we received was not the one we booked. It was nice and he said an upgrade, but that kind of rotation in AirBnB is uncomfortable. AirBnB guests are strangers in a new town. AirBnB requires the guest to cancel and pay a fee if there is a change. Looking at Mario’s reviews, we decided not to cancel and not to incur a fee, but to make the change he offered. We were happy with that, but it is an unnecessary risk.
Looking at Mario’s guest comments on AirBnB, this seems to be a regular issue for Mario’s bookings. He manages many properties locally. Several guests have booked one location but on arrival received another. This wasn’t an issue for us, we are flexible, but others might not be. Caveat emptor.
Mario is a true local in Marettimo, his parents run a well reputed B&B called “Il Corallo”. They are well established. I think it is unlikely a guest would grave a bad experience. Mario has many properties he is managing. This a positive to me but might be an issue for some visitors.
Marettimo is a beautiful place. A fishing town out of the 40’s that has changed little so far. Families gather at the cafe Il Scarletta overlooking the port, and La Tramontatta overlooking the castle, to talk and sing in the evenings. Kids sell shells in the street. Truly an escape from the ultraturismo one finds elsewhere in Sicily.