Porta Delle Botteghelle

My friend and I spent five nights here in April. The situation is perfect, in the old part of town with a variety of excellent restaurants nearby. The sea is a short walk away. The b and b is as advertised, spotlessly clean and comfortable. The two women who run it are friendly and helpful and we booked a great boat trip round the Egadi Islands through them. Breakfast is plentiful and varied. Prices are very reasonable.

I had a good stay here, and overall would consider it a good value. Room: We booked the superior triple, which was roomy and had a small balcony overlooking the alley below. I would say the pictures made the room seem more charming than it was. The hewn timber ceiling was a nice feature, but the rest of the room seemed like standard hotel fare. The shower was small but quite adequate. It might be a fluke, but our room was permeated with the cloying stench of cheap room freshener throughout our four-day stay, even after we removed the offending units. (Note that we were offered several other rooms, none of which smelled at all, and in the end elected to stay put because we liked the size of our room and its balcony). Location: Very convenient. A couple of blocks from the main tourist thoroughfare and close to many restaurants. Food: Breakfast was quite good, with a selection of meats, fruits, cheeses, cereal and even pastries from the panificio down the street. Hospitality: The shining star of this place is Elena, the manager/front desk attendant, who was unflaggingly cheerful and helpful. Need a laundry that will wash your clothes for you? Check. Need to find rubbing compound for your car because someone who shall remain nameless scratched the bumper by backing into a light fixture? Check. She really was a pleasure to deal with throughout and you should tip her when you leave. Overall, you can expect good value in a good location, but (other than Elena) not a lot of charm.