Aretusa Vacanze

What People are saying

OK but car parkers beware.

Allothernamesrtaken on 18/11/2017 08:09

Our stay at Aretusa Vacanze B&B was good. We had the apartment and while the facilities are generally great the stairs are very steep. The wifi dropped in and out and in the twin bedroom there is no blockout curtains so there is light from the street filtering in all night. That being said the shower was great and the beds comfortable. The staff were helpful and the breakfast had different options. There is a downside to this review however. We arrived by car and were escorted by the B&B staff to a carpark where our car was parked and we arranged to pick it up at 10 the next day. No paperwork was given so we took a photo of our car. Now I am fully aware the B&B do not own the car park but they do benefit from guests having access to parking. Without parking we would not have stayed there as I'm sure is the case with many others . On return at 10 the next day no one spoke to us when we arrived. 10 minutes later the attendant drove a car up and asked if it was ours - it wasn't. He drove it back down. Another 10 minutes later the manager and a lady approached us to tell us that our car had been given to someone else. But they had called the people and they were returning the car. When asked how long they replied that the people weren't far away. There was no apology or other explanation. We went back to the B&B and a man came and spoke to the manager in Italian gave us the thumbs up and disappeared. 10 minutes later our car was driven from the garage. Needless to say we were very relieved but not at all happy as the anxiety of being told your car was given away was extreme. When we emailed the B&B to find out the problem the blame was put on us for saying we stayed at another hotel which is not the case. There was no ownership or apology for what had happened - instead the lies continued. And that is my main issue that we were continually lied to. Would I stay here again - No. The incident with the car left a negative feeling and if there had of been ownership of the problem then my rating would have been higher.

Central, rooftop breakfast, lots of art

arlenepowers on 13/11/2017 16:53

Aretusa Vacanze has a preferred parking garage nearby, and a colleague at the desk got into our car to direct us to it. An elevator took us up to our room, which had 2 beds (our request), a huge window facing a building about 8 feet away, a kitchenette, and plenty of wonderful art by a local man named Fiore. In fact Fiore had painted many surfaces in the guesthouse plus the pieces hanging everywhere. Owner Ms. Cinzia showed us where we could buy beer and water and got us oriented with a map. Her husband appeared as the preparer of breakfast which was served on the rooftop overlooking the city and the sea. Fresh orange or pomegranate juice, bread, cheese, ricotta, fruit tart, cappuccino.
There are lots of little artisan shops here in Ortigia, the connected island at the south of Siracusa, a painting by Caravaggio, market at the north end of the island near the Temple of Apollo, castle at the south,
We stayed only one night, but two would have been better.
In the mainland section of Siracusa is the Parco Archeologico della Neopolis with a small coliseum, jungle-like garden, limestone cliffs and caves, and one of the most impressive theaters I've ever visited. The rows of seats are carved from solid limestone (not blocks) and above the seating is a waterfall in a cave.
We intended to go to the archeological museum, but in pouring rain we could not find the entrance.

Classy, Hip and Hospitable

jerrywas on 06/11/2017 21:45

From the moment we entered this classy b&b near the southern tip of Ortigia we loved it. With its warm vibe, comfortable atmosphere and brilliant, playful folk art on many walls (by local painter Fiore), this is an ideal place to stay in many ways: perfectly located away from the noise but in easy walking distance to all the attractions, restaurants, bars, shops and the beach. Our room was large, clean (housekeeping daily), quiet, with a nice bathroom and kitchenette. There are many stairs, but unlike a lot of places of this sort it has an elevator. And then there's breakfast, which is served on a terrace overlooking the amber-coloured rooftops with a sea view. Breakfast is sumptuous, with delicious cappuccinos, freshly squeezed orange juice, eggs, cheese, tomatoes, yogurt, pastries, etc. Adding to the great spirit of this place, the staff are lovely and helpful. Thank you Maurizio, Alessandra, Flavia and the gang -- you made our stay in Siracusa special.

Charming, bohemian, friendly and immaculate.

tarnishedlace on 04/11/2017 19:07

This is a wonderful little gem. The walls are decorated with colorful folk paintings by a local artist. The rooms are very clean and the beds are very comfortable (due to timing issues, we stayed in two different rooms). Both of our rooms had small kitchenettes. We did not use them, but it was nice to have the option. Breakfasts on the lovely top floor indoor/outdoor terrace are wonderful. You look over old tiled roofs (sometimes you'll see a cat or two frolicking up there), and out to the sea. The selection of breakfast foods is delicious and each day you are served freshly squeezed orange juice (or pomegranate when available) and as many hand crafted coffee drinks as your heart desires. The location is ideal, within walking distance to the large piazza, the market and to all of the shops and restaurants on charming Ortigia. The staff is gracious, helpful and kind. During our stay we met several other guests who were delightful. Aretusa Vacanza seems to attract interesting people with a love of authentic travel. You will be so happy here, that you won't be bothered by the one small drawback, lack of views from the rooms. We would definitely stay here again.

Lovely, Large room w/ great hospitality

DebL830 on 18/10/2017 14:51

The city of Ortigia is impossible to navigate if driving, and with the tiniest streets imaginable-ripe with tons of confusing roundabouts to boot-so beware!

Alexandra came to the rescue though and we were eternally grateful. There are restricted/zoned areas where you are not supposed to drive and even with my google translate app we could not discern if a street was safe to drive onto or not-so Alexandra met us at a piazza and jumped in the car with us and took us to the parking garage-total LIFE saver. She also took a photo of our car and license plate for us to send to the police so we wouldn't be flagged and ticketed later on for having driven in a permit-only zone.

The room was really spacious with a little kitchen and fairly big bathroom for Sicily standards. Spotless and clean too.

Wonderful roof top breakfast included with great views!

The hospitality of the entire staff is fantastic and definitely worth a stay if in this lovely water side town.