Maison Ortigia

I had an absolutely perfect stay at Maison Ortigia in Siracusa. Everything exceeded my expectations. I was travelling alone and felt completely comfortable and relaxed throughout my stay. The room had a beautiful view over the rooftops, and from the terrace you could even see the sea, which made the experience even more special. The location is ideal, right in the heart of Ortigia, yet still quiet and peaceful. The room itself was spotless, stylish, and very well equipped. Breakfast was also excellent – fresh and delicious, especially the pastries, which were a real highlight. The hosts were fantastic – kind, responsive, and very helpful. I was truly satisfied with everything. I highly recommend this place and would definitely stay here again!

Honestly, there was nothing to complain about – everything was perfect.

central Ortigia location near to good bars and restaurants - great balcony especially in the sun - great breakfast with warm hospitality

Central to the city, was clean and very good breakfast, would go back for sure on next visit. Very helpful staff.

Ortigia is a tiny, walkable island where everything is within reach, with public transportation nearby and the kind of historic charm that makes you want to linger. B&B Maison Ortigia has a great location. Unfortunately, that is where the good news ends. General cleanliness was acceptable. Our room was cleaned and the beds made every day. Lia in the dining room and Cristiano at reception are genuinely good people — warm, professional, and clearly committed to the guests in front of them. They deserve better resources and a better-run operation behind them. This is a minimum-investment, maximum-profit operation, and the guests pay the price. We made the significant mistake of booking 7 nights here. One or two, purely for the location, would be the absolute limit. Would I return? No. Would I recommend it? No.

A broader warning first: the photos on Booking.com do not reflect reality. Not the rooms, and not the breakfast. The breakfast listing shows fruits, oranges, cereals, and a variety of breads. What you actually get is coffee, bread, egg, ham, and cheese — and that was consistent every single day across an entire week. This is not a one-day oversight. The rooms we stayed in (two of them) bore no resemblance to what is advertised either. I had read reviews making exactly this point before booking and chose to ignore them. Do not make the same mistake. The reception closes at 19:00 — worth knowing before you arrive. We were assigned a tiny room with a bathroom in very poor condition: a foul smell, a broken bidet, and a severely rusted shower. The window blind did not work. We complained and were moved to a slightly larger room — but the toilet seat was broken (as shown in the attached photo), an issue that appears in reviews going back several months. The owner has simply not replaced a toilet seat. That single fact captures the management philosophy of this property better than anything else I could write. The walls are paper-thin. We did not get a single good night of rest during our entire stay — noise from neighboring rooms, noise from above, and a garbage truck that collects bottles at 3:30am. This is the opposite of a relaxing vacation. The mattresses are worn and uncomfortable, the elevator is in poor condition, and the mini fridge in our room was so loud we had to unplug it every night. Reaching the breakfast room requires navigating from the 1st floor of one building to the 4th floor of another.