Villa Calandrino

My review concerns the day at the pool. Entrance 50 per couple, they give you the room kept clean, but the problem arises when we arrive at the pool where we don't find sunbeds or rather there were few, we ask the reception for sunbeds, answer: there aren't any, I'll give you some poufs, those for the beach. They were dirty and some damaged. Umbrellas always few and old, not suitable for a pool, which flew away with the wind, we camped under a small and dirty sail shade. Some chairs were made of iron and very heavy... the grass was poorly maintained... bar closed... there was no lifeguard, if something happened they would be the first to be held responsible. People arrived and when they were told there were no sunbeds they left, but they didn't tell us beforehand and this was unfair. People were lying in wait, as soon as someone left a sunbed they immediately took it. TO REMEDY THE DAMAGE DONE THEY GAVE US A DISCOUNT... THE GIRL AT THE RECEPTION WAS VERY HELPFUL BUT SHE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. NOW I ASK, WHAT KIND OF WAY IS THIS TO MANAGE A POOL WITHOUT SERVICES? A LOCATION THAT HAS POTENTIAL BUT MANAGED IN THIS WAY LOSES SO MUCH, WHAT A SHAME.

Absolutely fleeing, this establishment does not correspond to the expected standing for a 4 star. Despite its undeniable beauty, the place clearly lacks maintenance: dirty and unusable swimming pool, little manicured garden, and the interiors are dusty. Beyond the dirt of the premises, the service leaves even more to be desired: Breakfast is extremely limited, it is not possible to serve bread, there was no butter from the third day, the waitress explaining that the groceries had not been done. In addition to being sampled, the food is not fresh, the same cake was served daily for five consecutive days. The manager was quite careless and did not seem to care about the well-being of her guests: we had only one day of hot water out of five. We also had to change rooms in the middle of the stay due to a birthday party planned for Saturday night in the reception room. On Saturday morning, we change rooms, but finally, at 8:45 p.m., we learn at random that the reception in question is cancelled and that we no longer need to change rooms... Despite the absence of a birthday party, we were still forced to have our breakfast the next day outside the hotel, at the "Capitol Bar", a kind of rather seedy bar/fast food, which deigned to serve us only one drink and an unhappy croissant per person, without possibility of supplement. When we expressed our displeasure with the manager, she told us that it was in line with the contract with the bar, and that there would be nothing more. In summary: Pass your way, if the photos sell an indeed beautiful place, its maintenance and management are absolutely catastrophic.

I rarely leave reviews, but I feel it’s important to share our experience so others know what to expect. We stayed at Villa Calandrino as a group of six (three couples) for four nights (Wednesday–Sunday). Based on the 4★ rating and photos, we arrived with high expectations. Unfortunately, the reality was very different. The hotel is located around a 10-minute drive from Sciacca centre, which is convenient. However, on arrival we were greeted in the driveway by an intoxicated individual, which was not a great first impression. The receptionist was polite and professional, but this was one of the few positives. We were informed on arrival that the swimming pool was unavailable. When we saw it, the water was green and clearly not maintained, despite temperatures reaching 26°C in mid-April. The surrounding grounds were also poorly kept, with mostly uncut grass and outdoor seating consisting of old, broken chairs. The rooms were very basic but acceptable. However, several key issues made the stay uncomfortable: • WiFi did not work at all • Rooms were only cleaned once during a 4-night stay • There was no proper hot water for showers (only lukewarm on one occasion) Breakfast was extremely disappointing and only available between 8:30 and 9:30am. On multiple mornings there was no butter, very limited bread (and none at all one day), and the overall offering was minimal: packaged ham, processed cheese, cornflakes, oats, and hard-boiled eggs only. No fresh fruit or variation. On one occasion we were sent to a nearby bar for breakfast, where we were given just one croissant and coffee each. The most frustrating aspect was the complete lack of management presence. Despite multiple requests, the manager/owner never appeared to address any of the issues. Communication was poor throughout, including being told late in the evening that we might need to change rooms due to a party, only for this to be cancelled at the last minute. There was also no proper check-out process — we were simply told to leave the keys and go. Overall, this property feels neglected and is clearly not being maintained to the standard advertised. The photos online do not reflect the current reality. Summary: Convenient location, but poor maintenance, lack of basic amenities, and absent management make this a stay we cannot recommend.