COLIBRI boutique apartment

The Colibrì is at corso Sicilia 97, the broad axis that cuts across the centre of Catania between piazza della Repubblica and via Etnea, in an area of twentieth century buildings a short step from the Stesicoro quarter. The Stesicoro metro stop is two hundred metres away, the Roman Amphitheatre five hundred, piazza Duomo nine hundred and Villa Bellini one kilometre and one hundred metres. Fontanarossa airport is seven kilometres away and Catania Centrale station is among the nearest landmarks. Those who have slept here point out in their reviews two supermarkets right opposite and a chemist's nearby: it is an urban, practical position rather than a picturesque one, and that is exactly its strength.

How it is laid out

The whole apartment is let, forty square metres for two people, classified by the portal as a studio with a French double bed. The bed folds down from a fitted wall, so that by day the space remains a living room with a sofa, a round table and an armchair; the bathroom is private, with shower, bidet and toiletries. The kitchen is a real and complete one, with an induction hob, oven, microwave, fridge, dishwasher, coffee machine, electric kettle, toaster and a set of utensils in the drawers, and there is a washing machine. The apartment has air conditioning, heating, free wifi and tall windows with a view over the city; the building has a lift, and the portal notes parking. It is non smoking accommodation. The house is managed directly by its owner, Isabella, whom foreign guests almost always mention for her readiness over late arrivals, and the welcome usually includes water and fruit in the fridge and a breakfast basket.

The wellness area and the swimming pools

There are none. The Colibrì is an apartment in a block of flats in the centre: it has no spa, no sauna, steam bath, whirlpool, relaxation room or treatment cabins, and it has no swimming pools, neither indoor nor outdoor. The bathroom has a shower, and that is the end of it. It needs saying without ambiguity because the name boutique apartment can suggest fittings that do not exist here: what you are buying is a small, new and well equipped home inside Catania, not a wellness stay.

The access rules

The booking portal writes that children are not allowed and, on the same page, sets the minimum age for checking in at 18 years: it is therefore an adults only property with a threshold stated in figures. The owners publish no official website, so the portal remains the only source available and this page rests on it, including the photographs, which are those uploaded by the management to the portal's gallery. There are no cots or extra beds. Arrival is between 15 and 23 and must be announced in advance, because there is no reception: departure is between 6 and 10. Pets are not allowed, smoking is not permitted, parties are not held, the house is not available for stag or hen parties and quiet is to be respected from 23 to 7. The regional identification code is 19087015C214570 and the national one IT087015C2TX6DYX9Y.

Who it suits

It suits those staying a few days in Catania who want to cook and do their washing instead of eating out three times a day, those who move about by metro and by train, and those arriving at awkward hours who prefer an independent apartment to a hotel. It suits less those looking for a spa or a swimming pool, those who want breakfast served and those expecting a view over the baroque: here you look at the city at work.