Ostello Vucciria

* The location is fantastic, right in the heart of Palermo, in the Vucciria Market area. It’s super convenient for getting to the main attractions and bus stations. It can get noisy at night from people eating, drinking and hanging out nearby, so it may not be ideal for light sleepers. I sleep very easily, though, so it wasn’t an issue for me. And the noise dies down around midnight when people start heading home. * The dorm has quite a lot of beds, but it’s clean, cute and well laid out, so even though my bed was at the very back, it didn’t feel cramped or stuffy. * The toilets and bathrooms are clean. There are several private shower rooms within the shared bathroom area, four sinks and large mirrors. * The staff are friendly and helpful, and they were happy to store my luggage after check-out. * There are windows for ventilation, balconies, and even a rooftop. * The common area has sofas and high tables, which are great for eating or working.

* The reception is only open until 5 PM, so as I arrived later, I had to collect the door and Wi-Fi codes from an envelope left at the bar next door. The bar is only open until shortly after midnight, so for guests arriving on a late flight after 2 AM, I wonder how this would work. Maybe the hostel could send the codes online after properly verifying the guest’s ID. That said, the bar staff were very friendly and even messaged me to ask if I needed any help, so it wasn’t a major issue. * The city tax has to be paid in cash. There are plenty of ATMs nearby, but many charge quite high withdrawal fees, and I ended up paying a surprisingly high fee just to withdraw a small amount. It would be great if there were an option to pay by card or add the tax to the final bill at check-out, especially since it was only €4. * I stayed in a dorm on the top bunk. The ladder is designed in a slightly awkward way, so I had to be quite careful when climbing up and down. * There is no elevator, unfortunately. The staircase is very narrow and steep, and carrying a 25 kg suitcase up two floors after a long, exhausting flight was definitely a workout. * From the main street, you have to walk through a rough, cobblestoned road into Vucciria Market. It’s not far, but dragging a suitcase over the uneven surface can be quite challenging. I also arrived in the evening, when the market was packed with people eating and drinking, which made it even harder to navigate with luggage.

Valentina at reception, along with Alex, were always friendly and helpful. Martina and Francesca (housekeeping) were also nice and communicative. The central location to bars, restaurants, shopping, supermarket, barber, port and all Palermo city sights was amazing.

The loud noise from the street music took a night or two to get used to, but then it was fine and just added to the fun atmosphere.

Very central location, right in the popular bar/restaurant street, easy to walk everywhere and catch the bus to airport; Very friendly staff, Valentina was an absolute darling, very sweet and helpful! Kitchen and common area is very well maintained and fully equipped; Room was big and comfortable, plenty of space to put your stuff. Will definitely come back again!

Shower room is very difficult to use, no place to hang your clothes and not get wet.

Pros: near a bus stop for route 101, which comes frequently, as well as the airport bus. Valentina was very nice and could be reached over WhatsApp. There is a fridge and a microwave, and they will hold you things after checkout if you need.

Cons: unless you have no sound sensitivity, I would not recommend staying here. The music outside is unbelievably loud and goes until 4am sometimes. The air conditioning also did nothing to cool the room at all, but if you open the windows the noise is even louder. I slept with only the sheet on me and was still hot, and it was only early June. The bathroom floors also get really gross because water from the shower areas is not contained, people walk on the wet floor with their shoes so you have dirt and hair caking on the bathroom floors. There was also a large group staying long term while I was there and their things were completely covering the bathroom counters and even filling the sinks sometimes. The room was all girls while I was there, but I don’t see how it would work as a mixed gender room since the shower dividers don’t provide great privacy.