Villa Mareneve has the potential to be a really good rental property. It has lush, well maintained gardens with a splendid pool and views to both the sea and to Mount Etna. Mara, the host who lives in an adjoining part of the property, responded quickly to our questions and requirements both before and during our visit.
The interior of the villa however needs some TLC. Various things were broken or didn’t function well, for example the cooker light, a blocked washbasin and plugs that didn’t allow water to stay in basins. Additional blankets were provided on our request after a very cool night, whereas in most properties these are immediately to hand. The lighting was old fashioned and inadequate, making the whole place seem rather dark. Solar energy is used for heating the hot water so there was never enough in the evening for showers, even on sunny days. Mara had to arrange a top up via the boiler on several occasions. The shower doors upstairs were difficult to close and caused leakage. The bed mattresses were too worn and not comfortable. Likewise the pillows were too small and uncomfortable.
Better signage is required in order to find the villa. A small “151” on the wall, partially hidden by foliage, was the only indication but a prominent villa name would be of assistance. However, it is a safe location with electronically controlled entry gates, giving a feeling of security. Several reviews from previous years mentioned that the front door lock needs attention. It still does as it takes a lot of fiddling to get it to open!
The owners are quite rightly concerned with recycling and we were diligent in putting waste in the correct bins. For visitors staying more than a few days additional bags should be provided for rubbish since separate bins were needed for 4 categories of trash.
Villa Mareneve is in a quiet location and is conveniently situated for visits by car to Taormina, Mount Etna, Syracusa, local supermarkets and restaurants.