Where to start: positives. The people are nice. And it's location in Palermo is great for the night life. Of course that night life goes on to six am at weekends, so be warned.

As for the rest. Firstly It needs a damn good clean from top to bottom, rather than the daily sweep it seems to get. And it could do with a lot of small maintenance jobs, things like new sealant under the shower screen and around the sink tap, a look at the toilet cistern, trying to track down the dreadful smell in the bathroom, fixing the shower unit to the wall properly, the front door that bangs, the sinking sofa in lobby, the badly scratched floors. It's shabby.

At very first glance the place looks as is if it might be OK: somebody has an eye for the design but certainly not the finish. It was done on the cheap and it shows. It's all superficial; looks good in the photos, presumably taken just after refurbishment, but awful in real life.

The essential thing you look for in a hotel is some thought having gone into the guest's comfort and convenience: why would I want to be uncomfortable and inconvenienced? So thanks for the king size bed: why not put a king size bedsheet on it, instead of what could quite possibly be a single bed sheet that ruches up under you at night? Two major omissions: first, a wardrobe or even a hanging rail (I had to buy coathangers to be able to hang my clothes on the door); second, a full length mirror. Some pictures to break up the bare walls of the bedroom might have been a good idea.

Breakfast is worth mentioning. Medialunes (croissants, really), bread, cream cheese, jam and dulce de leche, fresh orange juice and coffee. Fine as far as it goes, but that's all there is, the same every morning, not even a change of jam flavour. And the staff have a thing or two to learn about food service, not least making sure they bring a clean table mat and a plate.

'Boutique' hotel implies somewhere small but impeccably run. Small this is, but is probably the worst hotel for the price I have ever stayed in.