Sicily Region hotels & places to stay

We arrived on Sunday, very early, expecting to leave our luggage and get a breakfast somewhere and look for a car rental place however, we have been offered to have a free breakfas in the hotel, fantastic one, while they prepared our early, 10am check-in as well ordered a car for us from the local Hertz dealer. The room and car were ready for us straight after breakfast. I am talking so much about it, yes, as we didn't expect fresh fruits and vegetables juices, whole grain, multi seeds fresh bread, healthy variety of food, fruits and salads from a 3 star hotel. Around lunch we drove to mount Etna, unbelievable, a must, arriving late for a dinner at the city centre. We will recommend this hotel to our friends.

The hotel is a little dated - the carpets a bit old but i cant fault this hotel otherwise. Great size room with huge bed and balcony - we had a superior double with sea view. And we overlooked isola bella. We Had a separate change room/wardrobe room with safe. And the bathroom was a good size with bathtub. The breakfasts were plentiful with lots to choose from including sparkling wine and cannoli as well as brioche with granita. But the best part for us was the pool and the beach. An elevator takes u down to a grotto and there u are at the beach. It is spectacular. So is the infinity pool with a view of Mt Etna. Just stunning. Would love to come back and spend more time. Parking also is not a problem in July as plenty of spots on the road. Shuttle bus runs into town but book in early.

I really couldn't wish for more. The hotel site is a lovely castle and its surrounding buildings, with a huge and well gardened grounds, the rooms were clean, spacious and beautifully decorated, the service was friendly yet impeccable, the pool was great and the nearby beach a definite plus. Breakfast was also excellent with many choices and a combination of waiter-served main dishes and a buffe. I was worried after reading a few reviews that the location also hosts weddings, which is true, especially in the summertime, but for us this caused no bothers, there wasn't any loud noises nor dancing music, and none of the rooms are close to the wedding areas. We had dinner both in the (somewhat highly-priced) hotel restaurant and in the next door Blue Ice restaurant, and both were very good. The one small con we encountered was not enough shaded tables in the beautiful breakfast outdoor area, but this was a very minor issue with regards to our overall excellent experience.

The location and the hotel are becautiful and breath taking but the hotel is not a 4 stars as it claims to be. No parking available( they say they have only 12 cars spots but they are pretty much always unavailable). The entrance to the hotel is very narrow and uncomfortable with a car and they offer no valet service at all, they will assign you a parking spot for €15 a day a little far from the hotel and they offer no shuttle bus or car service to get your car if you need it. I think that a four stars hotel would offer all these kind of services, they are not a huge deal but they make the life of a guest more stressful. We loved the location and the view but way too much money for what they offer and claim to be.

We stayed for 6 nights (March 30 - April 5, 2013). My wife absolutely wanted a hotel with a pool, which narrowed our choice of hotel down by a lot. At 60 euros per night, NH Palermo seemed by far the best value of the hotels that had pools. Upon arrival, my wife was disappointed to see that the pool was green and that the pool area was closed. If you want the pool, you should ask the hotel if it will be open prior to booking. According to reviews and traveler photos, some rooms are newly renovated while others are quite dated. We had room 216 which was newly renovated and very nice. Pros: price was fantastic, newly renovated room was very nice, location was pretty good, breakfast was included and was good, front desk was friendly and spoke good English, fantastic restaurant (Kursaal Khalesa) right next door to the hotel. Cons: wifi was extremely slow and you needed to get a new wifi password from the front desk every 24 hours (which was annoying when staying 6 nights), pool was closed despite the weather being sunny and 20-23C, staff advised us that our shower was causing water damage in the room below us (which didn't bother us of course, but worth noting), certain front desk staff was often reluctant to help with restaurant reservations. If the price is right, I would highly recommend this hotel so long as you get a newly renovated room and do not mind very slow wifi or possible closed pool area.

This is a lovely resort which is perfect for families with young kids. We were there at the end of June, just before high season, so some of the facilities were closed, but there were still plenty of things to do. The swimming pools and gardens are great, the playground is good for kids and it’s nice that there’s a massage place on site. The Oasys restaurant is ok although a bit like eating in a giant conference centre. Stella Di Mare on the beach is much nicer, with a big shout out to Maria Rita and the rest of the staff who were very helpful and accommodating. Breakfast choice and quality could be a bit better but it was decent. The hotel is walking distance from lots of other restaurants and the location is great - right on the beach and close to Taormina. Only complaints: some noisy entertainment in the evenings, a slightly annoying system of top up cards to pay for things on site and limited recycling facilities. Otherwise a really lovely place - we enjoyed it very much!

Nice room good location, beds firm. Staff very friendly and helpful regarding area. Views of alley ways and rubble. Facilities could improve wifi slow, no tea and coffee making facilities though fridge which most hotels in Sicily now have. Nice breakfast , however sign at tea and coffee informing guests 1 beverage only or you would be charged for each additional tea or coffee. Packed breakfast for us as we were on early flight much appreciated. English language TV channels.

Never have I walked into a hotel that costs Euro 200 per night (approx) and been disappointed by a bed before! It was a military camp bed! Not a proper base, not even big enough to fit the headboard. The floors were sticky. The shower head and taps were sticky. Out came the Dettol wipes - seriously. The hotel is in a great location directly overlooking the sea. The breakfast sun terrace is idyllic in the morning calm and for an evening aperitif. The hotel is quirky and has some great old tiles on the floor, lovely old furniture, antique mirrors and has attempted to keep some of the baroque feel of the past. But then for some reason the doors look like a child has painted them and look like the carpenter wasn't paid to make them actually fit the frames. The paintings are quite amusing, until I looked up and there was what looked like some balletic vampires above us. Erm, ok. I personally think there are better options in the vicinity.

We had booked a junior suite and we would call it a large room, but not a suite. No Sofa, just two chairs, normal sized room ,large bathroom. Staff at the reception very freindly and helpfull, the morning service for breakfast was rather non existent. But the brekafast was ok. The hotel is in a quiet residencial area, about 25 minutes walk to the quatro canti. Normal rooms are extremely small!

We stayed here for four days and couldn't have loved our time more. It was a real home away from home and Brigitte made our stay so comfortable and easy! The apartment is spacious, clean and modern with all the amenities you could possibly need. Loved having a full kitchen and washing machine too. Great location on the beach front, and easy walking distance to all the main places! Would definitely recommended and will be staying again. Thanks for having us!