The island of Sicily is a triangle, which you'll often see represented as the Trinacria … three legs coming out of a Medusa's head. If you're going to get a sense of the diversity of the island, you really need to stay a while on each side. We did so, and were exceptionally lucky with our hotels. I'd happily return to any of them and felt like I had the best room in the place at two.
Palazzo Ducale Suites, Monreale (Palermo)
We'd originally cashed in some of my husband's loyalty points for a free stay at a corporate hotel in the centre of Palermo. But horror stories about driving in town changed my plans. Moving out to Monreale, as mentioned in the sightseeing blog for the area, was a great idea.
We chose the Palazzo Ducale Suites, seven modern suites carved out of the joining of two old buildings on a side street barely 100 yards from the duomo. Charming and attentive staff, very helpful and friendly. Enormous
rooms. We had a sitting room with couch, desk, tv, etc (shown here), plus a bedroom and
bathroom. Spotlessly clean, all recently renovated, everything in top
condition. (Trust me, this is not the norm in Italian B&B!) Fastest and most dependable WiFi we had in Sicily. A 30-minute bus ride takes you
to Palermo where you can then do a bus tour of that city before returning to
your calmer hilltop. They have a 20 euro a night deal with a car park about 10 minutes away, and they'll get your car for you and help you pack it when it's time to go.
There are a few quirks, however. The mattress ... at least in our room ... was horrible. Remember staying with friends who only had a pull out sofa bed, back when you were all too poor for proper furniture? That's what you get here, clearly feeling the metal structure below. Thankfully I was too exhausted from the walking to be kept awake, but sensitive sleepers would have had trouble. They might also have been awoken early by the hustle and bustle in the street below at 6am. This wars with the benefit of being across from a bakery; the morning smells are magnificent. Finally, the breakfast lady is a bit surly and the selection limited. You won't want to linger! Despite those considerations, if I ever returned to the area I'd come back here. At 120 euro a night it was a real find, worth putting up with a few flaws.
Foresteria Baglio Della Luna, Agrigento
The tourist trade here seems to be either a quick one-night stop or Italians doing reasonably-priced beach holidays. So the market for the kind of charming yet upscale, value-for-money boutique we like is pretty slim. I opted for Foresteria Baglio Della Luna and was mostly delighted … primarily because we got what's unquestionably the best room in the house. Do whatever you must, but make sure you get into Room 206.
The Foresteria is an old defensive farmhouse; a tower and walled gardens, now added to
with a modern, two story wing of additional hotel rooms. Everything is done in 19th century Sicilian style. Lots of dark wood, oil prints, tiled floors, burgundies, golds and deep greens. Room 206 is at the end of the modern wing, with a balcony and window, both overlooking the temples. And the balcony looking down on the lush semi-tropical gardens below. There are some lovely public spaces. Both the flower-filled courtyard and the traditionally decorated bar offer comfy seating; which is a good thing, as this is the only place the WiFi works well.
We stayed three nights, which was very rare. Clearly, this place hosts a lot of bus tours. Upscale groups, well catered for, but the tourist-in-packs syndrome could be irritating. On the plus side, I think the staff was so delighted to have someone to get to know for more than 12 hours that they really bent over backwards for us. We had a very high level of pampering.
The one drawback here is the restaurant. You'll want to eat here because, frankly, there's nothing in walking distance and it's too much of a hassle to drive. We dined in for three nights and, sadly, ended up with some of the most average food we had in Sicily. Nothing truly bad except for some overcooked lamb one night. But dishes ranged from the uninspired to the decidedly odd (strawberry risotto? Interesting, but it really didn't work). I suspect it's the negative consequence of mostly cooking for large groups. And yet, on May Day we had the chef's special menu of the day, which was excellent. So it's worth a try … but quality is unsteady.
Villa Diodoro, Taormina
We were seriously worried before arrival. We'd booked with a local travel agency on the strength of their recommendations and photos of the place. Two weeks before we left, we finally got around to reading the Trip Advisor reviews … which were decidedly mixed and featured a lot of complaints about the need for renovation. Our conclusion after staying there: this is a hotel where there's a big difference between standard and superior. Pay for the upgrade.
We … thanks probably to the fact that we needed a triple … got what must, once again, have been the best room in the place. 416, on the top floor, at the end of the hall, a massive room with a curving wall of windows and a wrap-around balcony overlooking Etna,Toarmina town and the bay below. Thoughtful service: Antonio parked our car for us and promptly brought us a third chair for the balcony, a barman helped me limp up from the pool after a fall, the front desk let us stay in the room 'til 3 on check out day. The pool is extraordinary. Dug into a platform built into the cliff below the hotel, the views are stunning, you have a sense of complete privacy and there's a bar staff to bring food and drink. Staying here and only using it as a base for sightseeing would be silly. The pool deck is a holiday destination on its own.
Like the Foresteria, I think the difference here may be that we stayed multiple nights (five) while at least half the hotel seemed to be Americans on bus tours stopping for one night and getting banquet food in the huge dining room. They all seemed to be on lower floors … and they were always the complainers.
Another plus for the Diodoro is that it's on the North side of the village, almost at the point the winding ring road exits. It means it's a twisty, nerve wracking drive through town to get there, but it stands a bit apart from most of the rest of the hotels. Meaning that your views include the spectacle of Taormina itself, and the little neighbourhood beyond the hotel isn't quite so swamped with tourist crowds.
I wouldn't book this one direct, though. The rack rate on our room was an extortionate 400 euro; we paid nowhere near that through our booking agency. Because they work with so many groups, I think this is the kind of hotel best booked through specialists who can negotiate with their group rates. (We used L'Isolabella)
Palazzo Ducale Suites, Monreale (Palermo)
We'd originally cashed in some of my husband's loyalty points for a free stay at a corporate hotel in the centre of Palermo. But horror stories about driving in town changed my plans. Moving out to Monreale, as mentioned in the sightseeing blog for the area, was a great idea.
There are a few quirks, however. The mattress ... at least in our room ... was horrible. Remember staying with friends who only had a pull out sofa bed, back when you were all too poor for proper furniture? That's what you get here, clearly feeling the metal structure below. Thankfully I was too exhausted from the walking to be kept awake, but sensitive sleepers would have had trouble. They might also have been awoken early by the hustle and bustle in the street below at 6am. This wars with the benefit of being across from a bakery; the morning smells are magnificent. Finally, the breakfast lady is a bit surly and the selection limited. You won't want to linger! Despite those considerations, if I ever returned to the area I'd come back here. At 120 euro a night it was a real find, worth putting up with a few flaws.
Foresteria Baglio Della Luna, Agrigento
The tourist trade here seems to be either a quick one-night stop or Italians doing reasonably-priced beach holidays. So the market for the kind of charming yet upscale, value-for-money boutique we like is pretty slim. I opted for Foresteria Baglio Della Luna and was mostly delighted … primarily because we got what's unquestionably the best room in the house. Do whatever you must, but make sure you get into Room 206.
The Foresteria is an old defensive farmhouse; a tower and walled gardens, now added to
We stayed three nights, which was very rare. Clearly, this place hosts a lot of bus tours. Upscale groups, well catered for, but the tourist-in-packs syndrome could be irritating. On the plus side, I think the staff was so delighted to have someone to get to know for more than 12 hours that they really bent over backwards for us. We had a very high level of pampering.
The one drawback here is the restaurant. You'll want to eat here because, frankly, there's nothing in walking distance and it's too much of a hassle to drive. We dined in for three nights and, sadly, ended up with some of the most average food we had in Sicily. Nothing truly bad except for some overcooked lamb one night. But dishes ranged from the uninspired to the decidedly odd (strawberry risotto? Interesting, but it really didn't work). I suspect it's the negative consequence of mostly cooking for large groups. And yet, on May Day we had the chef's special menu of the day, which was excellent. So it's worth a try … but quality is unsteady.
Villa Diodoro, Taormina
We were seriously worried before arrival. We'd booked with a local travel agency on the strength of their recommendations and photos of the place. Two weeks before we left, we finally got around to reading the Trip Advisor reviews … which were decidedly mixed and featured a lot of complaints about the need for renovation. Our conclusion after staying there: this is a hotel where there's a big difference between standard and superior. Pay for the upgrade.
We … thanks probably to the fact that we needed a triple … got what must, once again, have been the best room in the place. 416, on the top floor, at the end of the hall, a massive room with a curving wall of windows and a wrap-around balcony overlooking Etna,Toarmina town and the bay below. Thoughtful service: Antonio parked our car for us and promptly brought us a third chair for the balcony, a barman helped me limp up from the pool after a fall, the front desk let us stay in the room 'til 3 on check out day. The pool is extraordinary. Dug into a platform built into the cliff below the hotel, the views are stunning, you have a sense of complete privacy and there's a bar staff to bring food and drink. Staying here and only using it as a base for sightseeing would be silly. The pool deck is a holiday destination on its own.
Another plus for the Diodoro is that it's on the North side of the village, almost at the point the winding ring road exits. It means it's a twisty, nerve wracking drive through town to get there, but it stands a bit apart from most of the rest of the hotels. Meaning that your views include the spectacle of Taormina itself, and the little neighbourhood beyond the hotel isn't quite so swamped with tourist crowds.
I wouldn't book this one direct, though. The rack rate on our room was an extortionate 400 euro; we paid nowhere near that through our booking agency. Because they work with so many groups, I think this is the kind of hotel best booked through specialists who can negotiate with their group rates. (We used L'Isolabella)
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