Best hotels in Palermo, Sicily
Palermo is not yet among Italy’s most coveted destinations for foreign travellers compared to cities like Rome, Venice, or Florence but, in my opinion, some of the best hotels in Palermo are also some of the most beautiful hotels in Italy. The southern city’s popularity has been growing in recent years, attracting world travellers thanks to its rich cultural heritage and year-round vibrant atmosphere.
It’s always been a cultural melting pot. Controlled by the Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, and the Spanish Bourbons, the city’s rich history is still evident, making it one of the most architecturally fascinating places on the peninsula. With seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites within the city walls, a vivacious cultural scene, and ever-growing culinary offerings, Palermo has proven to be a fabulous destination beyond the summer months.
It may not boast as many luxury hotels as other major cities in the country, but the growth in tourism has stimulated the opening of numerous small, independently owned hotels that offer a kind of hospitality that feels luxurious in its warmth. Here, we round up our favourite places to stay in the city, from 5-star institutions to charming family-run B&Bs. As an Italian local, there are a handful of hotels in Palermo I’d revisit time and time again.
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Hotel Photography srlVilla Igiea
If you are seeking the ultimate luxury experience during your visit to Palermo, there is somewhere specific that can offer it: Villa Igiea. Located on the outskirts of the city, between the Pellegrino Mountain and the Gulf of Palermo, the hotel is far enough to feel like you are on a coastal retreat and close enough to make it easy to pop into town for a walk. And don’t worry about having to take taxis or public transport, the hotel has a shuttle service that takes guests to and from the city centre in about 10 minutes.
The building is rich in history, and at the beginning of the 1900s, it underwent renovation by the celebrated Italian architect Ernesto Basile, one of the Italian masters of Art Nouveau. The hotel boasts 72 rooms and 28 spacious suites split between the main building and the adjacent Palazzina Donna Franca. Some of the suites also feature terraces, offering a beautiful view of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Villa Igiea offers the possibility of enjoying a city getaway while feeling like you are in a secluded oasis, and the incredible weather that blesses Sicily most days of the year means guests can enjoy the outdoor pool well into autumn and very early in spring. For the coldest months, the hotel organises plenty of activities to discover the region once the crowds have gone, think wild swimming escapades, sailing experiences on the placid sea and behind-the-scenes visits to the famed Palermo Opera House.
BENEDETTO TARANTINOGrand Hotel et Des Palmes
It’s hard to believe it when entering the lobby today, but when it was first built to be the residence of a wealthy English family, what would then become the Grand Hotel et Des Palmes was a much smaller, lavish house outside of the city, surrounded by flourishing gardens and offering a distant view of the sea. In 1874, a local entrepreneur transformed it into a hotel. Although the people at the helm have changed over the years, the building has remained a gathering place for affluent foreigners visiting the city. Like many of the elegant buildings in Palermo, the hotel was also renovated by Ernesto Basile, and many of his Art Nouveau touches have been restored and are still present today.
The hotel is home to 105 rooms and suites with a sleek and modern design, but its crown jewel is the Richard Wagner Signature Suite, the only room that has retained its historical form and still features 19th-century stuccoes, as well as the piano that the composer received as a gift from his father-in-law, Franz Liszt, and is said to have used to compose his opera Parsifal in that exact room. If staying in this piece of history is out of budget, you can request a tour from the team, and they will be happy to share all the secrets that these walls hold.
Locanda Santamarina Dimora di Charme
If, when travelling, you like to stay in the centre of the action, you can’t get a better location than Locanda Santamarina Dimora di Charme, which is only steps away from Palermo’s cathedral and the main shopping streets, meaning you won’t ever need to venture far during your visit. The rooms and suites all feature a modern look and a calming colour palette of earthy tones, including the penthouse suite, which can accommodate up to four people. Don’t be fooled by the rooms’ sleek look; the property is far from being a modern cookie-cutter hotel. The historical building underwent a large-scale renovation that included eight months of archaeological excavations and restoration, supervised by the Italian Ministry of Culture, resulting in the charming hotel of today.
The spa is small but mighty and was created in what used to be a World War II air-raid shelter. The facilities include a Turkish bath, a Finnish sauna, a Roman sauna, a thermal pool, and a Himalayan salt room, as well as a fully equipped gym for those looking to maintain their fitness regimen. For the guests enjoying a romantic getaway, there is also a space dedicated to couples, featuring a jacuzzi, sauna, and treatment beds.
Ambrosia Timeless Hosting
This small hotel is a family affair. In 2018, a local family decided to purchase a historic building and a garage in the heart of the city, which had all its original components covered by a thick layer of modern white plaster. After four years of renovation, the building is now back to its former glory and centuries of the city’s history can be seen within its walls. Looking closely at the walls in the rooms and the lobby, it’s possible to distinguish the various renovation phases that the building underwent over the centuries, with bricks dating from the 1700s lying right next to local tuff stone. The stairs that take guests from the lobby to their rooms date back to the 15th century and have been covered with a modern glass staircase, allowing guests to enjoy them while also preserving their historical value.
The property features two rooms and two suites, similar in layout but each with its own character. The Rosalia suite, named after the city’s patron saint, is the largest and the only one that features both a bathtub and a shower. Both suites feature vaulted ceilings and original frescoes, while the two rooms feature beautifully restored wooden coffered ceilings. A real gem, located right next to Palermo’s UNESCO-listed cathedral.
Bastione Spasimo Boutique Hotel
This charming boutique hotel is located next to the stunning Church of Santa Maria dello Spasimo, the Botanical Garden and the Villa Giulia park, in the historical neighbourhood of Kalsa – a perfect place to stay if you want to feel immersed in the city’s rich past. The building was constructed in the 16th century and served as military protection, and it remains one of the few of its kind still intact. The rooms on the ground floor have been carved directly from the centuries-old wall, while the other rooms, located on the first floor, are housed in a construction dating back to the 1900s. The bastion rooms feature the original stone roof and have private patios, while the rooms upstairs are modern and spacious, offering a view of either the garden or the main square. The best room in the house, though, is the Suite room, which includes a wellness area with a Finnish sauna, a large jacuzzi and a hammam shower.
Although it is still considered a small hotel, the outdoor space at Bastione Spasimo is lovely and feels like a haven in the city, offering opportunities to relax in the garden and spend some time in the pool when the weather permits.
Palazzo Arone dei Baroni di Valentino
Many noble palaces in Palermo have been renovated and transformed into stunning boutique hotels over the last few years, thanks to the influx of tourism in the region, and Palazzo Arone dei Baroni di Valentino is one of the most beautiful examples. Staying in this 16th-century palace feels like being in a time capsule to the golden age of Sicilian aristocracy. Original frescoes, traditional coffered and vaulted ceilings, and antique furnishings can be found throughout the property, and asking the butler for a tour is a must when visiting. The reception rooms can also be privatised for events or even just an intimate dinner, making the house the perfect place to celebrate a milestone or anniversary when in the city.
The breakfast, which is elegantly served and includes freshly piped cannoli with a decadent ricotta filling, as well as other local desserts, pastries, cheeses, and other classics, rivals that of a 5-star hotel. However, if you’d rather sample the local cuisine outside, the palace is situated next to Piazza Quattro Canti, a baroque square at the heart of the city's hustle and bustle, thanks to proximity to Via Maqueda and the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, which are lined with restaurants, bars, and shops.
Casa Nostra
Casa Nostra, ‘our home’ in Italian, is a twelve-room boutique hotel located inside the historical Palazzo Bulè, right in the centre of Palermo. All rooms are minimalist and elegantly furnished, but only the Bulè Junior Suite features beautiful, original painted ceilings. Three of the suites feature fabulous terraces that not only offer extra outdoor living space to enjoy the sun, but also small outdoor jacuzzis to soak in while taking in the view – quite a nice way to end a long day of exploring and shopping. The hotel also has its own bistro located in the courtyard, where Sicilian classics with a contemporary twist are served in a refined yet cosy atmosphere. The outdoor space is surrounded by greenery, and at its centre is the heated pool – a wonderfully calm space to unwind right in the heart of the busy old town.
If you are staying at Casa Nostra, be sure to set aside a few hours to enjoy the spa, which features a pool, sauna, and a range of treatments. The space is not very large, but well-designed, and it’s a nice addition that is rarely found in city hotels of this size, offering an extra layer of relaxation to the experience.
L'Hôtellerie
This hotel is situated in a converted 16th-century property, built into the city’s 9th-century walls, and features ten rooms, a solarium, and a small outdoor pool overlooking the seafront promenade and the water. Its proximity to the water doesn’t mean the hotel is far from the city's main attractions. Palermo's bustling centre is only fifteen minutes away, while the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Norman Palace is a thirty-minute walk. L'Hôtellerie is a small establishment with only ten accommodations, including seven classic rooms, two superior rooms, and a suite that can welcome up to four people, but all of them feature the same attention to detail with sleek interiors that blend the historical accents that have been preserved with modern design.
Staffing is minimal on-site but generally efficient, and the 24-hour check-in is fully self-service but straightforward. A continental breakfast spread featuring a variety of local delicacies is served in the lounge, and the common areas are designed to be lived in and enjoyed by guests. There is no restaurant per se, but a lovely rooftop bar that is perfect for enjoying a cocktail or a local Sicilian wine while soaking in the beauty of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
One
With only three rooms available to book, this centrally located B&B is the epitome of small but mighty. Although all rooms are simply furnished, comfortable and clean, I would choose Room 1 for the added charm of the arched stone window next to the bed. If you want a bathtub, note that Room 3 is the only accommodation that has one. Like many small hotels in Palermo, One is also located in a historical building full of allure. Once the home of Prince Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, also known as the author of the literary masterpiece The Leopard, the building was bombed and almost completely destroyed during World War II. Restorations began in 2011, and thanks to the many details left documented by its previous owner, the palace’s former glory was recreated.
Here, there is minimal staff on-site, and check-in is done independently using your smartphone, so it’s not the place to go if you are expecting luxury hotel treatment. However, it’s a great place if what you want is simple charm and ease. In the morning, a buffet of classic Italian treats like ricotta-based cakes and biscotti is served, but you can easily request savoury options as well as allergy-friendly choices.
