The Luxury Hotel in Palermo
Our choice in Palermo: Villa Igiea, a Rocco Forte Hotel – a hand-picked 5-star hotel, individually vetted. Included with every suitespot booking: breakfast for two, a room upgrade subject to availability, hotel credit and VIP service – benefits of over €500.
Your guide to the best luxury hotel in Palermo
Villa Igiea, a Rocco Forte Hotel, Palermo · City CentreFor this guide we reviewed the best hotels in Palermo and chose one: a luxury hotel in that palace, standing on the second-highest rung of our ranking. What that means for booking is below.At no extra cost: booking through suitespot costs the same as booking direct with the hotel – the benefits come on top, free of charge.
One luxury hotel in Palermo – and who it suits
Our choice for Palermo is the Villa Igiea on Salita Belmonte, in the Acquasanta quarter. In our ranking it stands at 4.8 out of 5. A night starts at 435 euros.
Why we recommend it: Because the building was bought in 1899 by the Florio family and converted into a hotel by the architect Ernesto Basile, opening in 1900 – a principal work of Sicilian Liberty style. The Sala Basile carries murals by Ettore de Maria Bergler. In 2019 Rocco Forte Hotels took it over and reopened it in 2021 after restoration, with 100 rooms and suites. The port is two kilometres away, the Teatro Massimo three, Mondello eight. Our recommended category is called Superior with sea view.
Our travel advisors’ insider tip
A second credit with three conditions – and points without a programme.
Two points in this hotel’s package are worth reading before booking.
First the second credit. On top of the usual 100 US dollars hotel credit comes a second 100 US dollars – but only for suites, only from two nights and not in all rates. Three conditions, and all three must hold. A second credit of that kind is rare. At a hotel whose categories are three-quarters suites, that is especially practical.
Second the points. Regular points and status benefits are part of the package. Have it settled before booking which account the points land in.
And the recommended category needs clearing up. The recommendation is Superior with sea view. Which view comes with which Superior room is something our travel advisors settle before booking. An express sea view comes with the Deluxe and Executive categories – all three at 31 square metres, so the same size.
Our advice: book by the view, not by the name. Sixteen of the 34 categories look out to sea, four more directly onto the seafront.
Where to stay in Palermo: in the Acquasanta, two kilometres from the port
The Villa Igiea stands on Salita Belmonte in the Acquasanta quarter – two kilometres from the port, three from the Teatro Massimo, four from the cathedral, eight from Mondello, ten from Monreale and 24 from Palermo airport.
Our recommendation is therefore for anyone who wants to see Palermo and find quiet at the water in the evening – the old town is near enough for the day and far enough for the night.
What lies within reach: the Teatro Massimo, three kilometres, the largest opera house in Italy; the cathedral of 1185, four kilometres, where Norman, Arab and Gothic parts alternate; and Monreale, ten kilometres, with 12th-century mosaics across 6,000 square metres.
On arrival: Palermo airport lies 24 kilometres west and is about fifty minutes away by train. The old town is a ten-minute drive.
34 categories, 25 suites: the best hotel in Palermo from the inside
The Villa Igiea offers 34 categories, 25 of them suites.
The rooms: 27 square metres in the Classic, 31 in five further categories – Superior, Deluxe (twice), Executive and another Superior – and 50 in a studio. Our recommended category sits at 31.
The suites: from 38 through 41, 56, 64 and 69 up to the four at 76 named Florio and Igiea, two Tower suites at 82 and five suites at 105 square metres – among them Donna Franca, named after Franca Florio, and George V.
On the view: this hotel’s motif is the sea – sixteen categories look out to it, four more directly onto the seafront. One category looks over the city, and another offers two possible views – worth asking which one it will be.
What applies equally to every category: breakfast for two, 100 US dollars hotel credit, for suites a further 100 US dollars under the conditions above, the upgrade on arrival subject to availability, regular points and status benefits, early check-in and late check-out subject to availability and a seasonal welcome gift.
What a night at the luxury hotel in Palermo costs
A night at the luxury hotel in Palermo starts at 435 euros.
Bookings start at one night. Included are: breakfast for two, 100 US dollars hotel credit, the upgrade on arrival, regular points and status benefits, early check-in and late check-out and a seasonal welcome gift. For suites a further 100 US dollars applies, from two nights and not in all rates.
When it is loveliest: in April, May and June and in September and October. It is then warm enough for the sea and cool enough for the city.
What belongs to Palermo: the summer. July and August get hot, and the city moves its life into the evening. Anyone coming then plans the sights before eleven and after six.
When to ask early: at Easter, in July for the Festa di Santa Rosalia and in September.
How long to stay: three to four nights – two days for the old town, a day for Monreale, a day for Mondello.
And whatever the date: you get the suitespot benefits in the quietest week of the year just as you do in the busiest.
A palace from 1900 and exclusive services – the alternative to a 5-star hotel
Palermo was founded by Phoenicians, was Arab, then Norman, and in the 19th century a city whose wealth came from the Florios – they traded in Marsala, tuna and shipping. Our hotel dates from that time.
Personal luxury travel adviceOur travel advisors personally accompany your booking – 365 days a year, from the first offer to late check-out. Reach the suitespot VIP service via email or WhatsApp.Phone: +49 30 81452346 · hotel@suitespot.comThree things belong to it. First the Teatro Massimo: three kilometres, opened in 1897, the largest opera house in Italy. Second the cathedral: four kilometres, begun in 1185, with parts from four centuries. Third Monreale: ten kilometres, with a mosaic cycle counted among the most significant of the Middle Ages.
The package at this hotel is breakfast, 100 US dollars credit, a second credit for suites, the upgrade on arrival, points and status benefits, check-in and check-out and a seasonal gift.
What our travel advisors arrange most often: settling the category and the view, for the reasons stated above, the table at the water and tickets for the Teatro Massimo.
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Frequently asked questions about luxury hotels in Palermo
How many luxury hotels in Palermo does suitespot offer?
We reviewed the best hotels in Palermo and chose one: the Villa Igiea on Salita Belmonte, two kilometres from the port.
How much does a luxury hotel in Palermo cost per night?
A night starts at 435 euros, with a minimum of one night.
How big are the rooms at the luxury hotel in Palermo?
From 27 square metres in the Classic to 105 in the largest suites. Our recommended category has 31 square metres.
Which is the best hotel in Palermo?
The Villa Igiea. In our ranking it stands at 4.8 out of 5: a palace from 1900 converted by Ernesto Basile, with Rocco Forte since 2019 and reopened in 2021 after restoration.
How does the second hotel credit in Palermo work?
It applies to suites, from two nights and not in all rates – then a further 100 US dollars comes on top of the first 100. A second credit of that kind is rare.
Which frequent-traveller programme does the hotel in Palermo belong to?
Regular points and status benefits are part of the package. Our travel advisors settle before booking which account the points land in.
Which categories in Palermo have a sea view?
Sixteen of the 34 name the sea, four more the seafront expressly. Our recommended category is called Superior with sea view – which view exactly comes with it, we settle before booking.
When is the best time to visit Palermo?
In April, May and June and in September and October.
