On Ortigia, a palazzo by the cathedral, the former main post office on Porto Piccolo and a Liberty-style hotel with a sea-view pool lie a few lanes apart: our travel advisors personally find which of the luxury hotels in Syracuse suits you. Through suitespot you also get, depending on the hotel, breakfast for two, a room upgrade subject to availability, hotel credit and VIP service – worth around €500 on average over two nights.
Palazzo Artemide Syracuse · OrtigiaAll three luxury hotels in Syracuse are on the old town island, and which is the best hotel for you depends on where on the island you want to stay. If you want to stay right next to the cathedral, choose the Palazzo Artemide Syracuse, with a roof garden above the old town; pets are welcome there too. For a pool and spa with sea views, the Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse is the address. And if you collect points, book the Ortea Palace Sicily in the former main post office, with a spa, an indoor pool and a rooftop restaurant.Baroque façades, harbor life or sea views – what are you most looking forward to in Syracuse? Here are the city’s best-known addresses at a glance, with location, suitespot score and price per night. Our tip: if you want the sea outside your window, book the Ortea Palace Sicily on the edge of the old town island, with rooms facing the sea or balconies over the water.
| Hotel | Location | suitespot score | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palazzo Artemide Syracuse | Ortigia | ★ 4.5/5 | 175 € |
| Ortea Palace Sicily | Syracuse | ★ 4.3/5 | 284 € |
| Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse | Island of Ortigia | ★ 4.1/5 | 434 € |
Hand-picked by our travel experts: every hotel in Syracuse with the benefits that are included when you book through suitespot, its nightly rate and our Score.
4.5Via Roma 66, 96100 Ortigia, Siracusa, Italy
4.3Marriott BonvoyVia Riva Nazario Sauro Siracusa, Sicily Island, Italy 96100
4.1Leaders ClubPasseggio Adorno 10‑12, 96100 Syracuse, Italy
Two of the three hotels now have a new name or a new brand.
Since 2024 the former Hotel Roma on Via Roma has been called the Palazzo Artemide Syracuse. The VRetreats group renovated it from top to bottom: modern design, while the Doric columns and limestone walls were preserved. For you this means 40 rooms on four floors, vaulted limestone halls, a roof garden where you watch the sunset over the old town, and, beneath the stone vaults, the Amuni Restaurant with Sicilian cooking and tables on Piazza Minerva.
Palazzo Artemide Syracuse · Rooms & suitesThe Ortea Palace Sicily opened in 2018 in the former main post office and has been part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection since 2023. Breakfast is served in the Agora courtyard, there are rooms with sea views or with a balcony over the water, and the bathrooms stock Diptyque toiletries.
The Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse is the hotel with the longest break: closed in 1963, it reopened on 14 July 2003 after 40 years – today with a heated infinity pool, a spa and a roof terrace.
Two of the three hotels have a pool and a spa, and they could hardly be more different: one pool lies in the open air above the sea, the other in the basement.
Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse · PoolAt the Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse you will find the Miramare Infinity Pool, heated and overlooking the sea, open from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm; outside guests can use it with a reservation. The Miramare Pool Bar serves light lunches, cocktails and snacks. The Sarausa Spa & Wellness on the ground floor is designed like an ancient Greek sanctuary and works with Cinq Mondes products, including the hotel’s signature ritual; it is open daily from 2 pm to 8 pm.
At the Ortea Palace Sicily the spa is in the basement, with an indoor pool, sauna, hammam and whirlpool, plus massages and facials; there is a fitness room too.
Instead of a pool and spa, the Palazzo Artemide Syracuse focuses on its roof garden above the old town.
Staying at the Palazzo Artemide Syracuse or the Ortea Palace Sicily does not mean missing out on the Miramare Infinity Pool: with a reservation it is open to outside guests too, from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm. As all three hotels are on Ortigia, it is only a short walk – our travel advisors will request a spot for you.
You eat Sicilian at all three hotels – sometimes under ancient vaults, sometimes high above the harbour.
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.comThe Amuni Restaurant at the Palazzo Artemide Syracuse serves traditional Sicilian dishes from land and sea, made with local ingredients and presented in a contemporary way, beneath ancient stone vaults or outside on Piazza Minerva. The Amuni Cocktail Bar looks out onto the Temple of Athena, whose columns now stand in the cathedral; it serves drinks and a light lunch.
Palazzo Artemide Syracuse · DiningOn the roof of the Ortea Palace Sicily is Incanto: chef Salvatore Barbara cooks Sicilian food with a focus on fish, in the evening and with views of the harbour and Ortigia. Our travel advisors will check in advance which days the restaurant is open.
At the Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse, the hotel’s fine-dining restaurant is on the roof terrace: Clou Lounge Bar & Restaurant serves Mediterranean and Sicilian dishes from 11 am to 11 pm, and cocktails at aperitivo time with views over the harbour and Ortigia.
At the Ortea Palace Sicily, the suitespot benefits include an American breakfast for two in the Agora courtyard and 100 US dollars of credit for food and drinks – for an evening at Incanto on the roof, for example. Our travel advisors will confirm in advance what the credit covers.
All three hotels are on Ortigia, the old town island. So the question is not which district you stay in, but which part of the island.
By the cathedral stands the Palazzo Artemide Syracuse, on the pedestrian street Via Roma right next to the Duomo and on Piazza Minerva, looking onto the Temple of Athena, along the ancient Via Sacra. Our recommendation if you want to explore Ortigia on foot.
On Porto Piccolo is the Ortea Palace Sicily, on the edge of the old town island, overlooking the small harbour and the Ionian Sea.
No booking fee: the benefits simply come on top of the rate you book.
On Passeggio Adorno, in the heart of Ortigia, stands the Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse, overlooking the old Porto della Marina and close to the Fountain of Arethusa. Our recommendation for a pool and sea views.
Ortea Palace Sicily · SyracuseCatania-Fontanarossa airport is around 64 kilometres away.
On Ortigia almost everything is within walking distance, so the difference lies in the small print: at the Palazzo Artemide Syracuse the suitespot benefits apply from two nights, at the Ortea Palace Sicily and the Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse from the first night. Please also note that the Palazzo Artemide Syracuse closes from mid-January to mid-March – for a winter trip, our travel advisors will match your choice of 5-star hotel in Syracuse to your dates.
The Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse was built in 1906 in the Sicilian Liberty style on the site of Palazzo Migliaccio and was a stop for travellers on the Grand Tour. The hotel closed in 1963 and did not reopen until 14 July 2003. On the fourth floor is the frescoed Presidential Suite, and the hotel is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.
The Ortea Palace Sicily was originally the main post office of Syracuse: a neoclassical building with Art Nouveau touches, opened in 1920. When it was converted into a hotel in 2018, details such as the glass dome over the light well and the original signage were preserved, along with the marble floors.
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.comThe Palazzo Artemide Syracuse is considered the oldest hotel on Ortigia. It brings together two buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries with vaulted limestone halls and is part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
One of the 3 hotels in Syracuse closes outside its season. The next seasonal closure starts on January 12, 2027 (Palazzo Artemide Syracuse). All 3 hotels are expected to be open from March 2027.
No closure has been announced for the other 2 hotels. As of Nov 1, 2026
| Hotel | Open | Closed |
|---|---|---|
| Palazzo Artemide Syracuse | until Jan 11, 2027 from Mar 2027 (expected) | from Jan 12, 2027 until Mar 2027 (expected) |
Prices start at 175 € a night at the Palazzo Artemide Syracuse, the Ortea Palace Sicily is at 284 €, and at the top end is the Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse at 433 €.
| Luxury hotel | From | suitespot benefits from | suitespot score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palazzo Artemide Syracuse | 175 € | 2 nights | ★ 4.5/5 |
| Ortea Palace Sicily | 284 € | 1st night | ★ 4.3/5 |
| Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse | 433 € | 1st night | ★ 4.1/5 |
Included at all three hotels: daily breakfast for two – at the Ortea Palace Sicily an American breakfast in the Agora courtyard – plus an upgrade on arrival and early check-in and late check-out, all subject to availability. The suitespot benefits apply from the first night at the Ortea Palace Sicily and the Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse, and from two nights at the Palazzo Artemide Syracuse.
Hotel credit is worth a closer look, because every 5-star hotel in Syracuse handles it differently: the Ortea Palace Sicily gives 100 US dollars for food and drinks, the Palazzo Artemide Syracuse 50 US dollars. The Ortea Palace Sicily adds a welcome gift.
Ortea Palace Sicily · Rooms & suitesPoints and status can be earned at two hotels: through Marriott Bonvoy at the Ortea Palace Sicily, with regular points and status benefits, and through the Leaders Club at the Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse – there you give your membership number when you book.
No booking fee: the benefits simply come on top of the rate you book.
When the Palazzo Artemide Syracuse is closed: from mid-January to mid-March.
How long to stay at a 5-star hotel in Syracuse: two to three nights – one for Ortigia, one for the Neapolis archaeological park with the Greek theatre on the mainland and one for the baroque towns inland.
Two programs are represented in Syracuse: Marriott Bonvoy at the Ortea Palace Sicily and the Leaders Club at the Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse, where you give your membership number when you book. suitespot books at direct rates, so points and elite nights still count. The Palazzo Artemide Syracuse is not part of a program and offers a hotel credit instead.
2 of the 3 hotels in Syracuse belong to a hotel loyalty program, spread across two programs. One hotel is independently run – there you receive the suitespot benefits without a loyalty program.
| Program | Hotels | Examples in Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Leaders Club | 1 hotel | Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1 hotel | Ortea Palace Sicily |
Which hotel in Syracuse suits you often comes down to a few questions: is there a pool or a spa, how old is the building, when was it last renovated, and has the hotel received an award? The overview answers them for all three hotels at a glance.
3 of the 3 hotels are housed in historic buildings. The oldest is Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse, welcoming guests since 1906. One hotel has a spa, 2 have a pool.
✓ = available, – = not available, blank = no information.
| Hotel | Opened | Renovated | Pool | Spa | Michelin Keys | Forbes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse | 1906 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Ortea Palace Sicily | 2018 | ✓ | ||||
| Palazzo Artemide Syracuse | 2024 |
Explore all luxury hotels in Italy or browse nearby destinations:
Carolin, Valentina, Madeleine and Andrea and our team know these hotels from the inside – and will help you find the right room, the right location and the right rate. 365 days a year, by phone, email or WhatsApp.
Meet our team →From 175 € at the Palazzo Artemide Syracuse, from 284 € at the Ortea Palace Sicily and from 433 € at the Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse. Breakfast for two is included at all three hotels; at the Palazzo Artemide Syracuse the suitespot benefits apply from two nights.
The Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse, with rates from 433 € a night: a 1906 Liberty building on Passeggio Adorno with a heated infinity pool, a spa and a roof terrace.
The Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse, with the heated Miramare Infinity Pool overlooking the sea, and the Ortea Palace Sicily, with an indoor pool in its spa.
Yes. The Palazzo Artemide Syracuse stands right next to the cathedral, the Ortea Palace Sicily on the edge of the island overlooking Porto Piccolo, and the Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse on Passeggio Adorno close to the Fountain of Arethusa.
The Palazzo Artemide Syracuse: the former Hotel Roma was fully renovated by VRetreats and reopened under its new name in 2024. The Ortea Palace Sicily has been part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection since 2023.
Yes, through Marriott Bonvoy at the Ortea Palace Sicily and through the Leaders Club at the Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse, if you give your membership number when you book.
The Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse, with the Sarausa Spa & Wellness and Cinq Mondes treatments, and the Ortea Palace Sicily, with a spa in the basement: sauna, hammam, whirlpool and indoor pool.
Two: the Ortea Palace Sicily, with Incanto, where Salvatore Barbara cooks Sicilian seafood, and the Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse, with Clou Lounge Bar & Restaurant on its roof terrace.
The Palazzo Artemide Syracuse. For the Ortea Palace Sicily and the Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse, our travel advisors will check the conditions before you book.
The Palazzo Artemide Syracuse closes for the season from mid-January to mid-March.
At the Palazzo Artemide Syracuse the suitespot benefits apply from two nights, at the Ortea Palace Sicily and the Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse from the first night.
There is no fixed ranking – the best hotel is the one that suits your trip. If you want to explore Ortigia on foot and stay right next to the cathedral, choose the Palazzo Artemide Syracuse, which also welcomes pets. For a pool and spa with sea views, the Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse on Passeggio Adorno is the address. If you collect Marriott Bonvoy points and like to dine on the roof, book the Ortea Palace Sicily in the former main post office. Our travel advisors will gladly help you choose among the luxury hotels in Syracuse in person.
The Grand Hotel Des Étrangers Syracuse on Passeggio Adorno: its heated Miramare Infinity Pool overlooks the sea and is open from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm, and outside guests can use it with a reservation. The Ortea Palace Sicily on Porto Piccolo also has an indoor pool in its spa.
One of the 3 hotels in Syracuse closes outside its season. The next seasonal closure starts on January 12, 2027 (Palazzo Artemide Syracuse). All 3 hotels are expected to be open from March 2027. The dates for every hotel are listed in the section on the best time to go.
