We stayed in Palermo for 8 days and found this hotel to be a nice home away from home - staff were very helpful (special thanks to Dario and Noemi who were knowledgable and took great care of us.
A couple of tips:
1) Many reviewers complained about the Nestle coffee machine - which really was pretty lame - BUT, you can order fresh/real cappuccino from the kitchen! So, just ask...
2) We got free spa access with our package deal, but each time we discussed using it, they had to look it up on our paperwork. They did honor it once confirmed. The spa is quite nice - they deliver robes/flip flops to your room and it is quite serene with an "emotional shower" (bathing suits required), sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, and relaxation area with tea and cold water.
3) many reviewers mentioned being on the front side of the hotel and it being very noisy! When we first checked in, we were disappointed that our view was the very busy street, an overflowing dumpster, and a construction site. We stayed one night in Room 106 and switched to the back side of the hotel (Room 111). It was WAY better, although still had city noises (alley cats, "laughing" birds, and some barking dogs)...all adding to our fun Sicilian experience.
4) The terrace in the restaurant is lovely, but quite small. View is of mountain range and roof tops...no...We stayed in Palermo for 8 days and found this hotel to be a nice home away from home - staff were very helpful (special thanks to Dario and Noemi who were knowledgable and took great care of us.
A couple of tips:
1) Many reviewers complained about the Nestle coffee machine - which really was pretty lame - BUT, you can order fresh/real cappuccino from the kitchen! So, just ask...
2) We got free spa access with our package deal, but each time we discussed using it, they had to look it up on our paperwork. They did honor it once confirmed. The spa is quite nice - they deliver robes/flip flops to your room and it is quite serene with an "emotional shower" (bathing suits required), sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, and relaxation area with tea and cold water.
3) many reviewers mentioned being on the front side of the hotel and it being very noisy! When we first checked in, we were disappointed that our view was the very busy street, an overflowing dumpster, and a construction site. We stayed one night in Room 106 and switched to the back side of the hotel (Room 111). It was WAY better, although still had city noises (alley cats, "laughing" birds, and some barking dogs)...all adding to our fun Sicilian experience.
4) The terrace in the restaurant is lovely, but quite small. View is of mountain range and roof tops...no water view. It was still a little chilly when we visited, so we only utilized it a few times.
5) Breakfast is good. Scrambled eggs and bacon (? Not crispy but still good) were available, along with meats, cheeses, and tons of pastries that were fresh and yummy.
6). Hotel is in walking distance to many of the historical sites and the waterfront.
7) our tour to Taormina and Mt Etna was cancelled due to a bike race in that area - which was no fault of the hotel, but disappointing. Having arranged it when we first arrived for our last full day in Sicily, we were surprised that no one seemed to be aware of the bike race and road closures until the day before. However, the staff was very helpful in giving us ideas for alternate adventures and it turned out fine.
Overall, the hotel is great - clean, modern rooms, accessible to lots of attractions and restaurants, and the staff very helpful. If you like the city-experience, this is a perfect choice. Palermo is definitely a CITY - crazy traffic, lots of graffiti - some reviewers accurately described it as "gritty." But the history is amazing and there's plenty to see.
We enjoyed risking life and limb to rent a car and drive up the coast on SS113 - it was wild, but sooooo much fun and we found wonderful little coastal towns, beaches, and restaurants that rounded out the city experience for us (we are more nature buffs).
Thanks for a great vacation Hotel Porta Felice! Ciao!
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