Villa Igiea Grand Hotel (Palermo; tel. 091-6312111): This old villa, built at the turn of the 20th century in the Art Nouveau style, is the grandest address in Palermo. Surrounded by a park overlooking the sea, it provides an old-world atmosphere but has all the modern comforts.
Grand Hotel Liberty (Messina; tel. 090-6409436; www.nh-hotels.it): This is one of the grandest hotels on the eastern coast of Sicily. It has been transformed into a bastion of comfort and tranquillity, with some of the island's best and plushest bedrooms. A stay here is a beautiful way to visit "messy" Messina.
Villa Meligunis (Lipari; tel. 090-9812426; www.villameligunis.it): This hotel is as good as it gets in the volcanic Aeolian Islands. A restored cluster of 17th-century fishermen's cottages forms the nucleus of the compound. All modern conveniences in this remote outpost have been added.
Grand Hotel Timeo (Taormina; tel. 0942-23801; www.framon-hotels.com): Liz Taylor and Richard Burton have long vamoosed, but this deluxe hotel still attracts the rich and famous who want to enjoy the stately comfort of a 19th-century neoclassical villa near Taormina's Greek theater. It's lighthearted and baronial at the same time.
Excelsior Grand Hotel (Catania; tel. 095-7476111; www.thi.it): This is the leading hotel of Sicily's second city, a monument to the modernism of la dolce vita days of the 1950s. The city may be in decay, but the hotel is completely up-to-date, housing its guests in luxury and comfort.
Grand Hotel (Syracuse; tel. 0931-464600; www.grandhotelsr.it): This turn-of-the-20th-century hotel is so old, it's new again, following a major upgrade and renovation. Its stately, old-fashioned charm has been preserved, but its comforts are definitely 21st century. It's the best place to stay if you plan to visit the archaeological gardens of Syracuse.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
