Grand Hotel Villa Igiea

I stayed at the hotel for 10 nights as I was looking to have a quiet break in the most luxurious hotel in Sicily that I could find. The hotel itself was full of wonderful character. It was a popular winter health retreat hotel from the early 1900s and so full of original art deco decor and design. The bedroom I stayed in was a good size with a very large balcony overlooking the swimming pool, terraced garden and ship port. There was an exercise room, pool bar and restaurant, main bar and luxury dining room. Overall, I was... more

To stay at the Grand Hotel Villa Igiea takes a bit of imagination, perhaps. Either you accept this old grand dame hotel with a bit of patience and kindness or head into town for a more updated, youthful hotel. My family and I loved our stay but we suspended any discontent and accepted things we normally might not in a hotel. The room was faded elegance, with two mildy comfortable beds, an old TV and a tiny balcony. The bathroom was granite, clean and nice but nothing special. But what made the room magical, was being able to throw open the... more

We were there recently for our honeymoon. Nobody helped us with our luggages and had to wait 15 min to check in. The first room we got AC wasn't working. Then got in another room which was super small, normally for one person. Housekeepers walked into our room for turn down service at 10:00 pm without knocking first. This should not have happened at this so called luxury hotel with over 300 euros per night that we were paying!!!

We were extremely disappointed with the Villa Igiea. We stayed here in September, 2006. We checked into the hotel around 5pm excited and filled with anticipation. Our trip was planned around our reservation at this hotel. The service was friendly and our room was nice. We decided to take a walk to watch the sunset. In the garden there were chairs set up that looked out to the ocean. It was a beautiful site. As my companion sat down the chair collapsed, his finger was wedged in the hinge of the chair. I helped him up and we immediately went... more

We got there after a long days driving and found it quite an oasis. Staff was very friendly and our room (a corner room) was large and beautiful. The rest of the hotel is a mixed bag. They have some grand public areas, but the restaurant at night was very disappointing, garish lighting and what look like a octagenarian tour group from the US dominating the palce. We left after two minutes and went elsewhere for dinner. The terrace was excellent for breakfast the next morning though.

We stayed here towards the end of May and it was our last night in what had been a lovely week in Sicily. We booked this particular hotel as the majority of reviews gave it a glowing report and as our last night wanted it to be memorable. My lasting memory was of the rudeness of the restaurant staff in particular the head waiter. The food was overpriced and and because I complained that they had lost our booking we were treated as though we had no right to be there. Our main courses were brought out with a 20 minute delay between mine & my... more

Best things about the hotel: - friendly and attentive staff - beautiful gardens - distinctive architecture The Igiea is a lovely hotel that hasn't yet been smothered into the sameness and uniformity of so many international chains. The staff are relaxed but friendly, the garden is gorgeous, and the place is full of character. The garden is a delight, with informative lables on some trees being more helpful than those at Kew. The building takes you straight back to the Art Deco period, admittedly not entirely to my... more

This is a great place and they are now joining Hilton. Other than the room needing a little paint, the breakfast and pool area are excellent, the views fantastic, and you need a taxi (expensive) to go into Palermo. Maybe 10 euros. However, in looking at the hotels in Palermo, it is worth it to stay here. There was an excellent restaruant they recommended a five minute walk away that was reasonable and GREAT. The area isn't to pretty to walk around though!! The staff were so nice and as helpful as they could be. Highly recommend... more

We stayed in Palermo only one night of our vacation in Sicily, but the hotel made an amazing trip even more special. We had a room above the dining patio, and we spent our last night dancing together on our terrace to the piano playing below, with the water and mountains as our backdrop. It was magical. The staff was very professional and warm, the restaurant was lovely for both breakfast and dinner, and the room was beautiful. I recommend staying in a less expensive hotel for most of your stay, and spending a night or two here at the... more

We enjoyed a very quiet few days - perhaps too quiet in this lovely historical hotel. The rooms were spacious & quite clean & included small balcony overlooking the sea. The staff, when they did appear would obviously rather be elsewhere. Watching the sunset at the waterfront bar (when it was open) was a enjoyable start to the night. Recommended even though its over priced.