Excelsior Hilton Palermo

My wife and I stayed there on our honeymoon and we found it to be faultless. The staff bent over backwards for us, they were all so friendly. Our room was big and airey and very clean. The food was marvalous. The chef even made us our own private menu on the second week. I really advise anyone who may be going to visit Palermo to stay there. It is in the heart of the city with the shops and restaurants all in walking distance. Dont believe everyone who tells you most Sicillians speak a little english, they dont. So If you like to get off the... more

This lovely hotel is nearing its complete renovation. The public areas, especially the dining room are beautiful. The decor and fittings are luxurious. There is now a decent sized bar area alongside the dining room. Our room on the first floor was completely renovated with a lovely bathroom. We found the staff to be helpful and courteous. Breakfast was quite substantial with scrambled eggs, bacon, a good variety of fruit, fresh rolls, ham, cheese, etc. The hotel is situated slightly out of town but there is an... more

We are a family of 4, and booked our first 2 nights in Sicilly in this hotel we arrived c 10 am, and were told our rooms were ready, but that the air condiitoning would be off for 2 or 3 hours. The air conditioning failed to come on at all in the next 2 days, despite repeated promises from receptionists that all was being fixed. the poor receptionists recieved no support from managers, who hid in back offices, leaving them to take the brunt of angry residents. all of this in a c 40 degree heatwave! the hotel is c 20 minute walk or... more

Large hotel in Taormina, a long walk from centre. Had a room on the 3rd floor, not bad, but we expected a more luxurious hotel. Seemed to be a great hotel for businessmen, judging by the meetings we saw organised there. One of the reception staff was unfriendly and unhelpful, the rest were okay. They couldn't even find us a nice restaurant for dinner in town. Bar and restaurant staff were a bit more friendly. Bar was probably the nicest part of the hotel, with a good piano player to entertain us while we had a drink in the evenings.... more

The reception staff were lovely,helpful and interested in any problem one had and dealt with it promptly. If you were not in the first phase of breakfast at 7am,there was little left and the choices greatly reduced.Take a tip,be early for breakfast! Dinner was very good. Refurbishment continues and looks as though it will continue for some time yet.There was occassional disruption,noise and builders dust evident. Overall I liked it for its elegance and charm but a lot needs doing where the refurb hasnt occured.

We stayed in one of the recently refurbished rooms on the first floor. Our bedroom was spacious, overlooking the Via Liberta, one of the main nineteenth century boulevards leading directly to the older historic centre of Palermo, some 20 minutes walk away. Room service was brisk each morning and other than lukewarm hot water in the evenings, the room and its facilities were comfortable, lacking nothing, if perhaps a little austere. At the time of writing, the Excelsior's website somewhat prematurely claims the hotel was "completely... more

This hotel was lovely. They are currently renovating and you should ask for a room away from the renovation that has been done already. Our room was large and beautiful with a first class, gorgeous bathroom, all marble and gleaming fixtures. The staff were very nice but a working knowledge of Italian might be helpful. The hotel is in a very upscale neighborhood that is full of good restaurants and not at all scary to walk in at night, as other parts of Palermo can be. Many of the main tourist attractions are a walk, 20 minutes or so, but... more

Stayed in the Excelsior for 4 days in mid January. I was concerned because I read some questionable comments about the hotel. However, my room was large and beautifully decorated (Maybe it's been recently refurbished) in the Sicilian Liberty style. I would recommend the Excelsor without hestiation.

The "standard" hotel room that we stayed in was dirty, noisy (i.e. you could hear toilets flushing all night long!) and in desperate need of renovation. The staff were unhelpful and could miraculously not understand English when we complained about the standard of the room. The location is not terrible but is about 30 minutes walk away from the main tourist attractions. The breakfast and hotel foyer were the only things that this hotel had going for it. I would recommend that you think twice before booking this hotel.

I stayed in this hotel along with 6 other friends and their families. We had rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors. The rooms on both floors have been recently renovated so everything was new looking and comfortable. We had a lovely room and quite a big bathroom. My other friends managed to get to breakfast and said it was very nice with enough variety. The hotel staff were very helpful and I would definitely stay there again. The 3rd floor rooms are definitely not like caves any more, they were very light and airy.