Gutkowski Hotel

We stayed at the Hotel Gutkowski in October - the service was fantastic and the location amazing (as were the breakfasts). We rocked up without a reservation (v tired after some rather stressful Sicilian driving) and they found a room for us - small and under the eaves, but totally charming. I would definitely stay here again and in fact am already planning my next visit.

We stayed in this hotel for 2 nights with our small daughter and were a little disappointed considering the price we paid and some of the reviews we had read. There was a heatwave (40 degrees plus) whilst we were in Syracuse and the air con in our room was very inefficient, making for a very uncomfortable night. That said the staff did eventually move us to a new room on our second night after we complained and they tried to fix the air con but failed, which was in the 'new' building down the road which had a lovely roof terrace. This... more

We booked this hotel on the strength of great write-ups in Hip Hotels Italy and the Rough Guide. It's hard to see how the reviews can be justified. This hotel is furnished in a hip and modernistic style only if your idea of cool is a sub-Ikea brutal modernism. Everything had been done on the cheap. I found the use of steel and grey paint made it feel like being on a battleship. The books also conspire not to mention the two lanes of traffic outside which carry most of Ortygia's traffic back up towards the rest of town from 6AM each... more

We stayed for two nights in one of the second floor rooms overlooking the harbour. Great view - but you have to ask for it when you book. Room was clean, simply furnished and comfortable. Breakfast was generous, and served in an annex to the hotel, a half-block down the street. Plenty of free on-street parking. As in many other Sicilian towns, you should have a good street map which indicates one-way streets before you try to drive to the hotel! We (both 65+) walked everywhere, both on the old city-isle of Ortigia, and to the... more

Hotel Gutkowski is simple and stylish and in a great location in Ortygia overlooking the sea. The staff were very helpful and friendly and gave fantastic recommendations for local restaurants that weren't tourist-driven. The room was pretty small but as a complete package, and considering the price, it makes for a great stay with all the professionality of hotels that cost three to four times as much.

Right on the sea on the quiet side of Ortygia, recently renovated old building, easy to drive to with plenty of free on street parking right out front. Walking distance to everything. Small terrace with view of the sea, Friendly, English speaking staff. Spotlessly clean, wonderful breakfast, €90 for a double in July 2005. Would definitly stay there again.

Following a good recommendation from the lonely planet guide we checked in at the Hotel Gutkowski. However, we did not book in advance and they only had the room on the ground floor at the back of the hotel. Having been assured, in advance, that the room had air conditioning we were unhappy to discover that the air conditioning made a lot of noise but did nothing else. A fan was provided when we pointed this out. It was also very noisy. The room was not well insulated so it was possible to hear what happened in the reception area but the... more

July 2005 I found this hotel in Hip Hotels of Italy. It was the worst hotel we stayed in during our 5 weeks of travel: worst breakfast, bathroom with most holes, most dog messes as you walked into the hotel, etc. I know you get what you pay for but this was not worth the $100. The front desk was nice but they did not know good places to eat.

An unusual find on what is essentially a traditional island, a contemporary hotel with a modern minimilist interior. Located within an old building the rooms are basic but great value, location is great, right in the heart of Ortygia which is a historical area full of crumbling splendour slowly being revitalised, reminiscent of Havana. If possible ( and they wont 't guarantee it!) ask for a sea view room in the main building, we were lucky and had a fantastic view and a small balcony onto the sea at the front, though there was some street... more

A lovely little hotel, with friendly staff, right across from the water. Figuring out how to drive to it was a bit of a challenge, but there's parking across the street, and you can walk everywhere from there (yes, even the archeological park, that other reviewer's comment notwithstanding -- it's a hike, but doable). I personally liked the "dusty stone floors" a lot. Much of the decorating is courtesy of Ikea, so you get the idea. There don't seem to be a lot of options for lodging right now in Ortigia, and in light of that, I think... more