Des Etrangers Hotel & SPA

We stayed 4 nights during May. Positives: Room was generous sized with a beautiful view of the bay. The location is ideal for walking to the important historical sites. Breakfast had an ample selection, with views across the bay. Wait staff in breakfast room was very attentive. Negatives: It was noisy on weekend nights - the piazza across from the hotel is a gathering site for locals and tourists. The plumbing is antiquated and not up to par. Pool is actually an extra large jacuzzi.

We had a superior seaview room and we enjoyed the breathtaking view of the harbour. The hotel is in the centre of the nightlife and restaurants in Ortygie. The breakfast was excellent and the view from the rooftop terrasse was extraordinary. For a five star hotel, some short comings in the room's maintenance was unfortunate; example: half of the balcony doors didn't open and was broken, the shower area wasn't very appealing. The lack of complimentary WI FI is always a desappointment in any hotel let alone a five star hotel.

Ideal location with most rooms overlooking the sea. Just a short walk to the centre of Syracuse and all the activity - restaurants, shops and attractions, all within easy walking distance. The only downside was that there is no parking near the hotel, and from September 2012 all cars must be reigstered with the Police to enter Ortigya Island (the hotel will do this for you on your arrival). Parking for visitors is allowed only in white boxes (not yellow or blue boxes) and these are mainly along the East side of the Island, while Des Etrangers is on the West side.If you like City Breaks you must have Syracuse on your list - lots of history to see, good food, nice bars and loads of people watching opportunities. Breakfast on the rooftop was an amazing experience, to look over the sea and the historic roofs of this beautiful city. We loved the food and quirky ambience at Tratorria La Foglia (just behind the hotel) and the bar Il Sale was good. We had room 108, a Superior room, with a sea view, but obscured by trees, whch did not detract anything for us. The room was clean, cool and comfortable. Sicily is plagued by litter on most streets and roads, and driving is uber- manic but the warmth of the people and weather make it a must-do destination.

The hotel's in a fantastic location & looks grand from outside.The entrance is amazing.Unfortunately, this is where the 5-star ends.We booked a 'Superior' room, assuming it was of a high standard.When we arrived,Reception said that we had been upgraded to a 'Deluxe'.Other than the view,nothing about the room was deluxe.The room was stale,tired looking,mouldy & mildewy.We asked to change and were downgraded to a Superior.This room was in a better state,but still mouldy.The sheets & towels were clean & the bathroom was nicer.We stayed in this room for our first night.What a night it was!Having returned back to the hotel from dinner at midnight,we closed our door but failed to block out the loud music from the bar below.At 3am the music finally stopped.The air conditioning in the room wasn't effective,despite us contacting Reception who controlled the temperature.By the middle of the night,the air in the room was stifling.The next day we complained and were moved to a deluxe room again.This was small but clean,with a beautiful sea view,but with a small bathroom and a horrible stench of drains.By this time we were exhausted of complaining!When we booked with Expedia our booking included 20% off spa treatments.The hotel denied this but said they would allow us to use the pool (which all guests could do anyway).We didn't use the pool much as it was indoors and you had to wear a swimming hat.Breakfast was on the roof terrace,which had a great view.It was a buffet and was adequate.

Great hotel with beautiful facilities. Wonderful spa and perfectly situated overlooking the sea.

Lovely hotel but needed more staff on reception only ever one person there which slowed down check in etc .However staff very friendly.They should have been more forthcomng about spa and leisure services when u check in like where everything is.We had lovely room over looking the sea. Breakfast good on roof terrace. Didnt eat at restaurant but seemed very expensive compared to the fantastic food available in the town andin fact next door for afraction of the price. An outdoor swimming pool would be good . Would definitely recommend the hotel and Ortygia once you have got there.Beautiful decor in the hall and staircase.

A great rest in a wonderful setting. Staff were superb they helped us locate missing bags from the airport and were polite and well presented.

Excellent, especially the best restaurant manager we have ever come across. The restaurant is on the roof of the hotel and with a beautiful view. Hotel in a beautiful location.Only disadvantage was that if you had a car, there was no parking. Public parking was 15 minutes walk and it was a pay meter, taking coins, the meter kept having to be fed! Think it would be a better idea if the hotel could provide you with a pass and pay them on departure, but that was my only fault with a great hotel.

I'm not a fussy traveller. I've always gone with the philosophy that I only need a room and a bed. I've always stayed in youth hostels but just decided to treat myself this holiday. Maybe I should have saved the money and stuck to the youth hostels.. Staff- They did their best to be helpful but were not the most informative of people. I had to go out to the LOL hostel to get information that I needed. Room- I did not go for the superior room. I thought I was already paying enough to deserve a decent room. Furniture was old and poorly maintained. Lights in my toilet were spoilt but no one made any efforts to replace the bulb. Walls of the shower were mouldy (all of which can be easily removed with some strong bleech and gentle scrubbing if someone made the effort). Even the lobby toilets were in better condition than the one in my room. Sheets were stained. Pool- That's a pool??!!?? Rather good jacuzzi though. Breakfast- 5/5. The roof top restaurant is enchanting and breakfast was good. Location- 5/5. Full points for its location. WiFi- I don't see why guests have to pay 13 Euros/day for WiFi in a 4 star hotel. Summary- Unless you get the superior room with the sea view, you probably won't get your money's worth.

First, the good bits - the hotel is a grand old building with a wonderful location. The roof garden is just a perfect place to start the day with a lovely breakfast or to sip your evening drinks as you watch the sun go down. The hotel is close to a wide range of cafes, bars and restaurants. Now for the rest - the standard of cleanliness in our room was not as high as it should have been. The hotel plumbing produced frequent loud blaring, chugging and clanking noises, the like of which we have not experienced before in any hotel anywhere! The reception staff were friendly and helpful but the waiting staff were the complete opposite. There were no smiles or welcome of any kind whenever we walked into the rooftop garden - in fact they looked like they were deliberately trying to avoid eye contact. They were decked out in amazing uniforms and made an elaborate show of placing the utensils perfectly on the table but, other than strutting about looking good there was no sign of customer engagement at all.