Astoria Palace Hotel

Don’t be fooled by the name

Astoria Palace Hotel is just a standard pit stoped hotel. In the map, it seemed very closed to the port, but in reality it’s not in a walking distance. There’re no restaurants closed by. We got a room with 2 small twin beds and had to change to a room with a queen bed. The decorations and furniture are old and out of dated. Receptionist was kind of mean when we asked to change the room. Astoria Palace Hotel is not as nice as it sounds.

Friendly staff, comfortable accomodations make up for location

This traveler-friendly hotel seemed to accomodate a diverse crowd of business people, families and large groups and the staff were able to do it all with ease. Our only disappointment was that the location was a bit far from downtown and beyond walking distance to any of the sights. Taxi service was easily available and the plus for the location was that it was quite - at least on one side of the hotel. We stayed for one night on the side facing the local farmers market and were awakened at 4 AM by the loud noises of trucks and vendors setting up for the day. The breakfast was excellent and there is a nice lobby bar that is open til late in the evening.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

Check out two small restaurants that are a short walk form the hotel for excellent casual eating - Ci Voleva for pizza and Trattoria Abasciatta for seafood. The staff recommended both to us and we went back to each one twice.

Just Fine

My expectations of a 4 star are a good shower and a comfortable bed... neither of which were met. That said great elevators, front desk was helpful, and room was clean with balcony. Also they were able to give us a room with 3 single beds!!

Not a North American Four Star

Having had to book quickly just before departure, I read the hotel reviews and decided that any choice would be the best choice of a bad lot. I think I was right. This hotel had tired and very basic furniture. lighting and decor, although the bathroom was fine. Room service was limited to a few hours a day and there were no in-room movies. There was an ethernet cable for my laptop at usual European costs. The hotel was a twenty minute walk to the Old City through some smelly streets. a taxi was about 10-15 Euros to the Old City. But I’m not sure that the other hotels looked that much better. Just be prepared for a 2 1/2 or 3 star hotel.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

If it was not for the art in various churches (especially in Monreale) this trip would have been a bust. If art and architecture does not interest you, then stay away as there is little to commend this city of 650,000 that could not be found in much more beautiful parts of Italy.

Moderate hotel just outside city centre

While this hotel is clean and the staff are friendly, it is located near a large market that is smelly and dirty, making it somewhat unpleasant to make the short walk into town. The lobby and bar are nice but the room, although clean, was old and shabby.

Traveler's tip on recreational activities

Make sure you plan your trip well as the local tourist information centres are not open on Sundays or during lunch. One day is enough to see the sights of Palermo. Monreale and Mondello are close by and can be reached by city buses.