Best hotels in Sicily for a 2023 Italian holiday – from 5-star luxury to family-friendly resorts

Le Calette

The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily has something for everyone, thanks to a combination of natural wonders and the rich, exotic legacy left after a long and diverse history. Add to that a hugely varied food and wine scene and you have a near-perfect holiday destination in this region of Italy.

Expect fascinating historical cities such as Palermo and gritty Catania; honey-hued Baroque gems such as Noto and Modica; magnificent Greek temples at Agrigento, Segesta and Selinunte; a Roman villa with astonishing mosaics at Piazza Armerina, and a spectacular Greek amphitheatre (one of the largest in the world) at Siracusa. Not to mention the kilometres of deserted beaches lapped by gin-clear water and an intriguing hinterland. There’s even an active volcano.

Post-pandemic (and following the second season of White Lotus), tourist numbers have risen dramatically and the hospitality industry is responding to the demand with a slew of new accommodation options. Today, you can choose from grand five-star hotels with all the bells and whistles and luxe country retreats inhabiting weathered old palmentos, between sleek spa resorts offering to restore and revive, and wine estates with Michelin-starred restaurants, between boutique boltholes and quirky B&Bs in old family palazzos.

The best hotels in Sicily are:

• Best spa hotel: Adler Spa Resort
• Best beach hotel: Le Calette
• Best rural hotel: Susafa
• Best boutique hotel: Seven Rooms Villadorata
• Best family hotel: Verdura Resort
• Best luxury hotel: Villa Igiea
• Best budget hotel: L’Olivella
• Best hotel for foodies: La Foresteria
• Best vineyard hotel: Monaci delle Terre Nere
• Best hotel for views: Grand Hotel Timeo

Best spa hotel: Adler Spa Resort

Neighbourhood: Siculiana

Yoga, fitness and meditation classes are included in the room rates at this spa resort (Adler Spa Resort)

The latest opening from the Tyrol-based Adler group, this sleek, contemporary eco-conscious spa resort is set just above a pristine stretch of sand on Sicily’s south coast. The 90 soothing rooms and suites all come with private terraces and are housed in low-impact blocks spread among smooth lawns. The timber-and-glass spa includes saline and thermal Thalasso pools, along with saunas, a steam room and multiple treatment rooms. Yoga, fitness and meditation classes and ebikes are included in the room rates, while the spa menu offers a raft of massages and therapies, all using the in-house organic lotions and oils. Menus at the Seaview restaurant and more casual Osteria adopt a farm-to-table ethos, with local seafood, organic meat and home-grown veg.

Best beach hotel: Le Calette

Neighbourhood: Cefalù

The rocky shoreline offers great spots for swimming (Le Calette)

This sprawling coastal hotel is really two in one; the two-storey, whitewashed, five-star wing overlooking the pool has been recently revamped in comfortable mod-Sicilian style, while the four-star sections are more functional. All share the five calette (or coves) incorporated in the property; the shoreline here is mainly rocky but that makes for good swimming and the largest cove has a brilliant beach club with a bar and restaurant serving the likes of spaghetti with sea urchins and aubergine parmigiana. Gourmet Cala Luna is a romantic spot in which to explore talented chef Dario Pandolfo’s creative riffs on the local cuisine. The pretty medieval town of Cefalù with its long sandy beach is shuttle-bus ride away.

Best rural hotel: Susafa

Neighbourhood: Polizzi Generosa

In the restaurant, you’ll find imaginative dishes showcasing produce from the hotel’s garden (Susafa)

A 90-minute drive southeast of Palermo, in the heart of rural Sicily, lies this magical retreat set in a 500-hectare wheat farm and its 19th-century ‘baglio’. The weathered farm buildings reveal courtyards, beautiful gardens planted with trees and herbs, and 18 bedrooms decorated in unfussy, contemporary rustic style, with lots of wood, stone and natural fabrics. The old wine cellar houses the bar while the granary, with its soaring stone arches, is home to an excellent restaurant serving imaginative dishes showcasing produce from the garden, the in-house olive oil and bread made from the estate’s wheat varieties. There’s a glorious pool area overlooking the rolling hills, while activities include stargazing and off-road tours in a 4x4. The peace is absolute.

Best boutique hotel: Seven Rooms Villadorata

Neighbourhood: Noto

The elegant interiors feature frescoes, original tile floors and chandeliers (Seven Rooms Villadorata)

The golden-hued Baroque town of Noto is one of the glories of Southeastern Sicily, with its aristocratic palazzi weighed down with carved gargoyles and stone flourishes. Seven Rooms occupies a corner of the 18th-century Palazzo Nicolaci, accessed through a grand jasmine-scented courtyard in the town centre. Inside, the mod-Baroque look pits frescoes, soaring ceilings, original tile floors and chandeliers against a muted, restful colour palette, nubby linens and a slew of curiosities – it feels like the home of a very classy friend. Breakfast is a communal affair laid out on a huge polished oval table and served on bone china – take your pick from delicious homemade cakes, poached eggs and a killer almond brittle.

Best family hotel: Verdura Resort

Neighbourhood: Ribera

Guests can make use of the huge pool, excellent spa and three award-winning golf courses (Verdura Resort)

The facilities for younger guests – from babies to teenagers – are second to none at this huge resort. Stretching along the rocky southern Sicilian shoreline, it comes with 203 rooms and suites spread through the grounds and done out in mod-Sicilian style, with large terraces and patio areas. In addition to five on-site bars, there are four restaurants serving anything from wood-fired pizza and pasta al pomodoro to grilled lobster. There’s a huge pool, an excellent spa and three award-winning golf courses to enjoy too. Families can book interconnecting rooms, and little ones can be parked at the kids’ club for the day, where the activities include cooking classes. Then there are water sports galore, tennis and golf lessons, ebikes... the list goes on and on.

Best luxury hotel: Villa Igiea

Neighbourhood: Palermo

If you can tear yourself away from the pool, Palermo is just a short drive away (Villa Igiea)

A magnificent Belle Époque residence overlooking the gulf of Palermo, Villa Igiea has recently been meticulously restored by the Rocco Forte group. Design whizz Olga Polizzi has worked her magic on the interiors, adding jazzy Sicilian floor tiles, local colour and textures to the grand bones of the building, creating her characteristic elegant yet lived-in look. There are 78 bedrooms and suites, while facilities include a spa with the excellent Irene Forte skincare range, and a pool overlooking the sea. At palm court-style restaurant Florio, local, seasonal dishes are given a gourmet twist – think busiate pasta with broccoli and truffles, and salt-baked seabass. Central Palermo, with its crumbling Baroque glories, lies a 10-minute drive away.

Best budget hotel: L’Olivella

Neighbourhood: Palermo

Original tile floors, cheery textiles and bold floral wallpapers rub along comfortably at this B&B (L'Olivella)

Housed in an elegant Belle-Epoque palazzo, this B&B is located in a lively, central neighbourhood, steps from the archeological museum and the colourful Vucciria market. Of the five bedrooms, several have balconies, one has a modern four-poster, another has its (own) bathroom outside the room (the others are all en-suite). Original patterned tile floors, cheery textiles and bold floral wallpapers rub along comfortably with family antiques and knick-knacks, while beds are made up with vintage linens. Elena, who lives on site (this was her family home), is a brilliant host and full of ideas of how to get the best out of Palermo.

Price: Doubles from €60, including breakfast

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Best hotel for foodies: La Foresteria

Neighbourhood: Menfi

The estate’s olive oil, honey, aromatics and fresh organic produce are all showcased in the restaurant (La Foresteria)

With six estates spread across Sicily, the Planeta family is one of the region’s foremost wine producers. This relaxed, 14-room hotel in country-chic style sits surrounded by vineyards and olive groves on the Menfi estate near the southwest coast, where guests can sign up for vineyard walks and cellar tours, tastings of the award-winning wines, cooking lessons and visits to local wine and food producers. The estate’s olive oil, honey, aromatics and fresh organic produce are all showcased in chef Angelo Pumilia’s creative Sicilian menus, which owe much to the family’s traditional recipes. Day trips include the fish market at Mazara del Vallo and the Greek temples at Selinunte and Segesta. For downtime, there is a wonderful pool, plus a new beach club 10 minutes’ drive away.

Best vineyard hotel: Monaci delle Terre Nere

Neighbourhood: Zafferana Etnea

Guests can book guided tastings and tours of the winery (Monaci delle Terre Nere)

Blending a laid-back country-house vibe with design savvy in the context of a working organic wine estate, this is a great base for exploring one of Italy’s most exciting wine-producing areas. Hugging the vine-striped lower slopes of Mount Etna, the plum-coloured palmento and its outbuildings house 27 rustic-chic rooms, where mid-century pieces and bright contemporary artworks sit against rough lava stone walls and local chestnut wood floors. Guido Coffa’s organic wines focus on native grape varieties such as nerello mascalese and catarratto, and guests can book guided tastings and tours of this and other Etna wineries. At Locanda Nerello, a Slow Food ethos guides dishes such as wild fennel risotto with orange zest and pork belly with an Etna rosso reduction.

Best hotel for views: Grand Hotel Timeo

Neighbourhood: Taormina

Dinner and drinks are accompanied by views of Mount Etna (Grand Hotel Timeo)

There are few hotels in Europe that can boast in-your-face views of an active volcano, but from the terraces and many of the 70-odd bedrooms of the Grand Hotel Timeo, that’s exactly what you get – it’s even better when Mount Etna is erupting. Pretty Taormina is horribly crowded in high season but all is cool and calm once inside the hotel, where the polished parquet floor, antiques, paintings and liveried staff harking back to more genteel times. Modern luxuries include a spa and heated pool, plus a shuttle service to the beach at sister hotel the Sant’Andrea. Dinner (or at least a signature orangey Etna spritz) while looking across the moonlit bay to the volcano is not to be missed.

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