Villa Igiea, a Rocco Forte Hotel

Villa Igiea, a Rocco Forte Hotel

Villa Igiea sits at the foot of Monte Pellegrino on the Gulf of Palermo, in an Art Nouveau palazzo that was designed in the 1890s by Sicilian architect Ernesto Basile for the Florio family, one of the most powerful dynasties in 19th-century Sicily. Originally conceived as a sanatorium, it was converted into a hotel in 1900 and quickly became a fixture for European royalty, dignitaries, and assorted Hollywood names. King George V stayed here, which explains the suite named after him. Rocco Forte took it over and handed the renovation to Olga Polizzi, the group's Director of Design, working with Paolo Moschino of Nicholas Haslam Studios. The result is thorough and well-judged: the Basile frescoes and Belle Époque halls are intact, and the rooms have Carrara marble bathrooms, handcrafted furniture, and Irene Forte skincare, the organic line founded by Rocco Forte's daughter that uses Sicilian botanicals. The hotel is about ten minutes from Palermo's city centre and runs a free shuttle in, which matters because Palermo rewards time on foot. The Ballarò and Vucciria markets, the Palatine Chapel at the Norman Palace with its Byzantine mosaics, and Teatro Massimo, one of the largest opera houses in Italy, are all worth building days around, and the concierge can arrange opera tickets which are genuinely one of the better evenings you can have in Sicily. The terraced gardens run down towards the sea and the pool sits within them with views across the Gulf. Ristorante Florio handles the main dining with classic Sicilian and Mediterranean cooking, and much of what arrives on the plate comes from the hotel's own gardens and orchards. The hotel also has its own boat, which takes guests along the coast to swimming spots with lunch served on board, and is worth asking about when you check in. The short version: The right base for Palermo, which is one of the most underrated cities in Italy. The building alone justifies the stay.