Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Hotel Plaza Opera, Palermo, Sicily
Facts in brief
Official star rating 4
Location The hotel is about 2-minutes' walk from the Teatro Garibaldi
Annual opening All year
Closest airport Palermo Airport
Distance from airport The hotel is 40-minutes' drive from Palermo Airport
Hotel facilities and services
Penthouse roof garden with panoramic terrace, fitness room, breakfast room, bar, room service, laundry and ironing service, Turkish bath, sauna, whirlpool tub, private garage.
Land sports
Tennis, Golf.
Out and about nearby
Palermo is home to some of the world's greatest examples of Arab-Norman architecture, particularly the San Giovanni degli Eremiti, the Palazzo Reale and its striking Cappella Palatina mosaics, and La Martorana. Outside Palermo, Monreale is the greatest work of Norman architecture in Sicily, and houses 12th and 13th century mosaics and cloisters. Palermo is an excellent location in which to try the range of Sicilian wines, with streets laden with wine shops and cellars and vineyards covering much of the surrounding landscape. To get a real sense of the city, perhaps take one of the many themed walking tours: guided by everything from street art, historic cars, fishing history, cemeteries, to gardens. While here, make sure you explore Sferracavallo, Palermo's fishing village, the small temple on top of Monte Gallo, the Mondello city garden, and the port.
We particularly loved the Hotel del Sogno on Lake Garda for its character, beauty and amazing views. Great service too from the reception staff. Also they gave us great recommendations for restaurants.Mr and Mrs S, June 2023
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Superior room for 5 nights
From about
£790
Holiday Code EXH2050
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Hotel Plaza Opera, Palermo, Sicily
The four-star Hotel Plaza Opera is immersed in the bustling commercial district of Palermo, just a stone's throw from the port and waterside. One of the hotel's key features is its design focus, where contemporary style is combined with real Sicilian culture. As you enter the lobby, you will be struck by the impressive antique paintings, the Biedermeier furnishings, and the sleek modern fabrics that inject just the right amount of colour. Unique details are paired with artistic and dramatic lighting. Curved panelled ceilings, rich red feature walls, and smooth marble floors create a real sense of character. On the top floor of the hotel, a terrace lined with flourishing plants and shrubs looks out across the rooftops below towards the mountains beyond. Chairs, tables, and sun loungers provide relaxing places to sit back and enjoy cocktails, light snacks, and breakfasts. Each of the guestrooms has its own distinct style, from cool silvers, browns, and greens in the Standard rooms, to warm reds and navy blues in the Superior rooms. On the walls, figurative paintings form a unifying theme. Large statement headboards blend the contemporary with a grand traditional style, and rich textured curtains add a touch of homeliness. In the mornings, sample the best of Sicilian and international breakfast foods, all created using fresh, local ingredients. For the rest of the day, this room becomes a relaxed, modern Lounge Bar. Spend an hour or two here after a day spent exploring the cultural sights, walking down by the waterfront, or venturing out into the mountains by car. The Hotel Plaza Opera is a contemporary boutique design hotel that is the perfect stopover for a few nights or a week while touring Sicily and Italy.
Room descriptions
Hotel Plaza Opera has 46 rooms and two suites, all with private bathroom, WiFi, air-conditioning, television, telephone, minibar, safe, and hairdryer. Extra beds or cots can be added upon request.
We particularly loved the Hotel del Sogno on Lake Garda for its character, beauty and amazing views. Great service too from the reception staff. Also they gave us great recommendations for restaurants.Mr and Mrs S, June 2023
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Superior room for 5 nights
From about
£790
Holiday Code EXH2050
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Hotel Plaza Opera, Palermo, Sicily
The journey and how you get there
For a holiday to Hotel Plaza Opera in Palermo, our clients usually fly to Palermo airport. From the airport, we recommend a private car transfer which we would include in our holiday price. If you are staying here as part of a touring holiday of Sicily, we recommend that you collect your hire-car at the end of your stay in Palermo, either from a city centre location or the airport.
Additional information
Children: Children are welcome at the Hotel Plaza Opera and cots can be provided in most room types for an extra fee.
Special offers
Call to make your booking and save an extra £50 per adult Call us instead of emailing us when you are thinking of booking a holiday and save an extra £50 per adult (in addition to any special offers that might be available). We want to talk to you to discuss your requirements and a phone call is usually the best way for you to define what you want enabling us to respond more accurately. We want to talk to you and you save an extra £50 per adult.
We particularly loved the Hotel del Sogno on Lake Garda for its character, beauty and amazing views. Great service too from the reception staff. Also they gave us great recommendations for restaurants.Mr and Mrs S, June 2023
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Superior room for 5 nights
From about
£790
Holiday Code EXH2050
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Hotel Plaza Opera, Palermo, Sicily
About Sicily
An Expressions tailor-made holiday in Sicily allows visitors to discover a unique and captivating island. The rich tapestry of Mediterranean history can be witnessed on the southerly island of Sicily, fascinating not only for its amazing blend of cultures including Greek, Arab, Byzantine and Norman and its architectural treasures which reflect these influences but also for its breath-taking scenery of coast, parched mountains and fertile groves of almonds, oranges, lemons and olives. The people are proud and independent, reserved but sincere and helpful. Traditions thrive to an extent that the atmosphere of Sicily is unrecognisable in the context of other parts of Italy further north. The towns and villages are contrasting with picture postcard scenes of mediaeval labyrinthine alleyways adorned by wrought-iron balconies and baskets of flowers or severe dilapidation punctuated by grand Baroque or austere Norman cathedrals and churches. Additionally, there are of course some of the most important sites of the ancient Greek world such as the temples at Agrigento, the theatre at Taormina and numerous relics at Siracusa, reputedly one of the most beautiful cities of the Greek world. High above the island looms Mount Etna, one of the largest volcanoes in the world and an awe-inspiring sight. Off the north coast of Sicily, the beautiful Aeolian Islands offer escape and remoteness, natural scenery and a startling light, a sleepy way of life and romantic isolation. A holiday in Sicily appeals for those who want typical rest and relaxation with cultural activities at hand, and for those who want to be more adventurous and experience more of this captivating island.
Highlights of Sicily
An ascent of Mount Etna, partly by car and then further on foot (guides available) through the luxuriant vegetation which includes oranges and lemons, bougainvillaea and poinsettias and then higher up the groves of walnuts, cherries, almonds, pistachios and vines. Palermo is known for its street markets, especially Vucciria and Ballaro, where traders and hawkers, pickpockets and shoppers converge amongst narrow streets and stalls of wares. See the traditional costumes and dialect of Piana degli Albanesi, where Albanians settled in the 15th Century. Revel in the splendid site of Taormina above the sea with views to Etna. Local crafts include cork, ceramics, honey, embroidery, raffia. Enjoy the calm and remoteness of the Aeolian Islands with their clear waters, beautiful scenery and peaceful way of life. Enjoy the gardens of the Villa Giulia in Palermo and the Public Gardens in Taormina.
Cultural highlights of Sicily
Palermo contains some of the greatest Arab-Norman buildings in existence - San Giovanni degli Eremiti, the Palazzo Reale with its striking Cappella Palatina and La Martorana. Monreale outside Palermo is the greatest work of Norman architecture in Sicily and contains beautiful 12th and 13th Century mosaics and cloisters. The Doric temples of the 5th Century BC in the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. Cefalu has the `Portrait of a Man` by Antonello da Messina, dating from 1465 in its Museo Mandralisca.
Festivals in Sicily
Many Sicilian local festivals are linked to Saints’ Days. A few of the most well-known festivals generally include Carnival celebrations in Taormina and Acireale. Easter is celebrated especially in Trapani, Marsala and Piana degli Albanesi. Messina celebrates Ferragosto on the 15th August with a firework display over the Straits. The Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore takes place in Agrigento in the first and second weeks of February to celebrate the almond blossom. Taormina Arte is a summer festival of music, cinema, ballet and theatre, held in the Greek theatre. The Palio dei Normanni takes place in Piazza Armeria in August.
Gastronomy in Sicily
The gastronomy of Sicily, like much of the culture of the island, has been heavily influenced by its history. Cuscus is a Sicilian version of couscous, and marzipan features heavily in sweets. Local produce includes citrus fruits, almonds, capers, olives, peppers and fish. Local specialities include Maccheroni con le sarde (pasta with sardines, fennel, raisins, pine nuts and saffron), Pesce spada (grilled sword fish), 'alla Siciliana' with capers, red peppers and herbs. Cassata is a popular dessert made with ricotta, candied fruit and pistachios and Cannoli are almond biscuits stuffed with ricotta. Sicily produces a variety of red and white wines including Corvo di Salaparuta and Etna, Marsala and Malvasia.
