Luxury bespoke hotel holidays to Villa Igiea, Palermo, Sicily
Facts in brief
Official star rating 5
Location On the sea front about 15 minutes by car from the historical centre
Annual opening All year
Closest airport Palermo Punta Raisi
Distance from airport About 30 minutes by taxi
Hotel facilities and services
Restaurant with terrace, pool grill and pizza restaurant, garden, terraces, bar, outdoor swimming pool, spa, gym and fitness studio, beauty salon, tennis, outdoor yoga sessions, 24-hour in-room dining, free shuttle bus to the city centre, valet parking, shoe shine service, same-day laundry service.
Complimentary
Wi-Fi
Out and about nearby
The Villa Igiea is on the seafront facing the Gulf of Palermo and has the historic old town of Palermo a short taxi ride away. As well as the Quattro Canti of Palermo’s historic district, you will find magnificent Baroque masterpieces, the Porta Nuova, the Palazzo dei Normanni, the cathedral and the Castello a Mare. There is also the regional archaeological museum Antonino Salinas and the fruit and vegetable stalls of the Mercato Vucciria.
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
£1,290 Low season - 3 Nov to 4 Dec
£1,730 High season - 28 May to 16 Oct
Holiday Code IE145
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 hotel holidays to Villa Igiea, Palermo, Sicily
Set on the seaside on the northern edge of the city of Palermo overlooking the Gulf of Palermo, the Villa Igiea, acquired by Rocco Forte Hotels in 2019, is a luxurious sanctuary which has played host to royalty and dignitaries throughout its life. Its location between the city and the sea gives access to a plethora of pursuits, providing easy access to the sights and bustle of the city whilst retaining the peaceful retreat aspect. The regal, pale yellow façade of the turn-of-the-century palazzo built in Sicilian style reflecting the history of the island, and today a Grade-1 listed landmark, invites you in through its beautiful gardens which border the sea. This 5-star hotel with 78 rooms and 22 suites has been exquisitely refurbished in a way that blends period features with contemporary flair. The rooms are furnished with classic antiques and sumptuous fabrics in serene shades that convey a fresh and light, inherently Sicilian feel. Some larger rooms and suites have a terrace. The setting is echoed in the style of the inside of the building, with classic parquet and Carrara marble maintaining cool temperatures during the Sicilian summer. Many rooms have a view over the luxuriant gardens to the sea. The main restaurant at Villa Igiea is Florio’s where the wonderful flavours of Sicily from natural, local ingredients are served in the surroundings of a flamboyant hall in the style of Louis XVI. Floor to ceiling windows bathe the space in a soft natural light, whilst at breakfast you can enjoy the winter garden room with its views of the gardens and the sea. Not to be missed, however, is the hour of the aperitivo, taken in the Igiea Terrazza bar, where you can enjoy the charming frescoes of the 1950s painted by local Sicilian artist Gino Morici accompanied by a classic cocktail enlivened by Sicilian flavours. In between the serious sightseeing that Palermo offers, you have the wonderful gardens, with their palm trees, banana trees and hibiscus and swimming pool that overlook the sea. Sicilian experiences such as a market tour and cookery class, a culinary walking tour or a visit to a Marsala winery can be arranged through the concierge.
Room descriptions
Villa Igiea has 78 rooms and 22 suites, with marble bathrooms, bathrobes and slippers, toiletries, smart TV, in room bar and in room safe, complimentary Wi-Fi. Bookings for suites with sea view upwards receive the following benefits: personalised concierge service, in-suite check-in, complimentary in-room bar of beers and non-alcoholic drinks, unpacking service, and complimentary pressing of one suit or one dress.
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
£1,290 Low season - 3 Nov to 4 Dec
£1,730 High season - 28 May to 16 Oct
Holiday Code IE145
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 hotel holidays to Villa Igiea, Palermo, Sicily
The journey and how you get there
For a holiday to the Villa Igiea in Palermo, our clients usually fly to Palermo. From the airport, we recommend a private car transfer which we would include in our holiday price. It is a 30-minute taxi journey from the train station to the hotel. If you are including the Villa Igiea as part of a touring holiday of Sicily, with a hire-car, you may want to pick up the car after your stay in Palermo or drop it off at the airport before your stay in Palermo.
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.
Low Season Offer 2024 Receive 15% off our contract rates on all rooms and suite categories when staying for 2 nights or more from the 1 to 28 March, and from the 3 November to 26 December 2024. Restrictions apply.
Mid Season Offer 2024 Receive 15% off our contract rates on all room and suite categories when staying for 3 nights or more from the 29 March to 24 April, from 28 July to 4 September and from the 20 October to 2 November 2024. Restrictions apply.
High Season Offers 2024-2025 Receive 10% off our contract rates, applicable to Suite Sea View upwards including two bedroom family suite, when staying for 3 nights or more from the 25 April to 27 July, from 5 September to 19 October and from 27 December 2024 to 6 January 2025. Restrictions apply.
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
£1,290 Low season - 3 Nov to 4 Dec
£1,730 High season - 28 May to 16 Oct
Holiday Code IE145
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 hotel holidays to Villa Igiea, 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.
