Hotel Excelsior Palace

Just had a fabulous week at the Excelsior Palace. The location is superb and the swimming pool is large with lots of shade and the best view, the walk to the pool is just lovely. The rooms and bathrooms are large and very clean, breakfast was great and staff even arranged a very early one on our morning of departure. But the very best thing about this hotel is the Staff, they were so friendly, always available and so so helpful. The airport was closed so they worked really hard to arrange a transfer to Palermo. Nothing was too much trouble for them. A great place to stay, great value for money and the best Staff.

DO NOT STAY AT THIS HOTEL! All of the clothes that were in the wardrobe in my hotel room were stolen. I reported this to staff within a few hours and I was told they were 100% certain they weren’t stolen. They would not accept responsibility for my belongings. I allowed the staff to check my suitcases to prove I was telling the truth, showed them photos of me wearing the clothes during my stay and provided a description of every dress stolen and still they would not accept responsibility and made me feel like I wasn’t telling the truth. I reported it to the police. DO NOT STAY HERE.

Overall, I liked this hotel and would stay here again, though I thought it was a bit old and stuffy; it seems to try to be elegant in old, continental style, with white tablecloths at breakfast, but really it's just a normal place pretending to be fancy in a way that would appeal to people of my parents' generation and mainland Chinese package tourists. The rooms are fine and comfortable. Ours was located on the west side, overlooking the water and Mt. Etna. It was an fantastic place to sit on the balcony and have a glass of wine while watching the sun set over the snow-capped, smoking volcano. The location is good for exploring Taormina.

READ THIS HONEST and THOROUGH REVIEW! We stayed here for three nights in February 2023 and paid about €115 per night. I know the rate is much higher in the summer, but February is the peak of the low season in Sicily. The hotel, built in 1904, is absolutely beautiful in a classic way, so even though it’s not very updated it still has that elegance of a bygone era. Although the furnishings in the room and common areas were older, everything was well kept and impeccably clean, just older. Every member of the staff was extremely friendly and accommodating, from the front desk to the bell staff and restaurant. WiFi was great….no problems! The grounds of the hotel extend for several acres to the pool through a beautiful park setting with orange and lemon trees. Nothing compares to it in this type of Hill-town property. I’m sure it would have been even more lovely in the summer and we’d have been able to actually use the pool. The bar area is elegant with a live piano player every night, and the breakfast was excellent as well, with fresh squeezed orange juice from the dozens of orange trees on the property. My one disappointment was that the beds, as in much of Europe, were quite flat and firm. I prefer a more plush mattress, and I think a 4 star hotel of this caliber should invest in bringing the comfort of the rooms more into the modern era. I also would’ve appreciated more than a handheld wand in the shower, but that was not nearly as big a concern as the mattress. Overall, it was a very nice stay. The location was absolutely perfect right next to the main gate to the historic city and also with a supermarket, wonderful restaurants and the fantastic La Pignolata cannoli shop just a block away. Even though I was disappointed with the bed, I would stay here again because the value for the money was definitely five star. I do sincerely hope though, that they upgrade their mattresses in the near future and I would be happy to pay more next time if they do. This was the best location you can have, and still have a property that’s accessible by car, remember, that cars are not allowed in the city center and any hotel on the main street. you will have to walk to. The very famous San Domenico hotel where the White Lotus was filmed is just a few hundred yards away. For a fraction of the price, the location and setting here couldn’t be beat!

We totally loved this hotel. Grand, clean with friendly and helpful staff. They made our 4 night stay special, from helping us with taxis' and packed lunch for our early train, to advising on wine and ensure our room was fresh and clean every day. The pool was stunning. Towels, beds, bar and good food. Get a room with a balcony, you won't regret it.