Hotel Review: Grand Hotel Villa Igiea

It wasn’t until I had sat down on the expansive outdoor deck of Des Arcades — Aperol spritz in one hand and a bowl of Castelvetrano olives in the other — that I finally relaxed. Not that Grand Hotel Villa Igiea’s handsome lounge bar overlooking the bay in Palermo, Sicily, had given me any choice. 

With sunshine nuzzling my face, the melody of birdsong and the gentle putt-putt sound of boat engines in the harbor, I couldn’t possibly be bothered to have any worries. As I was lulled into leisure after a long afternoon of touring the nearby Fincantieri shipyard for Silversea Cruises’ ship lengthening of Silver Spirit, I noticed a similar effect on my fellow travelers. 

Each person seemed to sink deeper into their chair with each sip of a drink and each bite of a Sicilian almond or other tapa the waiter had provided. Soon, we were all so slumped like ragdolls in our chairs, sunglasses perched precariously at the ends of our noses, that we would have looked like a scene from “Weekend at Bernie’s” to an unsuspecting bystander.

But that’s the magic of five-star Grand Hotel Villa Igiea: Before they know it, guests are so at ease that they wonder if they’ve lived here all along. The villa, which was restored in the late 19th century by art nouveau architect Ernesto Basile for the Florio family, still has original frescoes, decorations and furniture, creating a refined-but-homey ambiance. 

The property sprawls across a portion of the Palermo coastline, removed from the noisiness of downtown but only a 15-minute drive from the area’s top sites. A stroll along its grounds uncovers countless treasures: birds nesting in the lush foliage, a tennis court, a large swimming pool with Greek ruins and views of young Sicilians playing kayak polo in the water below.  

Inside, the hotel unveils even more gems. Beautiful, immense wooden staircases lead from the ground-floor Cuvee du Jour gourmet dinner restaurant and Donna Franco Florio eatery to the hotel’s 123 well-appointed rooms and suites, which range from 204-square-foot Classic Rooms to the 861-square-foot Presidential Suite.

Between a writing desk, a sitting area, a generous armoire and a king-size bed, my Deluxe Room provided ample space for work and play. The room category — outfitted in “Liberty” style, the Tuscan version of art nouveau — also features soundproof windows with views of the bay and swaying palm trees, along with spacious marble bathrooms that hold glass-enclosed showers and/or large bathtubs. (My room had both, with a sizable window above the bathtub, and I made a point to enjoy a cup of tea with my bath while looking out at the marina.)

Book clients looking for a romantic getaway in the new Terrace Jacuzzi Suite, which has a wraparound private terrace with an outdoor Jacuzzi (along with curtains for a bit more privacy) and stunning vistas of the water. Among its included amenities are a pillow menu, laundry service, champagne on arrival and individually controlled indoor and outdoor music systems.

No matter which part of the property you do it from, don’t miss taking in the warm ocean air with an espresso, aperitif or digestif. If, like me, you end up becoming part of your seat, don’t worry: You’re merely claiming your birthright. And that’s par for the course at Grand Hotel Villa Igiea.

The Details
Grand Hotel Villa Igiea
www.villa-igiea.com