PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

For atmosphere and comfort, we'd still give the edge to Villa Igiea or the Astoria Palace -- but Centrale Palace is a close runner-up. No other lodging lies as close to the Duomo, the Quattro Canti, and the monumental medieval heart of Palermo. The core of the hotel is a 17th-century private home, although guest rooms occupy adjacent buildings that are newer. The lobby is daringly painted in vivid colors associated with the Italian Renaissance, such as terra cotta and intense blues.

The original palazzo was converted into a hotel in 1892 during Palermo's Belle Epoque Golden Age. Some period or Empire antiques are placed about to take the curse off the moderno. But many furnishings, especially those in the guest rooms, have more function than flair. Doubles are generally medium-size to spacious, with modernized bathrooms that mostly come with tub-shower combinations. The quietest rooms are on the side streets, and double-glazing on the front windows block, but do not entirely keep out, Palermo's horrific street noise. Our favorite perch is the top-floor dining room, taking in views over the Palermo rooftops to Monte Pellegrino.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Sicily, 3rd Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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