Villa Igiea, a Rocco Forte Hotel

Seeing my bewilderment faced with the cornucopia of local delicacies and other delectable choices at breakfast, a concerned waiter asked if I would, perhaps, like the chef to make me some porridge? Er, no thanks. Staying at Villa Igiea is to be transported to another era of elegance and comfort, but with the friendliest and most welcoming hotel staff who make this not just a visit, but a life-enhancing experience. Our short stay provided delightful memories: a beautiful bedroom with fine linen, cloud-soft pillows (top quality goose down?) a spacious marble bathroom with Irene Forte organic products (prickly pear shampoo was interesting) and a collection of books including ‘The Leopard’ to set the historical Sicilian scene. Several magnificently decorated period ballrooms reflect this. The well-tended gardens overlook the harbour, with shady paths under tall striking trees, where we sat on the patio enjoying our breakfast banquet under blue skies and sun even in December. The charming reception and conciege staff were very helpful with advice and arrangements, and we made good use of the free transport to the centre of Palermo and an excursion elsewhere. Many thanks to them and all the other staff who ensured our visit to Palermo was such an unforgettable pleasure.

I dont think it is possible to stay in a more luxurious hotel while visiting the many delights of Sicily's capital city, Palermo. We had a wonderful 4 days in this 5 star hotel, where the service was superb and the surroundings perfect. The beds were comfortable and the breakfasts overlooking the harbour, just something I will remember for a long time.

We stayed a week in this hotel which is historical and has a lot of charm. It is located on the sea side 15 mn drive from city centre of Palermo. Rooms are nicely decorated and big enough, we had one with partial sea view. What makes this hotel great is the staff whether the concierge or at breakfast. Food is delicious at Florio hotel and service is professionnal though sometimes we had to pour ourselves the wine in the glass, the sommelier disappeared. Breakfast is offering quality ingredients and a lot of choice, service was great. Be aware that 15% is added to your bill as discretionary service (tip: you can be a member of RF hotels and get 15% discount on your food bill). Also we had a 5% added to our bill for the rooms, which is fine as the service is good and we had been informed upon booking. We enjoyed the service of the palace and the bar is great, it looks like having a drink in a monastery under arches of stones. What could be improved is the Spa. The massage is great but it is lacking a real Spa with indoor pool, hamam and Sauna which would be pleasant at this time of the year as you can not enjoy outside pool. Overall I recommend this hotel.

Giovanni at the front desk, and all the staff were excellent, professional, and kind. Their courteous service was exceptional and made us feel very welcome. They accommodated our every need. Since our stay fell over the Christmas holiday, Giovanni was especially kind and considerate. We hope to come back!

Wonderful architecture and gardens. Beautiful rooms with high ceilings and comfortable furnishings. But the highlight for us is the buffet breakfast and evening meals in the dining room overlooking the marure sub- tropical trees and gardens, the marina, sea and mountains. The service we received throughout the hotel - concierge with Phillip and others , dining room and bar area with Francesco, Salvatore and Paola and all the staff and the quality of food and housekeeping was superb.