Ortea Palace Hotel, Sicily, Autograph Collection

I had the most welcoming stay at the Ortea Palace Hotel. The location is ideal, a beautiful dining-bar reception space, my room was spacious with plenty of closet space, seating area with a table, mini-fridge, comfortable bed & pillows, nice bathroom (bathrobes, slippers too). Aside from the physical beauty of this hotel, all the staff here deliver excellent hospitality—the housekeeping staff throughly clean one’s room; the concierge staff are exceptionally helpful— Conchetta and Silvia, Grazie Mille; Federica and Sergio Grazie Mille for the most delicious and beautiful breakfast offerings and the best cappuccinos. This establishment shines because of the dedication, professionalism and welcoming staff along with the beauty of the hotel. When I return to Ortigia, I will stay here again because of my excellent first stay experience.

As returning guests and Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite members, we once again felt incredibly welcome at the Ortea Palace. Our one-night stay was a real pleasure from beginning to end.

The day before our arrival, I contacted the hotel to ask whether we could already make use of the spa, as we would be arriving around noon and did not need our room before the regular check-in time. We were therefore particularly delighted that not only was our room already ready at 12:00, but we were also given a fantastic upgrade to the Garamond Junior Suite on the top floor.

This is the only floor with private balconies, and the view from our suite was simply phenomenal — overlooking the harbour and the historic centre of Ortigia. It was a wonderful setting for such a short stay. The bed was exceptionally comfortable, and the Diptyque bathroom amenities were a lovely touch and of excellent quality.

What we particularly appreciate about the Ortea Palace is its attention to detail. Even the Garamond Junior Suite has its own little story: a beautifully designed booklet is provided for guests to take with them, explaining special details and the background behind the Garamond room. It is exactly these thoughtful touches that make the stay feel personal and distinctive rather than simply luxurious.

Breakfast was another highlight, with a very good selection and excellent quality. We also enjoyed returning to the hotel’s spa in the basement. The spa is beautifully designed and offers a large pool, a spacious sauna, a steam room where a salt scrub is provided, and a relaxing relaxation room. A swimming cap is required for use of the pool, but this is no inconvenience at all, as one is kindly provided at the spa reception if needed.

The relaxation area is thoughtfully equipped with drinking water, a samovar with hot water and a selection of wellness teas to prepare yourself, as well as fresh apples — small details that make the experience even more enjoyable.

One of the things that makes the Ortea Palace particularly special is the hotel itself. The architecture, design and impressive artworks throughout the property make simply walking through the hotel a visual pleasure.

We also really enjoyed the hotel’s welcome ritual: a delicious lemon granita-style drink, referred to here as Sherbet. A small but very refreshing and memorable touch.

Once again, the Ortea Palace delivered a wonderful experience. We felt genuinely welcomed and very much at home, and we will be very happy to return on our next visit to Ortigia.

Ubicacion excelente
Desayuno y piscina no aplica

Posizione eccellente e pulizia

We are deeply disappointed by how Ortigia Sea Palace handled our stay.

At check-in, we discovered that we accidentally booked 2 rooms because of a poor internet connection while doing the booking ; it was our mistake and explained the error immediately. We were occupying one room, had no intention of using a second room, and were simply asking the hotel to help us find a reasonable solution.

They refused. Completely.

We weren’t even demanding a full refund. We asked about a partial refund, future stay credit, dining or spa credit, a room upgrade - any gesture of goodwill whatsoever. Expedia/Chase reserve even contacted the hotel directly on our behalf, and the hotel still refused everything.

We dealt with Anna, Caterina, and Silvia at reception. Our check in process was completely cold. Anna, the front desk manager, was unfortunately the worst part of the experience; she was unnecessarily rude, aggressive, and unhelpful.

We emailed the hotel reservations team but they also ignored us.

Then, despite booking through Chase Reserve with breakfast included, the following morning we were told breakfast was not included. On top of everything else, the air conditioning in our room wasn’t functioning properly.

Mistakes often happen when traveling. What turned that mistake into such an upsetting experience was the hotel’s astonishing lack of empathy, flexibility, or even the smallest, tiniest, gesture of goodwill.

I would highly suggest all guests to stay elsewhere. You’ll certainly get more value and better treatment for it. After exploring Ortigia, Grand Hôtel des Etrangers, Algila’Ortigia or Palazzo Artemide are way better hotels.

Greta location at the middle of Ortigia and hotel heritage

Room
Size was good and location was excellent

Staff beyond incredible. I fell and needed crutches. They treated me like family. The facilities were extraordinary. Location too. I will recommend this hotel to anyone who’s going to Sicily and say they should go to Siracusa just to stay there. I’ve traveled the world and stayed in some of the nicest hotels. This is the best I’ve ever stayed in.

Great location. High ceilings. Multiple bathrooms

Location and comfort

A truly beautiful hotel, perfectly situated in Ortigia. The imposing architecture of what was originally a post office is stunning and Ortea Palace has magnificent presence in this ancient town as a result.

Once inside, the welcome is warm, friendly and professional. Our check-in was made to feel personal and the team member who checked us in, showed us to our room.

Our sea view, duplex suite was magnificent. It was spacious, well designed and immaculate, with all the amenities you could possibly need.

Breakfast was a combination of a beautifully presented buffet, with additional al-a carte items on offer.
The staff team could not have been more welcoming, attentive , professional and kind. They absolutely cared about our experience. Something the restaurant Manageress said to me when I asked for some fresh milk for tea in our room “You’re at home … Of course I can bring you fresh milk”. That response captures the culture of the people at Ortea Palace.

We used the spa 3 times during our week long stay and found it to be a relaxing space with a good size pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna. The staff here are also welcoming and obliging.

We travel frequently worldwide and no 5 star hotel we have stayed in has quite matched Ortea Palace. The hotel is stunningly beautiful inside and out and so are the people.

Une chambre incroyable avec une vue exceptionnelle, merci encore et encore pour le surclassement. Lit très confortable qui permet de se reposer. L’accueil est impeccable, une mention toute particulière pour Federica qui a été d’une rare prévenance. Petit déjeuner incroyable.
Nous avons très largement profité de la piscine ainsi que de la social room.
Cet établissement est notre préféré, nous le recommandons les yeux fermés et nous reviendrons encore et encore. Bravo

It’s was a very nice facility and the location was good

Situació

Well placed, easy car parking in front, good breakfast

The location was perfect.
The views were magnificent from the higher floors.
The staff were so friendly