Hotel Porta Felice ★★★★

Set along one of the quaint back streets, running parallel to the waterfront, the Porta Felice occupies an ideal position between Old Palermo and the Mediterranean Sea.

Built on the foundations of the old 18th century Palazzo Francisci, the hotel is completely renovated and offers an air of refined sophistication with marble floors, shiny floral wallpapers and silver furnishings. The impressive central staircase, which opens up to the sky takes a different style – contemporary and design-conscious with bright tangerine ceilings, potted green plants, glass-fronted balconies and shiny gold walls.

The rooms are large, sophisticated and stylish, adorned in colours of cream, slate and olive. Soft furnishings make a splash of cherry red in these sleek and soothing rooms and chairs covered in velvet add a plush touch of class.

Head up to the hotel’s roof terrace and you’ll see what all the fuss is about. In the morning you can enjoy the panoramic views over Palermo’s rooftops, while sipping a coffee and munching on Italian pastries for breakfast. And in the evening the ambiance changes to one of romance and beauty.

Italian cities may be romantic and elegant, but they can also be chaotic, and Palermo is no different. So when you feel that it’s all too much, simply return to the Porta Felice and make use of its excellent Wellness Club. Festooned with natural materials such as stone, wood and marble, the spa has an air of Turkish bath about it, with ornate golden patterns and intricately carved wooden furniture. The facilities feature a sauna, steam bath, relax zone, emotional showers and hot tubs, not to mention an area for personalised massages.

Sicily and Palermo will both surprise and delight you and by staying in the comfortably stylish Porta Felice, all you’ll have to concern yourself with is what sight to visit next. As the name suggests, it truly is ‘a door to happiness’.