We spent four nights at San Paolo. This hotel provided a welcome respite from the chaotic city centre of Palermo. Our 11th floor room had a view of the sea, and the view from the rooftop swimming pool is spectacular, with the sea in front and the mountains behind.
Our room was spacious, with a security safe and a well-stocked mini-bar.
San Paolo is about a 20-minute walk from the old town – admittedly not for the faint-hearted after dark. The hotel provides a shuttle to and from Piazza Politeama in the modern part of the city every hour, until 8 p.m. There is a regular bus service passing by that goes to the central station.
The hotel has a well-equipped gym. The drinks are reasonable in the bar, and the bar staff were very friendly. The breakfast was excellent, with an unlimited selection of fruit, yogurt, cold meats, cheese, scrambled eggs, cereals, pastries and bread.
Taxis from the city centre are expensive: 15 to 20 euro, even though it is only about 1.5 km. There are two very good restaurants near the hotel, where we had dinner on two nights.
I would definitely recommend this hotel for anyone visiting Palermo during the summer, as the pool provides a welcome place of rest after a day’s sightseeing.
- San Paolo Palace Palermo
