Travelling in Sicily at the end of November might not be the first idea that pops into people's…read moremind. However, it is an interesting option for a quick get away for the week-end! Sun is still around and the water is not that cold. This is how I landed in Lol Hostel for a let's-go-where-the-sun-is weekend. Well located, the Ortigia area is within 15' walk. We have been really well welcomed, city maps at the reception, Sicily guides, excursion suggestions. The building is combination of old stones , modernised. Rooms are clean. The staff is really helpful and really welcoming. Big terrasse. Bar with really cheap drinks. (Variety of alcools, softs, cocktails) I really liked the big kitchen with a big cooking space. Parking spaces are available in front of the hostel. It is a really nice place to stay with friends.

Good atmosphere. There is a bar restaurant next to the hostel in which you get discount and food is…read moredelicious. Friendly staff. It has a laundry machine. Location.

I stayed 1 night to see Mount Etna. The staff are really nice and very helpful…read more BREAKFAST It was better than other hostels by just a little bit. They offer a variety of fruits (peach, apple, etc) and small yogurt. That's all I ate. They have cereal, bread, milk, and other things. SHARED BATHROOM - The female bathroom down the hall looks a little worn down and could use some renovation. It also lacks ventilation. - After one showers, there is no where fast way for the hot air to pass through other than opening the entry door. - The curtains were cheap and do not provide full coverage. - There wasn't side chairs or enough wall hooks to put away your items. ROOM - I stayed in the 8-bed female dorm. Quite Spacious. - I like that each bunk bed comes with a 2-port USB outlet and curtain. - The beds are covered with a black plastic film. I was lucky enough to have an unoccupied single bed in the room, so I slept on that, instead of the bunk bed. (I think I was less restless than any other hostel bed I slept on within Italy) - This room has 2 balconies so you will hear noise from the busy square. - The lockers come with a keyed lock. And there are 2 shelves. - It was difficult to find a wall outlet. Not sure how many there are in the room. The roof terrace offers good views. There is a bar there. You can see part of Mount Etna. It's the highlight of the hostel. I wasn't sure if there is an elevator but you have to walk 2 or 3 levels of stairs. It's a 15-minute walk from the Catania Centrale Train station. There is a kitchen with a fridge, so I'm sure you can cook.

You have to know the environment you're about to enter when you stay at a hostel. I think I just…read moreforgot. It had been over five years since my last stay in one, so this was a bit of a shock. I don't think I really have the right personality for sleeping with strangers. I had some random girl above me in a bunk-bed format (she seemed nice, but it was still too weird for me!), and there's no privacy aside from a curtain that you can put up around your bed. Unless, of course, you book a private room....which I should have done! Shared bathrooms are down the hall. For a hostel, they're quite clean and tidy. They even stock hair dryers! Many of the budget properties we stayed in this month did NOT have such lush accommodations. A light breakfast is included in the rate, but you do need to pay 2 euro to rent a towel. You'll get a locker for your belongings. Staff here was very friendly. One of the current staffers is even from Philly! Keep in mind that this hostel is situated right on the main square in Catania. You'll have beautiful views from their rooftop terrace, but you'll also deal with a crapton of noise in the middle of the night. Bring earplugs. I'd always prefer a hotel to a hostel, but if you're trying to keep to a budget, this property is a good option in Catania.

This isn't just a 'favourite place'. Atelier Sul Mare is now my favourite place in the whole world…read more I can't stress enough how stunning and perfect this hotel is. If I could, I would pack up my bags right now and live here. I actually found out about it after a conversation on Qype too :-) I've never been one to stay in a hotel while I'm on a holiday. Give me a hostel, a cheap b&b and i'm happy - after all I'm not planning on spending much time there so I only really need a bed and a cup of coffee! Atelier Sul Mare is different. Oh so different. Roughly translated at the 'art hotel by the sea' you're treated to a stunning array of rooms. 25 years ago, 15 artists were asked to create hotel rooms with a difference. This is the result. It's so difficult to explain the experience. You honestly don't know what to expect when you get there. One room had a shower like a carwash. There was a room with a bed like a birds nest, one was like a fairy tale tower! When we saw that one on the website images, it looked scary, but when we saw it in real life, it was stunning - shame it wasn't free when we wanted to stay there. All of the art rooms have sea views - and these are stunning. You get a tour of the rooms each day - by moving each evening you get to experience different rooms - a clever way of the hotel keeping the rooms free, and a really great twist. it is worth moving your stuff over. All of the rooms have air con, but you won't find a TV or mini bar. That's really not the point of the hotel - if theses are on your list of must haves and you aren't willing to overlook them, them you're kinda missing the point of the hotel. The rest of the hotel is beautiful. Really stunning. there's an art gallery for goodness sake! How many hotels have one of those?! There's a great restaurant (which I've written about serperately). It's not cheap, but the food is great. There's a bar next door too. Nice enough, but they'll serve you your drink by the beach so there's not much point staying the bar! You also get use of a perfect little private beach with the bluest sea in the whole world. (My boyfriend taught me to swim in that sea, so I promise it's warm!) Don't expect any tourists around you. You're right next to a teeny town - this hotel is perfect for escapism. All this for EUR85 per person a night in September for an art room. I think standard rooms are about EUR65 and while they're stunning, I think if you're going to splash out, stay in an art room. I might just book a flight back there right now. It's the most perfect place in the world. I have such a special place in my heart for this hotel. I don't think I could ever stay in a Radisson again. Perfect. Awesome.

I had heard a lot of good things about The Art Hotel in…read moreSicily and last week when I finally got to see it and stay there I realized that what I had heard about the hotel was an understatement. In reality this place is even more wonderful that what people say about it. Being the only Art Museum Hotel in the world it provides you an experience that no other place ever can. I was given a guided tour of the hotel's art rooms and it was a great experience. The hotel is very near to the beach and the guests get free access o the fully equipped beach. The Art Hotel in Sicily is a place that I would highly recommend to everyone.

Very nice hotel next to the place where the ferries leave for the Eolian islands. Clean rooms. WiFi…read moreonly worked on the ground floor (we couldn't connect on the first floor). Friendly and helpful personnel. Good breakfast.

My wife and I stayed here during our honeymoon in 2008. We came into Milazzo too late for the last…read moreferry to the Eolian Islands and needed a room. The price was good for Italy (€100) and the place was friendly, clean, and extremely hospitable. We stayed in many hotels and hostels while in Italy for three weeks, and the Petit Hotel was head and tails above the rest. Highly recommended!