I'm going to Sicily for two weeks in Sept - one week being in the area of Palermo and the other in Taorima. We'll have a car & have been advised to stay outside of Palermo. Any suggestions for towns and hotels or maybe a villa for 4 people.

Please........help. Can anyone recommend a town near Palermo and also a hotel. We'll have a car. Thanks.

Italians like the town of Santa Flavia/Porticello, 15 miles east of Palermo, along the pretty coast, and within sight of the Roman Ruins of Solunto. There are a couple of hotels there, the best of which is the Kafara. You can drive to Palermo in 20 minutes, or take the bus or train.

Correction: Santa Flavia is 15 kilometers east of Palermo, not 15 miles.

You might also consider beach area of Mondello just west of Palermo. Would be a very quick (maybe 15-20 minute) drive into Palermo and much more scenic and relaxing. I've visited Mondello but never stayed overnight so I can't recommend any hotels personally but I'm sure any guidebook that covers Palermo in depth would have some hotel recs for Mondello.

Not sure of your budget but to get you started, my Cadogan guide mentions:
-4 star with beach, pool etc: Mondello Palace
3 star with a/c and pool: Splendid Hotel la Torre
2 star with a/c: Residence Villa Esperia

A million "thank yous" to GAC and Maddy. I'll research your suggestions asap. Mondello isn't mentioned in Fodors 2001 book - looks like I need another. Also - GAC - I've already read all the good info on your thread and found great suggestions. Thanks again. Do either of you have any email addresses for these hotels?

Hotel Kafara, Santa Flavia:
www.kafarahotel.it
kafara@kafarahotel.,it

Hotel Tonnara di Trabia, Trabia (near Termini Imerese, east of Palermo:
www.tonnara.com
[email protected]

Hotel Villaggio Citta' del Mare, Terrasini (near Palermo airport, huge complex):
www.cittadelmare.it
[email protected]

Florio Park Hotel, Cinisi (near Palermo airport):
www.coretur.it
[email protected]

Splendid Hotel La Torre, Mondello
www.latorre.it
[email protected]

Here is my two cents...I don't know why you want to stay outside of Palermo, it really is great right in the city, without a car, of course. There are many nice hotels in very safe areas and tons of great places to eat. OK, if you want to stay outside of the city, but very very close, I think that Mondello is a great suggestion. It really is beautiful, and only about 10 mins away, which is possible to do on the local bus, not with a car...sorry, I don't know any hotels there but I have been to the beach club and it was very nice. I'm surprise to see GAC's recomendations,(happy surprised) and the town of Terrasini might be worth a look into. This is where my father was born, we spent a few days there, and it is a pretty LITTLE town, right on the water, nice people, friendly, and definately not very touristy, although I bet it is very crowded in the summer. We were there in September, and it was delightful. You would definately feel safe, like you were staying in a real sicilian beach town, good family style places to eat...hope this helps.

Fodors has only the Mondello Palace listed amongst its Palermo hotels in the most recent edition but lists only a phone # for contact info.

I did a google search, followed a trip advisor link and found all three of the Mondello hotels (and another one) on Frommers website with website/email info.

I didn't even know Frommers had a separate Sicily guide but the link references back to a 1st ed Frommers Sicily guide, so that might be a good resource for your trip.

Here's the link:
http://www.frommers.com/destinations...der=hotel_name

Frommers Sicily lists for Mondello:

Mondello Palace Hotel
http://web.tiscali.it/mondellopalace
Phone 091-450001

Splendid Hotel La Torre
www.latore.it
Phone 091-450222

Villa Esperia
www.hotelvillaesperia.it
Phone 091-6840717

Albergo Conchiglia d'Oro
Phone 091-450032

I haven't tried any of the weblinks to see if they're current.

Thanks for the great suggestions. I've checked a lot of them out and was about to settle on Mondello at the Mondello Palace until I read some feedback on the Fodors site. Two people were extremely unhappy with that place so now I'm re- thinking. Susanna: we'll be in that area for 7 nights and thought maybe a calmer area might be better but open to suggestions since it's our first trip to Sicily. You guys are usually "right on" so any suggestions would be appreciated. We have our airline tickets but so far no hotel reservations and itinerary is still flexible.

You might consider one of the properties in or near Santa Flavia, 15 kilometers east of Palermo. There's hourly direct bus service, as well as frequent trains, into downtown Palermo. Nearby are the Roman ruins of Solunto, the outrageous baroque Villa Palagonia in Bagheria, and the coastline to Capo Zafferano is very scenic. Parts of the area are a little run down, but it's mainly very rustic and "genuine". An even quieter town would be Trabia, a few miles further east, towards Termini Imerese, but always along the sea coast. As far as choosing a specific hotel, I recommend selecting one which has been very recently modernized, as you're more likely to find up-to-date conveniences such as state-of-the art air conditioning and new bathroom fixtures. The older, unmodernized hotels might leave you somewhat dissatisfied.

Thanks GAC. I've read about the Villa Palagonia and looking forward to the sight. I'll research your suggestions. Do you think it would be better and more fun to stay in Palermo?

I would definitely stay in Palermo, and grab a rental car and then head to Taormina. Palermo is a wonderful city to walk around in and explore. The only reason I would consider staying outside of it is if you hope to catch some beach time and want to stay on a beach. Or if you want to do many day trips from Palermo and have a car easily accessible. I couldn't imagine not staying right in Palermo.

I agree entirely with AP. Stay outside of Palermo only if you want to enjoy a GOOD beach resort hotel and a rustic setting. Otherwise, stay in Palermo and enjoy the hustle & bustle of a large and vibrant city. Might you consider staying 4 or 5 days in Palermo and the balance at a nearby resort?