Naples/Palermo Hotels
Jul 16th, 2005 | 06:22 AM
#3
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 25,330
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Just to give you a heads up..a three-star in Palermo (in which I stayed in May) is not going to get you much luxury if any. Fairly basic, clean, elevator, but not luxury. The standards are a little lower down south from waht I could tell. We stayed at a three-star in Palermo and while it was nice a nice enough hotel with terrace in good area it was not luxury in the least. And of course I got robbed at knifepoint at the reception desk but that was not really the fault of the hotel except that there was no security at all!
Jul 16th, 2005 | 03:17 PM
#6
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,749
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We stayed at Hotel Centrale in Palermo, which I'm pretty sure was three star and it seemed pretty average as three star hotels in Italy go -- except our room was exceptionally large!
In Naples we were very please with the Mercure Napoli Angionino Centro, which is just a half block from Municipio and right by the ferry and hydrofoil docks. It didn't have a lot of "European charm or character" but was more like a very nice and very up to day Hyatt or Marriott. Very nicely done, good breakfast, and a super location.
In Naples we were very please with the Mercure Napoli Angionino Centro, which is just a half block from Municipio and right by the ferry and hydrofoil docks. It didn't have a lot of "European charm or character" but was more like a very nice and very up to day Hyatt or Marriott. Very nicely done, good breakfast, and a super location.
Jul 16th, 2005 | 05:07 PM
#7
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 25,330
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Yes, unfortunately my little tale is all too true. It happened within 10 minutes of checking into our hotel while I was alone in the lobby with the (female) receptionist, discussing where to eat that night. A guy walked in with a knife, robbed me and then proceeded to rob the hotel cash drawer!! I must say the police were very nice about it all but they told me next time I should visit their hometown of Naples, which (they said) was much safer than Palermo. Since I was slightly injured during all of this, I had a bandage on my hand and everyplace we went after Palermo on the island, I got lots of sympathy and disgust when I recounted my story. ("Ay, Palermo, terrible, etc etc"
That said, I thought the city was fun and did not seem menacing at all. Just take care everyplace and I mean every place. Common sense, mostly, like you would use in any city. By the way, after we called the credit card people and filled out the (meanlingless) police report from the police station, two policemen gave us a city tour in the back of their squad car to make up for my aggravation!!! (No handles on the inside doors in the back, in case you were interested!!)
That said, I thought the city was fun and did not seem menacing at all. Just take care everyplace and I mean every place. Common sense, mostly, like you would use in any city. By the way, after we called the credit card people and filled out the (meanlingless) police report from the police station, two policemen gave us a city tour in the back of their squad car to make up for my aggravation!!! (No handles on the inside doors in the back, in case you were interested!!)
