mp413

Hello, going to Sicily with my family (8 of us in all, including grandparents) and trying to figure out where to stay in Palermo for 3-4 nights. Frommer's mentioned that areas where you can find lots of restaurants in the evening are around Pza. Verdi and Pza. Castelnuovo, however doing research on some of the threads on this forum, it sounds like this is perhaps not the most central location for sightseeing.

We definitely want to be in the cultural heart, as we will primarily be interested in sightseeing (the older the better). Can anyone explain where that would be? Near the cathedral, or more close to Politeama? Will we be set for strolling in the evening and finding restaurant options either way?

Many thanks!

mp413

Michael

We stayed at the Hotel Joli and liked it.

http://www.hoteljoli.com/

mp413

Thanks a lot Michael, looking at the map it seems this is in the newer part of town (as opposed to the medieval quarter)?

Michael

It is at the edge of the old town, but still in the old town, or at least 5 minutes walking distance from it. From my recollection, the Politeana (sp?) is the dividing point between old and new.

senozkadir

We stayed at Hotel del Centro and we liked it.
http://www.hoteldelcentro.it/
http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/centropalermo.tr.html

bon_voyage

We stayed at the Grand Hotel Wagner which, like Michael's hotel, was near Politeama. I liked the location on the border of the old and new cities. Hotels in the older part of the city would be closer to Via Victor Emmanuel and near Piazza Marina.

Leely2

We stayed at the Palazzo Sitano, a Falkensteiner hotel. It's near Piazza Marina. We loved the location and got a great rate for our rooms. On the downside: friends who had a (very charming) room facing the street heard noise from late-night revelers on the weekend.

http://www.hotelpalazzositano.it/

kja

I haven't been to Palermo since 2007, at which time I stayed in the (old) Old Town. At least at that time, it had some decidedly dodgy areas; I felt the need to be exceptionally attentive to my surroundings. One night, just a block or two from my hotel, I was stopped by a pair of policemen (who were in their car) who advised that I leave the area and offered to escort me out. (I declined the ride, but they watched me to my hotel and didn't leave the area until I was safely inside the hotel's outer door.) It was reassuring that they paid attention, but also very disconcerting that they felt the need to do so: I was glad it was my last night there!

The area near Politeama seemed much nicer and had lots of character - it may be the "New" Town, but it isn't new -- just newer. (As I recall, the guidebooks I used described the Piazza Politeama as being quite clearly in the New Town. They identified the "dividing line" as the Corso Vittorio Emanuelle, at the Quattro Canti.) It is entirely possible that things have changed, but I would think something in Palermo's New Town would give you all a bit more of a sense of security. I'll hazard a guess that the area around the Politeama is still at the heart of Palermo's evening passaggio, and I think you'll find some decent restaurants nearby. Particularly if you are trying to herd a family of 8 through unknown streets, I think staying in the area near the Piazza Politeama is worth considering.

Hope that helps! Palermo is a fascinating city. And don't miss the cathedral in Monreale!

mp413

Dear kja, many thanks for your very helpful reply! This is super useful info and exactly what I was looking for. I wasn't really worried about safety, although perhaps I should be thinking about that more... I was just more concerned about staying in the area where you are really most steeped in history. But you are probably right that even the "newer" area still is very historic.

We are definitely going to see Monreale, sounds amazing! Thanks again. I also appreciate all the others' hotel recs, although I must stay it's very difficult to find a hotel that can accommodate 8 of us at this point, so we probably can't be very choosy.