This small hotel is not pretentious, but provides all that is required for the traveller staying a couple of nights in Palermo, Sicily. It is just a few minutes walk from the central railway station where the trains direct from Palermo (PMO) airport terminate.
We received a warm welcome from the owner and our room was adequate for our needs with a double bed, wardrobe and desk, shower room and satellite TV. The room overlooked the botanical gardens. However the room did have a smell of cigarette smoke, which, I suspect, would be impossibe to eliminate without complete redecoration. The hotel does not have a restaurant, but the owner was able, and willing to direct us to a superb pizzaria a couple of streets away, which we would have been unable to find in the dark without his help. He also advised my wife to conceal her handbag when walking in the evening to prevent bag snatching, a crime prevalent in any town in Sicily. Breakfast of yoghurt and croissants, superb freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee was adequate. The hotel is very convenient for walking tours of the historic areas of Palermo. The botanical gardens are next to the hotel and the Villa Giulia Italianate garden and seafront is just a few minutes walk away. Tourist attractions such as the Cathedral, Palazzo dei Normanni, Piaza Marina and the superb Arab-Norman chapel of San Cataldo are all within easy walking distance. If we return to Palermo, we will use the Villa Archirafi Hotel again.