Cristal Palace Hotel - Palermo, Italy 

The Cristal Palace Hotel is a no-nonsense good value hotel right in the old part of Palermo, and an excellent base to explore the sights of the city. Finding the hotel by car was an achievement in itself, given the traffic-from-hell experience that is Palermo (the word “bedlam”. I am told, derives from the name of the Hospital of St. Mary of Bethlehem, London, which was an insane asylum. Could “palermam” be used to describe an insane, out-of-control traffic system ?) Managed to find a parking space directly outside the hotel, but was shooed away by the hotel staff to an overnight parking garage, which cost 12 euro. Could find no explanation for this (unless staff were keeping these spaces for themselves) but didn’t mind the expense in knowing that the car was safe. The hotel room was clean, air-conditioned, with TV, minibar and a decent bathroom. Not much more I can say about it. Room cost was 85 euro for a double, which was reasonable. The location is good, being within walking distance of the main activities of the city – the port, opera house, cathedrals, shopping streets etc. Breakfast was standard fare, even if the basement breakfast room was a bit gloomy, and the staff not exactly full of life. But then, they had Palermo’s traffic to face, so can you blame them ?