UNA Hotel Palace - Catania, Italy 

I stayed at Una Palace with a group of friends in February. It was our second stay at the hotel, which we like for its wonderfully convenient location in the center of town and for its rooftop bar. On my first stay at the Una Palace, I was upgraded to a super deluxe suite with a giant bedroom with a long balcony overlooking Via Etnea and a giant size bathroom and walk-in closet. However, this time I was given the room I paid for...and it was still nice. The design-y, Phillipe Starck-esque decor of the hotel mimics the white and black colors of Catania, with white walls and painted furniture, and dark gray carpeting. The decor is new, so everything is in fairly good shape. The calm, minimalist lobby can feel like a welcome refuge from the gritty, crowded street. The rooms have similarly graphic black and white decor, and the hardest beds of any hotel in which I've ever stayed. (They are fabulous!) The beds have crisply pressed sheets and fluffy white duvets. The rooms have at least one comfortable armchair and a desk large enough for working. The bathrooms are good sized, with tubs and local dark stone countertops and floors. Both rooms in which I've stayed have been comfortable and clean, but others in our group have complained of extremely cramped rooms and bad smells. Although the service at the hotel is adequate, the front desk staff does not go out of their way to be helpful. There is no free wi-fi, but there are two computers for guests' use in the lobby. Breakfast is not noteworthy, and is served in a weirdly lit mezzanine above the front lobby. Better to have room service or head to one of the cafes on Via Etnea. The rooftop bar has indoor and outdoor seating, both with wondrous views of Catania and Mt. Etna. The service is usually swift, and in the evenings there is a free buffet of tasty bar snacks like grissini, parmesan, and arancini.

I was booked into a horrible little hotel and was desparate to find somewhere else to stay. I went down the road to the UNA Place and asked if they had a room. They booked me in immediately and even collected my luggage from the other hotel. All the staff were charming and so helpful. The views of Etna from the roof top restaurant at night were spectacular. The room I was given was very welcoming, comfortable and delightfully decorated. What a wonderful hotel!