Ambasciatori - Palermo, Italy     

Have just enjoyed a lovely 4 night stay at the Ambasciatori as part of a 2 week Italian holiday. Very happy with our choice - entirely lived up to the reviews. Views from the roof terrace are dazzling. Our room was on the 5th floor at the rear with nice rooftop views. Very light and charming fitout. Good size wardrobe with safe. Bathroom a little small but very clean, no problems with hot water and has all the essentials. It is great value and has a very local feel. The staff make this place - reception booked restaurants for us, even in Rome as no charge - our Italian is limited. The central location is perfect - easy 10min walk from train station even with wheeled luggage. You can walk to all the major sites and enjoy the architecture and street life on the way. Local Markets are great - check out Bellaro, or the very close Vucciria which has great restaurants in adjoining streets. Contrary to other reviews, we found eating in Palermo fabulous. Try Nabucco - their appertiser of olives, broccoli, lobster and tomato jelly was our favourite dish for the trip and we had some great tuscan food. Other close restaurants to try are Tina Pica, Antica Focacceria di San Francesco and for a splurge - Osteria dei Vespri.

We stayed a week in a 5th floor room, clean and spacious, enjoyed our breakfasts on the terrace with the fabulous views, and found the hotel staff friendly and helpful. While the hotel itself is distinctly above average, our stay in Palermo was not. I hope, therefore, that readers will find the following information useful should they plan a visit. 1. The train from the airport to the city is slow, filthy, and hot (the airconditioning did not work). Take the bus. 2. Noise is a problem. Though our windows had sturdy shutters, stout casement windows, thick drapes, and individudal ac, they were, penetrated by street noise (Palmitans are heavy on their horns), an appropriately named night club a block away (the "Blow Up") which lets out at 2:30 a.m., and a noisy party next door on our last night. 3. Avoid eating places that advertise (in English) "typical Sicilian cuisine". I tried one, and found it awful. Instead, there is the Cafe Latina for lunch (on south side of Vittorio Emanuele near Quatro Canti), Casa del Brodo (good traditional fare), and Nabucco (expensive but excellent modern). 4. Two of Palermo's top attractions are closed and have been for years, but you are not told this by contemporary travel guides or websites. Do not count on seeing either the Galleria Regionale in the Palazzo Abatellis, or the Cappella Palatina in the Palazzo dei Normanni.