Jolly Aretusa Palace Hotel - Siracusa, Italy 

"Reliable respite from pensione"
Posted: Mon, Nov 23 2009
The Jolly is your typical chain-style hotel, which may not seem like much to recommend it - however, after staying in unairconditioned pensione with tiny bathrooms and no CNN for a week or so, it was just the little splurge we needed to regain our strength. It actually wasn't even much of a splurge - make sure you inquire about weekend specials. We were able to stay at the Jolly for half price because they were empty on the weekend.Rooms are well furnished and ours was huge, with a very large bathroom/tub as well. It was nice to take a relaxing bath and catch up on the news, especially since the heat in Sicily can be taxing. The hotel is a 20-min walk from Ortygia and is on a safe major shopping street. I actually preferred staying here to Ortygia as you are also just a short walk from the archeological park/museum with the famous amphitheater. It's also only a 15-20 minute walk to the train station, so it is a good location for those without a car. Hotel also has a small bar and a restaurant (breakfast was included with our room).While it's not the Ritz, the Jolly is a respectable chain that will be a welcome relief for people on a modest travel budget.