Sicily is one of the great joys of Italy, a marvelous mélange of food, history, architecture, culture and natural beauty (where else can you ski beside a lava flow). Last year, my wife and I plopped ourselves on the island for a few days after an extended trip to Morocco and the Canary Islands, dividing our time between the bougie, cliffside town of Taormina and the ancient port of Syracuse (Siracusa).
In Syracuse, we wanted to base ourselves in the old city on the island of Ortigia and came across a Marriott Autograph Collection property called Ortea Palace with a terrific location watching over the marina. It ended up being one of our favorite stays of the year.
Ortea Palace Bottom Line Review
The Ortea Palace occupies a 1920’s former post office perched right over the Porto Piccolo in old Syracuse. The location couldn’t be better and you can walk pretty much anywhere in the old city that you’d like to go. The restoration into a hotel is incredible: the property is absolutely gorgeous with copious amounts of red and white marble wrapped with period fabrics. Elite treatment is excellent, with delicious breakfasts served in a lovely dining room. We used Nightly Upgrade Awards and were upgraded to a two-floor suite with a soaking tub on the mezzanine, 20ft windows and two water-view balconies – we could watch sunrise from one and sunset from the other. A great hotel. Thumbs Up
- Price: ~117,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for a three-night stay, but used a Marriott 40K free night certificate for one night. The cash price was well over €400/night ($420). In general, the points prices seem a little higher now, hovering around between 40K – 55K/night. Cash prices for standard rooms seem to start at ~€350/night ($370) and go up from there.
- Value: When we were there the value was superb at over ~1.2 cents per point (we value the average redemption of Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.77 cents each).
- Location: The location is near-ideal, just over the Ponte Santa Lucia on the far northern tip of Ortigia. Because of its watchtower-like perch, it has unusually open views of the marina and the Gulf of Syracuse. It’s no more than a 15-minute walk to the other end of the island.
- Room: We booked a standard room, applied Nightly Upgrade Awards and were very surprised to be almost immediately confirmed into the 1022sqft, top-floor Autograph Tower Suite. Simply put, the room was unbelievable. It’s spread out over a main floor and a mezzanine level, which has the bed, one of two bathrooms and a marina view soaking tub. The main floor is surrounded by giant, floor-to-ceiling windows that are bookended by two balconies – you can watch the sun rise from one and set from the other. The furnishings were plush and the main living area centered around a dining room table with a beautiful display of fresh flowers. What a treat.
- The water stopped working on our side of the building one of the days that we were there due to a broken pipe, so we were provided with another room down the hall so we could take a shower – an interior-facing “Edwardian Duplex.” I’ve added those photos below and, suffice it to say, it didn’t quite have the panache of our suite (and was a bit awkwardly-oriented). Regardless of the room type, I’d do whatever I could to try and get something that’s exterior-facing…the difference in light is pronounced.
- Parking: Daily valet parking is €50.00/night. However, you’re paying €50 for the valet to park it in one of the public lots that surround the building (or the parking garage that’s a ~2-3 minute walk away). If you choose to self-park at one of them, it’s around 1/5 the cost.
- Resort/Destination Fee: None.
- Internet: Good throughout the property.
- Service: Service was excellent across the board. The staff at the front desk and in the restaurant were very warm and accommodating and housekeeping was on point throughout our stay.
- Turndown service: Nightly.
- Dining:
- Il Cortile: Primary restaurant, located on one side of the main floor atrium across from Champagnetta. We never ate there outside of the excellent morning breakfasts that combined a well-stocked buffet with a la carte items. Open daily for breakfast from 7-11am, lunch from 12:30-3pm and dinner from 7-11pm.
- Incanto: Small dining room with a rooftop terrace and stellar views of the surrounding city and ocean. Unfortunately, it’s normally open only on Wednesday nights and for special events. Open Wed from 7-10pm.
- Champagnetta: Smart, chic bar that’s located on the other side of atrium from Il Cortile. Seems to serve the same menu for lunch and dinner. Open daily from 11am – 12am.
- Spa: There’s a full spa in the basement with the usual menu of treatments. The entrance feels a bit like a Russian karaoke bar, but the pool inside is lovely.
- Fitness Room: There’s a fitness area in the basement next to the spa. It’s small and nothing to write home about.
- Marriott Titanium Benefits:
- Room Upgrade: We booked a standard room and applied Marriott Nightly Upgrade Awards for a confirmed upgrade into the over-the-top Autograph Tower Suite that was delightful.
- Free Breakfast: Served daily at Il Cortile. Includes a sizeable and well-stocked “continental” buffet, as well as a la carte items and made-to-order espresso drinks.
- Club Lounge: There isn’t a club lounge, but there is a fun “library” that’s open to all guests which has overstuffed chairs, games and a rotating selection of light snacks throughout the day.
- Late Checkout: We were automatically given a 4pm checkout.
- Welcome Amenity: A branded journal, small cheese plate, two bottles of water and a bottle of local wine.
- Would I stay again? Absolutely. I would seek it out were I to return to that part of Sicily.
Pros
- Beautifully restored, historic property
- Usually an excellent value on points
- Great elite recognition
- Terrific location right on Ortigia Island – easy to walk anywhere, but easy to drive off
- Great views from any exterior-facing room on the property
- Cheap self-parking available nearby
Cons
- Valet parking is expensive
- Interior-facing room seemed a bit dark to us
- Subpar fitness area
Image Gallery
Ortea Palace Autograph Tower Suite
Welcome Amenity
Views
Ortea Palace Edwardian Duplex
Ortea Palace Restaurants
Il Cortile (elite breakfast)
Champagnetta
Incanto
Ortea Palace Spa and Pool
Fitness Area
Common Areas
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Sicily really wasn’t on my radar to visit but after reading this perhaps I was too hasty. What season did you visit the island?
Added to my list of places to redeem a Marriott FNC, thanks Tim!