Hotel della Valle

The nicest surprise was outside the main hotel: Hotel Della Valle has a lovely pool area with a bar and plenty of outdoor seating. If you explore further, steps and a small hill lead to another property overlooking the valley. The views are stunning, though the mansion-like building feels eerie and unused. Its rooms are dark, the grass and weeds have grown over, and the trash is overflowing. I suspect it may once have hosted weddings, large gatherings, or events, given its size and hilltop view. The grounds are beautiful, but the hotel seems focused on the main building. After this stay, I think the rooms need updating and the dining needs work. There’s very little around the hotel if you want to eat or shop elsewhere. Two grocery stores are within walking distance, then there’s basically nothing. It felt like a missed chance to see more of Agrigento. The hotel is on the city’s outskirts, so without a car, your options are the pool, the spooky hilltop mansion, and a grocery store. Our tour group’s three-course dinner in the basement dining room, pasta, main course, and dessert, was disappointing. The pasta was undercooked. The chicken was tasty, but oddly unlike Italian food, more like a Chinese stir-fry. Several of us left the dessert because its flavor was off-putting. The room itself was very basic: hard bed, flat pillows, and an ugly bathroom. The rooms are old and dated, so hopefully the renovation mentioned on the signs will address that. There was no visible renovation activity while we were there. The elevators are small and slow, so take the stairs if you can. In December the room got warm quickly, and we had to open the windows for airflow. During the Sicilian winter the HVAC is set to heat, even though it isn’t that cold. If you prefer cooler temperatures, there’s no way to adjust it for basic airflow, whether for AC or heat. The courtyard and exterior looked inviting at first, but that impression faded after check-in.