Pepito Palace

The rooms were clean and had a modern feel, though they were on the small side. Beyond that, the hotel fell short: there’s no lobby or lounge, and the breakfast room is very dark. The host, Maurio, was irritating to deal with. When guests booked through booking.com or another service, he tried to get them to cancel and pay him directly for a small discount. He also made rude remarks if we left food on our plates, spoke too loudly, forgot to turn off a light, or didn’t close the door properly. It was a terrible stay.

We had a good breakfast from 8:30-9:30am, with Mauro putting out meats, cheese, eggs, and pastries. The rooms matched the photos, and Mauro checked us in. He doesn’t really speak English, but we managed to communicate. The place is close to lots of restaurants and shops, as well as the Duomo. It’s about a five-minute walk to the main beach, or three minutes to the smaller stretch by the old town walls. There’s no elevator, and since cars can’t drive in, the parking area is about a ten-minute walk away.

The old town location is hard to beat, with the beach just 50 metres away and plenty of restaurants and shops within walking distance. Pepito Palace is a tiny family-run place with just four rooms. Mauro was friendly and made us breakfast every morning, including homemade cakes, omelette, olives from his garden, tomato bruschetta, cheese and ham, mulberry jam he made himself, and lots of coffee. Our room was quiet and clean, and the beds were very comfortable. There’s a very steep staircase, and you can’t drive into the old town, so I wouldn’t suggest staying here if you have mobility issues. I’d happily come back to Cefalu and stay here again.

We had the suite, which was beautifully decorated. This is a charming little B&B in a great spot, and the host was kind and attentive, always willing to help. I’d definitely recommend it.