Victoria Palace Cefalu

The cooks in the morning were amazing, especially Toto, who made the eggs just how we wanted them. Pino was a wonderful barista and made cappuccinos with a loving heart. The staff were warm and helpful, and the hotel was very clean and friendly. They made our stay feel personal and special! Michele & Dominick Salvatore USA

The location was great, the air conditioning worked well, and breakfast was adequate with a lovely setting. But we chose a superior room with sea views and mostly looked at a car park. The room was listed as having a double bed, but it was two singles under one sheet, with a noticeable gap between them. We were told on arrival that hybrids can’t use the dedicated car park. This was not mentioned earlier, so it felt like false advertising. Apparently the owner is worried about battery fires. Staff were great and apologised, but we still had to find our own parking outside. They said it was free, though I’m not convinced and wouldn’t be surprised to get a bill in a few months. We were apparently not allowed to bring our own water into the room either.

The staff were friendly, but the room we were moved to was dark and dreary, with water stains on the ceiling. We’d booked two rooms directly with the hotel. I called on arrival morning to ask about parking, then found no one there that afternoon and what looked like a construction zone. When I called, they said renovations were underway and our booking had been moved to their sister hotel down the road. They had all our contact details, but hadn’t told us about the change at all. They said the other hotel had an extra star, but the room didn’t feel like an improvement.

The food was fantastic. The pizza was amazing and the pasta sauce was great, though the pasta itself was a little too hard. The staff were welcoming and many spoke fluent English. We met a cook named Pino, who took very good care of us. The hotel was very clean, though a little confusing at first; we eventually figured things out. The pool was lovely, private, and cozy, with few people using it because the beach is right in front. Our room had comfortable beds and a cozy balcony, but the air conditioning only worked when the keycard was in its holder. I took the card out to leave, and when I came back the room was very hot. There’s a nice outdoor lounge and a party atmosphere, with three nightclubs next door. It’s great for young couples, but music from next door plays very loudly until 4:00am, so it would be noisy if you want to sleep without any sound.