Cristal Hotel Palermo

The rooms were clean and the location was great, but the rest wasn't good. I was there for New Year, from the 30th to 3 Jan. This four-star hotel seems to have earned its rating by the scale used by Tibetan monks. There's no bar or restaurant, and in the room we had only two small paper cups, no glasses. The heating wasn't working during winter, which made it seem like guest comfort didn't matter as much as electricity costs. There was a thermostat that let you set the temperature up to 22C, but the heating unit's fuse had been switched off. It might sound like a coincidence, except the fuse in the room next door, where my kids were staying, was off too.

My flight was canceled, and I asked if the hotel could cancel or reschedule because I really wanted to come back. I understand the cancellation deadline had passed, but a little empathy would have been enough since we hoped to return as soon as possible. Instead, I found Ibis Palermo a disaster, with no willingness to help regular customers. I'm very disappointed and wouldn't recommend it. I won't stay with the Ibis chain again.

Breakfast was a highlight, with lots of choices, especially the fresh orange juice, pastries, and cakes. The staff were very friendly too. The rooms were spacious, including the bathrooms, and the hotel is conveniently placed near the historic center. The main sights are an easy walk away. I'd highly recommend it for a Palermo visit.

The room was clean and comfortable for the price, but the service and breakfast let the place down. Front desk service was very average. They didn't acknowledge my Accor Gold status or check whether late checkout might be possible, just said no. It was raining, and although the website says umbrellas are available, there weren't any when I asked. Keeping a few on hand costs little, or Accor could remove that service from its website. Breakfast was disappointing, and I suspect it was only provided because it's an Ibis Styles. The whole hotel felt like it was still being run as the old Cristal Palace Hotel instead of as an Accor hotel. There are much better places to stay in Palermo than Ibis Styles Palermo Crital. I canceled my original booking at Grand Hotel Wagner to stay at an Accor hotel, and won't make that choice again.