Il Salotto Di Maria Pia

The owner was friendly, happy to help with anything else, and gave us great tips for restaurants and sightseeing. Our room had coffee, a bottle of water and a mini fridge, and breakfast was a daily voucher for each person: coffee plus a croissant or savory snack at Viola downstairs. There’s no kitchen. We loved our stay, though the rooms are tight, so pack light. We had two rooms and there isn’t a shared sitting area. You can hardly get more central than this spot in the heart of Ortigia, the old center of Siracusa. It faces piazza Minerva, with just about anywhere a 5-7 minute walk away. The B&B entrance is on one of the main pedestrian streets, and the balcony looks out over all the activity. It’s on the first floor with no elevator, but that wasn’t much of an issue. If you’re arriving by car, tell the owner so they can reserve a space at the local garage, about 150m away. Cars do pass the entrance, but navigation sends you down streets where entry is prohibited, so it’s better to head straight to the garage. One of our rooms was especially cramped around the sides of the bed. The floors creak, and the furniture apart from the beds could use updating. Maybe they’re trying to preserve things or have restrictions on changes, though other apartments seem to have been updated.

Paola takes making her guests feel at home seriously, and the service was the best part for us. We were there with a baby, and the whole stay was simply perfect. The generous breakfast was delicious, too. The setting is full of charm, and it felt as if time had stopped a century ago. It’s a perfect place to relax on holiday. I’m looking forward to coming back to Sicily, and staying here again is on my list.

We’ve just come back from a weekend in Ortigia, and this lovely B&B was a great base. You’re only a short walk from the Duomo and main Piazza, with plenty of restaurants and shops nearby. Our room had a beautiful bohemian, vintage feel, a really comfortable bed and air conditioning. There was a steady supply of yoghurt, granola, fruit and coffee, too. But Paola is what makes the place special. She clearly loves looking after her guests and notices all the little details. She’s wonderful. We WILL be back one day.

We booked the king room with a balcony for two nights, and the location in the best part of Ortigia had us enchanted as soon as we arrived. Il Salotto is charmingly decorated, and our room had the amazing plaza view shown in the pictures, plus a big, beautiful shower. Paola had left a bottle of Prosecco and lots of treats for us. We were so surprised and touched that she’d noticed the little honeymoon note I’d added when booking. Paola was a very attentive, responsive host on Whatsapp, even though we had so many questions that we almost felt bad asking. She’s a local and had great restaurant suggestions, and was generous in every way. After checkout she kept our luggage in her kitchen, and let me use her own bathroom to change out of my bathing suit before we left for the train station. Who does that? Sicilians are kind and generous, but Paola was an exceptional host. We only spent two nights and three days there, and we don’t speak Italian. We managed with Paola’s English and my best efforts using my Spanish and French background. When we left, I felt sad to be leaving a friend. If we return to Siracusa, we’ll definitely stay here again. If we can get back to Sicily soon, we might even make a special trip to Siracusa just for Il Salotto. Location: 10/10. Cleanliness: 10/10. Value: 10/10, especially for the location. Character: 10/10. You’ll love it if you’re artsy; if you prefer corporate hotels, this probably isn’t for you. Getting there was easy: we took a taxi from the bus station to the hotel, and there was a taxi stop a 20 meter walk away for our trip back to the train station. No wonder it books up early for the whole summer. We were lucky to get a spot. We booked one of the larger rooms. The smaller rooms are pretty small, so I wouldn’t recommend them if you have lots of luggage like we did. Check-in and checkout are easier if you have Whatsapp. As Americans, we use Airalo satellite sims to have wifi wherever we go, so that wasn’t a problem.