Ortea Palace Hotel, Sicily, Autograph Collection — Hotel in Syracuse

The hotel itself is beautiful, and its location is excellent—perfect for exploring the city. The spa area, including the sauna and pool, was really good. However, our experience was far from what we expected from a hotel of this caliber.

First, while the staff was friendly, they were not very helpful when issues arose, often just apologizing without offering real solutions.

We requested a Suite Night Upgrade, which was granted, but it was presented as if they were doing us a special favor rather than simply honoring our status benefits. Unfortunately, the air conditioning in the entire building was turned off, and when we asked about it, the only explanation was that they had chosen not to turn on either the heating or cooling. Our room faced a fountain, making it incredibly noisy at night, but with no air conditioning, we had no choice but to leave the windows open. Their only solution was a tiny ventilator, with no offer to change rooms.

The lack of air conditioning extended to the gym, which, being in a windowless cellar, was unbearably hot. It wasn’t until other guests likely complained that they brought in mobile air conditioners.

Breakfast was consistently incorrect throughout our seven-night stay—whether it was missing items, incorrect coffee, or, more concerning, ingredients that my husband is allergic to being included in his meal.

One of the worst experiences was returning to our room after housekeeping, only to find a very strong urine smell in the toilet area. We reported it in the morning, and they promised to fix it, but when we returned in the evening, nothing had been done, and the smell had spread throughout the room. It took another complaint before they finally sent someone, but the problem wasn’t fully resolved. Only after we insisted again did a manager finally visit our room and acknowledge the issue—at which point, at 11 PM, they offered to move us, after an entire day of complaints.

As a Titanium member, I expected a smoother experience with late checkout, but they could not confirm it until the very last moment, unlike other hotels that provide this information well in advance.

Overall, while the hotel has great potential, the service was severely lacking. The staff seemed unwilling or unable to address issues properly, and for a hotel of this standard, we expected far better. Would think twice...

Synopsis: We stayed at the Ortea Palace Hotel for our Honeymoon and had an incredible experience thanks to the staff and the beautiful hotel.

Full Review: We had an absolutely magical time when we stayed at the Ortea Palace Hotel for eight days and seven nights for our Honeymoon in July 2025.

We were thoroughly impressed with every aspect of the hotel. It was immaculately clean with beautiful details throughout. We stayed in a two-story room adorned in marble with a direct view of the Mediterranean (Room 127). Everything about the hotel was perfect, however, the magic was created by the extraordinary staff. We formed relationships with many of the staff and they were the difference between a nice vacation and a phenomenal experience.

Our closest relationship was with Wemerson, who serves as a bartender, but he has a presence that is so much greater than that. Wemerson became the very heartbeat of our experience. We became instant friends and he gave us terrific advice, recommendations, and information. Silvia is the face of the hotel and works at the front desk. Arianna was our sunshine each and every morning! We looked forward to seeing her and she was always an excellent start to each day. Serena always had a beautiful smile and lovely personality. Frederica was always so attentive and made sure that we always had anything that we needed. We also had great relationships and conversations with Steffano, Matteo, Joseph, Mirko, and Moslih.

The hotel, as a facility, was immaculate and perfect, but the staff gave this palace its life, energy, and vibrancy. We had a real sense of loss when we left because of the close relationships we formed and we will start each of our annual European trips with at least four days at the Ortea...

Damn y’all can check the other reviews for room/service/location and spa details which is 5 stars without saying but ima focus on the hotel breakfast here which is absolutely mind blowing.

Ok first off everything is made fresh daily, they got a pastry chef in the back which whips out sweet empanadas, muffins and cakes for the breakfast display every morning. On top of that you can order coffee or cappuccino from the bar - made to order and is the best in town. That’s not all though, on top of the generous daily spread of fresh fruit, delicious yogurts, flavored waters and eggs/bacon/sausages, and crazy bread options with insane toppings like pistachio cream spreads, they have a la cart menu on the table with a host of other options.

This is where it gets good. Half the menu is included with the breakfast at no extra charge and you can get stuff like French toast, omelets, and pancakes. The crusted French toast tasted like it was made by a Michelin Star chef, destroyed my standards because now my bar is too high; that toast was chef’s kiss and I would kiss the chef too if they’d let me. The other options cost about 10 euro extra and you can get stuff like eggs Benedict or other savory upgrades.

In summary, the food here is fit for a king which makes sense cuz y’all staying in a damn palace anyway. Don’t skimp on the side menu - you won’t find a better breakfast anywhere else. Staff is lovely, room is insane, spa is hella relaxing after walking around the island all day. Will...