At a Glance
The Palco was opened in early 2013 by a young couple eager to introduce a more contemporary option to Palermo’s older hotel scene.
Review
With just four rooms, the Palco feels more like a guest house than a hotel (it’s also often booked well in advance), but the advantage of its intimate size is that the hotel doesn’t have the big group tours. The motivated, young couple (she’s Swiss, he is Italian) who run the property is hands-on and fluent in English, German and Spanish.
The Palco occupies an entire floor of a large, residential building, and rooms have high ceilings and a sense of space. Interiors are done in a contemporary, white-on-white style, with splashes of color in throws and artwork, as well as modern furnishings and amenities like Nespresso makers and iPhone docks. Bathrooms are stocked with Hermès products. The location, across from the Teatro Massimo is terrific (the Romeo & Juliet Suite has a balcony that overlooks the legendary opera house), and all major sites are within walking distance. The breakfast buffest is wonderful, with lots of homemade gourmet goodies, and the owners are plugged into the Palermo scene and are generous with tips and recommendations. (Know that it can get noisy at night, especially on the weekends; as this is a buzzy part of the neighborhood.)
Who Should Stay
Couples with a contemporary design aesthetic who want to be in the center of Palermo in a small, family-run hotel.
Written by Simone Girner
