Villa Igiea

Opening in June 2021,

Villa Igiea is a turn-of-thecentury palazzo offering a slice of Sicilian history beside Palermo. Rocco Forte Hotels has renovated the Grade I-listed building, with designs by Olga Polizzi, Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen of award-winning interior design company Nicholas Haslam, that add contemporary flair while respecting its period features. There are plenty of opportunities to relive Villa Igiea’s opulent past, starting with a walk through the hotel’s gardens or a swim in the pool built around ancient stone ruins. Villa Igiea is within easy reach of the city’s markets, palaces and piazzas.

ROOMS: From €416 (£358), B&B.

While in the area: Quattro Canti, Palermo’s historic district in the old city centre, offers a lesson in history and culture, where visitors can retrace ancient footsteps along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, its oldest street. Admire Castello a Mare, a restored coastal castle, before taking in ancient art and sampling the fruit at Mercato Vucciria.