Grand Hotel des Etrangers

This magnificent 5 star hotel offers rooms that are both handsome and comfortable, a friendly and competent staff, a magnificent roof top pool, and exquisite dining in its top floor dining room with a splendid view of the harbor-- all at the very heart of historic Ortigia (much superior to staying in adjacent Siracusa).

This is an unscrupulous hotel which stole money from me and my disabled husband. We arrived at this hotel and discovered that despite their google advertisement, they do not in fact have an operational pool. My husband is disabled and needs a pool as part of his physical therapy which is why it was so important. When they informed us of this when we arrived at the hotel, the manager was not in but they said he would try to do something to rectify the situation when he came in the next day, so we decided to stay. We finally heard from the manager late the next day who really did not offer us any solution. I had to scramble to find an alternate accommodation, which I finally did, but we had to stay an additional night. We had originally reserved 3 nights but checked out after two. When we checked out we were told that the manager was again not in and when he got in the next day he would issue a refund for the night that we did not stay at the hotel. I immediately emailed the manager and documented everything in writing. Well, you can imagine the outcome....they totally ghosted us and refused to issue the refund. I called, emailed etc but they ripped us off for almost $1,000.00 for the night we did not stay at the hotel...plus we had to pay for the hotel we did stay at. DO NOT STAY HERE....GO ELSEWHERE!!!

Truly a leading hotel of the world. From the moment we arrived we knew this was a hotel on another level. Luisa at reception was absolutely brilliant and made us so welcome. What a lovely person. The location, the staff, facilities, were all fabulous .

The DE was our second stop on our tour and it was a beautifully newly renovated grand hotel right near the Fonte Aretusa. We stayed three nights here and loved the sea view room, the breakfast and location The front desk staff was very helpful- especially Flavia and Chiara.

Luxury Hotel from the minute you walked in Helpful welcoming pleasant professional staff Decor Stunning throughout Beautiful Views Great Location Top Notch room amenities Wonderful Concierge Services Rooftop Hidden gem Did not want to leave

We stayed for 3 nights in August and would definitely recommend the hotel. The hotel is in a great location, near the Cathedral/square and the water, with great views. Its very close to many cute streets. Given the great location, there can be a bit of noise outside so ask for a quieter room if that is an issue. The room was spacious and felt very new. Our room faced the sea and had amazing views. The breakfast was very good - and one of the few places we visited in Sicily that offered egg/omelette ordering included as part of the breakfast (vs continental only breakfast). The staff was very helpful, particularly Ciara. We hope to visit again soon!

If you have mobility problems, however small, be warned there are difficulties at this hotel. I need to use a walking stick at times and I found that the fact that there were no handrails at a flight of marble stairs most difficult. Alas ,no handrails in the lifts and for the shower and bath. There were people with more problems than me who were very upset by this. The other factor which was so disappointing was the Restaurant. The menu was short, three items for each course!. and the dishes most unimaginative. This most certainly is way below standard for a Five Star hotel. Ortigia is a beautiful place and the location of this hotel so very good but what a disappointment this hotel was.

The hotel surpassed our expectations in every way. It is in a privileged location near the southern end of Ortigia. Our fourth floor room was well appointed and had amazing views of the bay from the balcony and large walkout glass doors. Breakfast was fantastic with a terrific assortment of delicious items. The staff from reception, dining room, cleaning, and rooftop bar were friendly and helpful at all times. In particular, the front desk staff was so helpful with advice and recommendations on restaurants, etc., and were always cheerful. I highly recommend this hotel for anyone looking for a luxury stay in Ortigia.

Exceptional hotel in a beautiful town!!! Fantastic facilities, great service, great food (we only had breakfast), great position and really enjoyed the rooftop bar too! Special mention - louiza who assisted us with all our questions regarding Ortigia and surrounds with great passion and knowledge and a huge smile! You can really tell when someone loves what they do! Hope to return one day.