HotelChatter - Tag: Italy Hotels

Palermo: The Excelsior Palace Hotel in Palermo Re-Opening as a Hilton

ced138 — 2008-10-10T10:05:31-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/excelsiorpalermo.png" class="imgborder"> The <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Excelsior+Palace+Hotel/ian/212807">Excelsior Palace Hotel</a> in Palermo--the one in Italy, not Argentina--is reopening under the Hilton umbrella. The 230-plus-year-old building was built as part of the Palermo International Expo in the late 1890s and has undergone many permutations over the years. One thing has always remained, though, and that's the hotel's ornate. Remodelers have taken great pains to maintain the 19th century feel of the place, though it still comes with modern amenities (like WiFi). Hilton says the hotel should be opening anytime the fall, though is still refusing reservations. Excelsior is located in Palermo's Liberty district, near the neighborhood's various shopping areas, as well as English Garden, Villa Garibaldi, and Villa Trabia. As per the Hilton's

Pisa: Room With a Killer View: No Leaning Tower View But Still Gorgeous at Pisa

amandak — 2008-09-11T09:45:26-05:00

<![CDATA[We are suckers for a room with a killer view.  We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the <a href="http://flickr.com/groups/hotelchatter/">HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool</a>, or by <a href="mailto:tips@hotelchatter.com">sending the photo along to us</a>. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view. <img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/Killer_View_Royal_Victoria_Hotel_Pisa.jpg" class="imgborder"> When a place is named the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Royal+Victoria+Hotel/ian/230590">Royal Victoria Hotel</a> you wouldn't immediately place it in Pisa, Italy, but that's exactly where

Ravello: Luxury Gore Vidal Hotel In the Works on Italy's Amalfi Coast

juliana — 2008-07-15T13:00:16-05:00

<![CDATA[<img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/gorevidal.jpg" class="imgborder"><a href="http://www.globorati.com/ravello/">Globorati</a> reports that Gore Vidal's house in Ravello, Italy--named The Swallow's Nest, will be turned into a luxury hotel. The seven-bedroom manse that belonged to Vidal until five years ago will reopen next spring to hotel guests.<blockquote>The setting of the seven-bedroom mansion is impossibly remote, suspended over a bluff facing the Mediterranean and accessed by only a private pathway winding up the cliffside hills. In homage to the last surviving giant of American literature, Palumbo plans to leave the ground-floor studio with Vidals personal library and artifacts intact.</blockquote>Indeed, two years ago when the house was first sold, <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/vidals-clifftop-villa-sells-for-a-steep-23m/2006/02/27/1141020021192.html">The Age</a> reported on what the hotelier Vicenzo Palumbo would keep of Vidal's and it includes a lot:

Positano: Balthazar Getty and Sienna Miller Stop at Le Sirenuse on World Tour of Insensitivity

Jenna — 2008-07-09T12:15:13-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/lesirenuse_getty.png" class="imgborder"> Recently, British newspapers have been all over married Brothers and Sisters actor and oil heir Balthazar Getty's alleged affair with actress Sienna Miller. In response to all the "rumors", Getty's wife reportedly decided to get a divorce and grabbed the couples' four kids and jetted to Italy. Natch, the B-man denied the affair with Miller (maybe he was just trying to get into his B&S character, who also had an extramarital affair with a hot blonde. Yeah.) But now today's <a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/07092008/gossip/pagesix/crowded_coast_119034.htm">Page Six</a> is saying that Balthazar and Sienna were spotted dining on Italy's Amalfi Coast at the beautiful <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Le+Sirenuse/ian/117136">Le Sirenuse</a>: <blockquote>"They were really rude, and Sienna kept smoking," said the source, adding that power lawyer

Venice : A 16th Century Venice Palazzo That Won't Leave Your Wallet Empty

mytwocents — 2008-05-01T15:05:01-05:00

Woke up this morning after yesterday's cubicle dream and reality set in. We're not rich and/or famous. But that doesn't mean we'll never be able to make our way to Venice before it sinks.

And while we thought we'd have to trade down, way down for a hotel so we can manage to throw in a gondola ride and tix to Italy's Heinekin Jammin' Fest to see The Police, enter Arco Antico Guest House. Sweet. Despite the somewhat drab decor, Arco Antico has great guest reviews and terrific rates. Sixteenth century palazzo stay here we come.