Minimal but stylish and great location

Great location in the heart of Ortigia - you would be mad to stay anywhere other than Ortigia when in Syracuse. Minimal decor but v clean and great breakfasts. Terrace on top floor overlooking sea is great at night. Everywhere apart from archaelogical park walkable from Gutkowski. Highly recommended

Good for the price

high points - nice location, good breakfast buffet, friendly staff.

low points - dusty stone floors without rugs/carpet (bring your earplugs and slipper socks), worst shower I've have ever encountered in europe

Very nice

We had a fantastic stay at the hotel. The annexe now has it's own kitchen/possibility to serve breakfast.

The staff is indeed very kind and helps you out finding the way in Ortegia and speaks fluently english, quite a relief after traveling the more western part of the island.

Good Choice!

Stayed at Hotel Gutkowski Jan. 19 & 20. Did not have reservation. Had DBL/single occupancy 65E/day. Room was in annex with ocean view. Desk help spoke excellent English, with one living in U.S. for 6 yrs. It was a good location, a nice breakfast, spotless, an excellent hotel for the money!

Stay at the Gutkowski

My family on a recent trip to Sicily stayed at the Hotel Gutkowski for one night although we were suppose to stay for three. We checked out early because the rooms were a bit drab and too small. The location in Ortigia, though, is very good and the hotel is of course clean and managed quite well. I recommend this hotel for someone who is travelling for a longer period of time, wants to stay on Ortigia, and needs a pleasant, clean, relatively inexpensive hotel for a few nights.

Nice Hotel w/ Great Staff (but try to avoid annex)

This is a really nice hotel. It has a very simple, seaside-inspired decor, and is comfortable. The staff members are great, they go out of their way to help you out, loan you books on the area if you need them, make calls to check on transportation for you, etc. The breakfast is good, too. There's also a roof terrace with a beautiful ocean view. Having said that, if possible try to get a room in the main hotel rather than the annex. The room we had in the annex was nice. Their usual simple but attractive decor with a double bed, wardrobes, a nice-sized bath, and A/C. However, breakfast is in the main building a few doors down, and you also have to walk there to leave your key when you go out, or if you want the front desk or internet access (which is around 1.20 per 15 minutes, although they don't seem to always charge you). Also, the possibility of a direct ocean view seems to be only possible in the main building. I had requested an ocean view, but they told me when I booked that they couldn't guarantee it, it's basically first-come first-serve, I think. Our room looked out across the street to a wall. Next to the wall the water began, and if we stood up to our window and looked right we could see the water (so there was at least a bit of an ocean view). We were on the 2nd floor (1st fl. in European terms), but it's possible that a room on a higher floor would have a direct view. The annex doesn't appear to be quite done yet, but it's nice enough given the downsides I listed above. However, still the hotel is really nice, and so are the staff. They really went out of their way to help us out, and the hotel is lovely and in a pretty location across the street from the water. I'd stay there again, no problem.

Good hotel - value for money

This hotel is "what you see is what you get" i.e. no hidden extras. The rooms are basic but clean and comfortable. The service is efficient and breakfast is tasty. We spent 4 nights at this hotel and after spending time at the Villa Athena Agrigento, the Villa Igiea Palermo and the San Domenico Taormina, it was refreshing to get the bill in the Gutkowski and not have any questions and feel happy to pay the bill...

definitately value for money!

A gem!

Pulled into town with nothing but a guide book. Was intially reluctant to book hotel when they said they most likely would turn the AC off during the night. It was in the low 90's in early October. Despite that we stayed and we quite pleased. The room was spartan but in a very contemporary way. The breakfast cannot be beat. It was fabulous. The only drawback is that they have added 2 annexes but don't have breakfast facilites built yet, so there can be a line for breakfast but it moves quickly and is terrific. It is owned operated and she is very helpful. I loved the city and would return to this hotel again and again.

Be careful

First of all, you have to remember this is a budget hotel and for 80 euros per night, it's price accordingly compared to other hotels in Italy. We arrived a little late in the evening 4pm and got stuck with the worse room in the hotel... the handicap accessible room. It was on the first floor next to the breakfast area, which made for a very early 'wake-up' call. It had one small window toward the ceiling, which made us feel like we were sleeping in a basement. The bathroom was a disaster. Although it was large, it had a horrible mildew smell that lingered into the bedroom. Although the staff was very nice and the hotel was nicely located and breakfast was good, I'd recommend you request a certain room or else stay somewhere else.

Wonderful

Charming little place that deserves each and every one of its three stars. The staff are friendly and helpful, the breakfasts were excellent and the location could not have been better. The rooms are a bit Spartan, but given the history that is not surprising, but immaculate and comfortable. Ours looked out onto the Ionian Sea. the trade off was that if you wanted a bathtub you had to give up the view; showers are quite adequate! It will be on our list for any futures stays in one of the most interesting cities of the island.