THE hotel to stay in when visiting Catania

I'm writing this review a year later than when we stayed there but it is warranted because it is truly a hotel that deserves this rating. First off, a bit of background.

I'm a frequent traveller to Catania (at least a couple times a year) and have managed to stay at several different hotels during my many visits (incl. the Excelsior, which is RUBBISH and has been one of my worst experiences). Also, I'm very "difficult" when it comes to hotels: I'm looking for a diamond for the price of a cubic zirconia. I want things posh, clean, I'm a design snob and I am very critical about price.

And UNA passed the test. With flying colours. It really is the place to stay in Catania. Right in the centre of town, on a major shopping street (don't worry about the noise, the street has limited traffic and is primarily pedestrian), the location is ideal. The rooms are beautifully designed, good in size and CLEAN, the staff friendly and willing to go the extra mile to assist you. In fact, the room and hotel were so pleasant that on a lazy day I didn't even need to venture outside!

As I stayed in July, the city was HOT (think high 30s/low 40s) and we had no problems with the airconditioning. The rooms were quiet - and seemed sound proof. Room service was timely (even making themselves available during my odd hour requests for food!).

All in all, I will never stay in another hotel other than the UNA Palace when in Catania. It was truly a pleasurable stay and I'd recommend it to anyone!

Great hotel/things to be aware of

This is truly one of the best hotels that I have ever stayed in, I fully recommend it.

That said, here are the things that you should be aware of:

- From the floor plan, the Classic rooms look a bit smal. The Superior rooms are great, and the Executive rooms are truly great and well worth the extra cost. Stay away from the Junior Suite. They tried to move us to one, and it is vastly inferior to Executive in consisting of a tiny bed room plus a tiny living room separated by a long corridor and a tiny bathroom.

- We has booked and prepaid Executive, but were given Superior upon arrival. Only by accident did we get the correct room size, because the first room was very smelly from smoke, so we asked to be moved. So make sure that you get what you pay for.

- Parking is EUR 20 per day - not mentioned on website, on order confirmation, nor at check-in.

- We were tired upon arrival and had dinner in the hotel restaurant. That was a mistake. The meal was uninspired and mixed qualily. For much better value nearby walk right on Etnea, take first right and then first left to Il SaleArtCafè on Via S. Filomena. Everything we had there was great.

Coudn't have chosen better!!

I stayed in this hotel for 3 days during a trip around Sicily. The hotel is located at the very heart of Catania, at walking distance from all the main tourist attractions. The hotel strikes for its modern, stylish design, which is very original and very elegant at the same time. It's really something never seen before, a real surprise! The lobby is decorated with a beautiful floor made with black and white stone, a clear reference to the baroque style which characterize the entire town of Catania. On the seventh floor there is a marvellous roof garden from where you can enjoy a spectacular view of mount Etna!! Rooms are very large and comfortable: despite what stated in previous reviews I have to say that I found the mattresses really comfortable! I'd definitely recommend this hotel to everyone planning a stay in Catania: it's really worth the trip!

The Una Palace is a wonderful hotel

After reading the very good reviews on tripadvisor, we chose the Una Palace for two recent stays. The hotel was wonderful!! The rooms were large, newly and stylishly decorated, the people at the desk were friendly and helpful, the bathrooms very good, the breakfast very good as well. The hotel is centrally located - very important to us. It was an easy walk to the Duomo and to other sights in the city. We also stayed at the 5* Excelsior Grand as part of an escorted Sicily tour and we found the Una Palace to be much nicer and more conveniently located.

Lovely modern hotel

My husband and I stayed in the Una Palace Hotel for our first two nights in Sicily. It is a lovely new contemporary hotel which was a very comfortable place to stay. The mattress was on the firm side but comfortable and better than many hotel beds that I've slept on. The breakfast was good also. The only problem with this hotel is that the bar is cold and uncomfortable. We really enjoyed Catania. It was a friendly place with lots of atmosphere.

Sparkling and new, young fabulous hotel!

I loved the Una Hotel Palace. It was the last of 5 hotels I stayed at on a trip in which I drove around Sicily. It was the only hotel that was great at posting excellent signs every logical place so that I could find the hotel on those windy one-way roads. This made a huge difference for us driving in. Everyone spoke english, which was rare in sicily and the crisp cream and black ornate decorations were fantastic. Everything was new and clean and refreshing compared with other places we stayed and check in and check out were perfectly uneventful. We had to check out at 4:00am for our flight, but they packed us these great breakfast bags to go which was an extra plus! Great location as well! Right on Etnea Street!

Great Hotel, great area

Just back from Catania and stayed in this Hotel for 3 nights. Great rooms, helpful staff and although the Hotel is on the main shopping street, once you stepped inside the doors the place is an oasis of calm.

Would definitely recommend it and one small tip is to book on the Hotel's own website - we got a great deal.

Smart ,stylish Hotel in wonderful location

Stylish Hotel right in the heart of Catania - ideally situated for the sights and shopping. Rooms very well designed with bright very clean interior and superb bathroom. Only complaint was similar to other reviewer - the bed was like a rock. Staff were very helpful and friendly - so I would stay there again - but not to sleep!

Great hotel in the middle of town!

We stayed in Catania for only one night but would have stayed longer had we known this hotel was so nice. The rooms were very clean with nice linens and the bathroom was spacious- 2 showers (one in a tub and another freestanding shower). The room was obviously recently renovated. The breakfast was extensive. The location is excellent as far as walking around Catania and is a 5-10 min walk to the Duomo (with elephant statue). Our only complaints were 1)parking and 2)bed. They say they have parking, but we never found it. Admittedly, we didn't drive around too much. We were tired and when we found a nearby parking garage, we decided to stay put. It cost 18 euro/night. The other complaint was the mattress. It was the hardest mattress we've ever attempted to sleep on. In all, this was an excellent hotel with modern, spacious rooms and a welcoming staff.

UNA Hotel Palace, the place to stay in Catania!

UNA Hotel Palace is the main reason why our vacation in Sicily was so wonderful. It is fantastic, nothing less but much much more. The interior design, the location, the breakfast buffet and even the front office staff - even though some of them spoke poor English. I have to mention Antonio who was simply excellent and he always went a step further to assist us in planning our next step. I am employed in the hotel industry, but it is not often that I am impressed - at this hotel I was hugely impressed and we kept prolonging our stay.