March 2025. We’re embarking on a train trip to Sicily. We fly from Brussels Airport to Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport with ITA Airways. Then we take an Intercity Notte sleeper train by Trenitalia from Roma Termini Railway Station across Italy to Syracuse. Yes, the train is loaded on a ferry to cross the Strait of Messina. After visiting Syracuse, Catania and Palermo, we return to Rome, and home. With 25,832 km², Sicily is only 20% smaller than Belgium (30,689 km²). Quite a lot in four days.

For our stay in Palermo we selected the NH. Most hotels where located in the ‘new’ city at the opposite side of the ‘old’ city from the station and thus quite a far walk away. The NH however was located at the Foro Italico at the seaside, just a short walk along a single street the Via Lincoln from the station. Both the close location and the good reputation NH has convinced us this would be a good plane to stay the night in Palermo.

Getting to the hotel you have to walk across a chaotic car park which isn’t the most welcoming feeling when arriving on foot.

Once inside we were welcomed and checked in by the very friendly lady in training. Upon our request for a later check-out she got the manager on duty to see what could be done, he advised us to ask again in the morning as they didn’t have a view whether it would be possible beyond 13:00 or not yet.

When we asked again the next morning we had a different manager which didn’t feel like helping us and just blatantly said “no” without even looking, his reasoning being that the hotel was fully sold out. However when checking the website all room types where still available for booking that night. He really just’ couldn’t be bothered to help us and that was also the general feeling we had about the hotel, “people always come here because we are NH, so we don’t have to go the extra mile”.

In the end they lost an opportunity to earn extra revenue as we would have gladly paid a bit more for a later checkout and being able to freshen up with a shower before departure on our night train at night.

The room itself was ok. We received a seaview room, with a balcony overlooking the Foro Italico to the front and which indeed had a nice view in the morning.

The room had a big bed in the middle of the room with plug sockets at both sides to charge things. There was a small desk and wall mounted TV opposite the bed and a big closet to the side. In the closet were also the safe and minibar with two complimentary bottles of water but no tea and coffee facilities.

The bathroom was still a classic separate and closed off room. The door however wouldn’t close easily and you would have to turn the lock to properly latch it. Inside we found a bathtub with shower, a toilet and bidet and of course a sink.

Toiletries where wall-mounted NH branded multiple use bottles. We did notice that the bathroom was rather grimy at certain spots like around the bath tub and glass shower wall, combined with the visible scuff marks around the room it didn’t give us the cleanest and best maintained impression.

As we arrived late, we ate at the hotel restaurant. There service was really slow, it took quite a while before we were seated and then we had to wait even longer before we were given menus and asked what we wanted to order. They had plenty of staff running around doing “stuff” but it seemed very un-organised. The menu was also rather limited with only 3 to 4 options for each course, but at least it was very Italian orientated. Surprisingly on the menu there wasn’t a burger or club sandwich to be found.

I started out with a platter of cured ham and burrata, followed by the fish and finished off with a Sicilian cassata pie for dessert. Timothy started with a pasta (obviously), but also the fish as a main but the cannoli for dessert. Portion sizes and food quality was excellent and didn’t feel like an assembly line food.

In the morning it was equally chaotic as in the evening. Tables weren’t properly cleaned or setup so it was difficult to find a spot. If you needed cutlery you had to wait for staff to bring it as it was nowhere to be found on the buffet. The breakfast buffet was a bit of a standard hotel buffet with an Italian flair. I wasn’t however very inspired by it so I only had a few things to still my hunger.

The hotel also offered a gym, but this was only a very small room in the basement, more like a punishment corner rather than an enjoyable gym. There was also a nice looking outside swimming pool, but this is only open as of May. As we were visiting in March we couldn’t take a plunge.

All in all we weren’t overly impressed by NH Palermo, we expected more of a hotel from a known and respected chain as NH. The service was mediocre to rude, cleanliness and state of repair could be much improved. For now we wouldn’t recommend this hotel to family or friends.

Sicily & Rome 2025

1. REVIEW | Brussels Airport Diamond Lounge at A-Gates.
2. REVIEW | ITA Airways Business Class Brussels to Rome.
3. ROME | Afternoon tea at Hotel Hassler Roma on top of the Spanish Steps.
4. REVIEW | Trenitalia Intercity Notte in Superior (Excelsior) Class.
5. SICILY | Neapolis Archeological Park of Syracuse.
6. SYRACUSE | Ortygia.
7. REVIEW | Boutique Hotel Caportigia Syracuse.
8. SICILY | Catania.
9. ITALY | Trains in Sicily.