3 Best Hotels in Catania, Sicily

Housed inside a palace built after the 1693 earthquake that destroyed Catania, this boutique property just steps from the Duomo honors historic architecture and embraces the immersive experience of modern art in its uniquely designed rooms. Each of the 11 spacious rooms has a different theme; the Art Rooms feature in-room installations based on the region's most important stories (the mythical cyclops, the fisherman Colapesce, the magi Eliodoro) while the Neoclassic Rooms are more classically bedecked with period pieces and items from the 1930s through 1960s. You can choose from a scent menu to determine how you'd like your room to smell during your stay.

For great views of Etna, this centrally located hotel overlooking Catania's main shopping street has a rooftop terrace where you can enjoy breakfast or take in the scenery during happy hour over a cocktail and antipasti buffet. Although it has a bit of a chain-hotel feel, the friendly service makes the experience feel more personal—you can even leave your car in front of the hotel, and they'll park it for you. Upgrading to a larger executive room is highly recommended: it includes anything you want from the minibar.

With a sleek minimalist design in a 17th-century palace and a convenient location in an increasingly trendy area not far from the train and bus stations, this boutique hotel caters to design aficionados on a budget. Rooms are cool, modern, and spacious—some have frescoed ceilings. The city's sights are within an easy walking distance—but the hotel's secure setting near an area populated by migrants and close to the red-light district may be off-putting to some.