Villa Igiea, a Rocco Forte Hotel

Villa Igiea stands at the foot of Monte Pellegrino on the edge of Palermo, its terraced gardens running down to the water of the Gulf. The Sicilian architect Ernesto Basile designed it for the Florio family, and it is one of the finest buildings of Palermo's Liberty period. It was first planned as a sanatorium, opened as a hotel in 1900 and soon became a year-round retreat for royalty and Hollywood names. Rocco Forte Hotels restored it, with Olga Polizzi and Paolo Moschino reworking the 100 rooms and suites in antiques, handmade furniture and fine fabrics, and the Belle Époque halls and frescoed Sala Basile are again on show. Ristorante Florio serves Sicilian and Italian food, Alicetta is a relaxed bistro, and the Igiea Terrazza Bar has views over the gulf. There is a wellness centre and tennis courts. Breakfast deserves time, with cassata, cannoli, granita and local produce. The hotel runs a shuttle into the centre, about 10 minutes away, for the markets, the Baroque palaces and the cathedral, and boat trips can be arranged along the coast.