Grand Hotel des Etrangers

We had a truly wonderful stay at Des Etrangers, and I’d summarize our experience as follows: Location – Absolutely fantastic. The hotel is perfectly situated near excellent restaurants and the waterfront. I highly recommend booking a sea view room—it makes a world of difference. Room Quality – Beautifully appointed, spotlessly clean, and thoughtfully designed. Plenty of charging outlets (a personal pet peeve when missing), which was much appreciated. Guest Services – Outstanding! Special thanks to Annalisa and Luisa, who went above and beyond. Luisa, in particular, gave us excellent recommendations for both dining and shopping. I usually find concierge suggestions a bit “safe,” but hers were thoughtful, specific, and spot-on. Parking – While there’s no on-site parking, the valet service was smooth and the hotel provided clear instructions, which made things easy. That said, allow more time than the advertised “30 minutes” when retrieving your car. Restaurant/Pool - spectacular pool with special accommdations for the hot sun. We did not have dinner at the rooftop bar but the location is just awesome. Breakfast was adequate and varied - no issues here. Room for Improvement – To keep this balanced: Complimentary water: For a five-star property, two small bottles per day feels a bit limited. Air Conditioning: The system cooled well, but the fan was a bit loud. Not a dealbreaker, but worth fine-tuning. Overall, Des Etrangers exceeded our expectations and delivered a memorable experience. We would happily return and highly recommend it to others.

Sono stata 5 giorni in questo bell’hotel. Direi ottimo standard per un 5 stelle: letto comodo ( peccato una federa con uno strappo), begli asciugamani, molto ben accessoriato, bella piscina con camerieri gentili, tutto molto pulito e profumato. Unico neo: la cameriera che bussava ogni sera alle 18,30 per dare acqua e cioccolatini. Colazione buona ma migliorabile con più frutta tagliata e maggiore quantità del cibo. Prezzo qualità’ un po’ altino.

Originally built in 1906 Hotel des Etrangers is a beautifully restored property. Modern and yet retaining its historical image. Located at the far end of Ortiega and close to the sea it features many rooms with beautiful sea-view. Rooms are comfortable and and of a good size. Best of all - the staff running the hotel. Wonderful, friendly, and helpful staff throughout. But beware of caveat, there are a few points worth knowing. The sea facing rooms are exposed to music in the evenings from a disco outside the hotel. The bathroom is void of installed handlebars - not for the bath tab, nor for the shower. Slipping accidents are likely to happen. Breakfast is ok - but not up to high standards which one can expect for a rate of over EUR700.00 per night. Cured ham is just a local ham, not Parma or San Daniele. Only two kinds of local cheese are offered which for my taste were inedible. I asked for a little piece of Gorgonzola for the next day but was told that this is not possible. Lastly, do not travel to Syracuse to view the antiquities. The huge roman amphitheater is completely covered with wooden panels and used for nightly concerts. The rest of the area is badly maintained.