Hotels in Palermo

Hotels in Palermo: prices, timing and areas

When to book a stay in Palermo for less

Palermo is cheapest in early spring. March is usually the bottom of the market, as much as about 56 percent below the peak season, when double-room rates drop well below the autumn level. October is the priciest, when prices can run several times higher than in March. Deep winter, January and November, is cheap too, outside the holidays. Summer is expensive and hot, with temperatures above 30 degrees, and in mid-July the crowds arrive for the Festa di Santa Rosalia. The day of the week matters too, though in Palermo it is safer to aim for midweek than a weekend with a big event. For a regular trip, book roughly two months ahead, as good rates in the centre disappear about 65 days before arrival.

What a stay costs by property type

Palermo has a wide spread of prices, so a hostel bed and a family apartment are worlds apart. The cheapest sleep is in hostels and places below two stars; you pay the most for five stars over the bay at Mondello. Below are indicative nightly rates for two people.

Where a stay is cheaper and where it costs more

Most people look for a room in the centre, around the Quattro Canti and the Ballaro market, and in the elegant Politeama and Liberta district, which tops most rankings as the most popular. Rooms in the very centre and by the Quattro Canti usually cost more than the city average, as they put the sights within a walk. The priciest is seaside Mondello, where summer sets the rates. Below are indicative rates by area.

Indicative rates for a double room, from summer dates, which is peak season. In Palermo the gap between a quiet March and a hot October can be several times over, so check the real price for your dates in the search above.

Which stay in Palermo suits whom

• First time in Palermo. The very centre by the Quattro Canti is the easiest base. From here it is a few minutes to the cathedral, the Teatro Massimo and the Ballaro market, and close for street food in the evening.
• For families. Hotels with family rooms near the centre, such as the Astoria Palace Hotel, make it easy to mix sightseeing with an arancini break and a trip to the Orto Botanico gardens.
• For couples. Boutique places in the old town, near the restaurants and bars around the Vucciria. Everything is a short walk from here for dinner with local food and cannoli.
• With breakfast. Many hotels in the centre include a buffet in the rate, which helps you set off early before the summer heat sets in.
• By the beach. Mondello is the choice for a seaside holiday. Rates are highest here in summer, but you have the beach at your window and a swim after a day in town.
• Near the airport. Places around Falcone-Borsellino airport, also known as Punta Raisi, suit an early flight or a layover before travelling on around Sicily.

Example hotels in Palermo with prices

From a cheap room in the centre to five stars by the Politeama, a few Palermo names with a from price. Just a starting point, as rates can climb noticeably in summer and around the Festa di Santa Rosalia.

From prices for a double room, from summer dates. In Palermo the same hotel can differ a lot between March and high summer, so check your exact dates in the search.

When Palermo costs more

The priciest time is high summer and early autumn, peaking in October, when the weather still holds and tourist traffic stays strong. In mid-July the city fills for the Festa di Santa Rosalia, with a procession, music and fireworks for the patron saint, so hotels in the centre go up and fill faster. The nicest time to visit is April to June and September to October, when it is warm but without the summer heat. The quietest and cheapest is early spring and deep winter outside the holidays, when the markets, the food and the empty old-town lanes remain.