"The first time you drive down Noto's narrow via Cavour looking for this charming hotel (a luxurious bed and breakfast, really), you’ll see the discreet sign just too late: right after you’ve rolled past it. The second time around, you’ll stop and ring the bell. The blank-faced doors will swing open, revealing the courtyard of the 1733 Palazzo Nicolaci, where you will leave your car. From that moment, your stay will be a succession of little delights. Many of the handsome, high-ceilinged rooms overlook the courtyard and its palm trees, others the cloister-like former fish market where the original owners once augmented their fortune in the tuna business. In a little pantry in the public area is gear to make coffee and tea, and a balcony on which to drink them. At breakfast on the terrace upstairs, you will eat what seem like the best croissants in Italy, sometimes served by the proprietor, Cristina Summa. —Edward Schneider"
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