Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa

It’s a great location with service oriented staff, but the beds were hard, the pillows lumpy and the rooms plain. The banquet style food was mediocre too. If they updated the bedding and linens, and improved the food quality, it would be easier to enjoy the beautiful facilities in this historic building.

The location near the old town of Palermo is perfect for walking around the city. It is a renovated stock market building. The rooms were very spacious but the layout was not typical for a hotel room. One plus was the double sink in the bathroom but the shower was in the tub which required a huge step up. It would have been difficult for anyone with mobility issues to access. The breakfast room is a beautiful area with high ceilings and wood decor. Service was good.

We had a mixed experience at Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa, Via Dei Cartari 18, Palermo as you will see below. The hotel entrance is very hard to find if arriving in a hire car. We followed the satnav directions and approached from the east (to avoid the pedestrianized area nearby) and, upon arriving at the small square adjacent the hotel restaurant called reception to guide us to the main entrance. They kept saying turn right around the hotel which took us back into the Palermo one-way system. What they should have done is tell us to turn left as the main entrance is 100 yards down the left hand alleyway. At this point our hire car broke down. Two excellent staff members helped push the vehicle into a parking spot outside the hotel only to then be reprimanded by their manager for neglecting their other duties. It seems the hotel is run with a very old-school management style. We had accidentally booked a single room which for us was too small but they were immediately able to find an alternative and while it was a specialist disabled room it met our needs precisely and we appreciated the prompt rectifying of our own mistake. After all the drama we didn’t fancy dinner so had drinks at the bar. Some beer, wine and weak long island ice teas later we felt better until we got the bill - 180 euros! The hotel itself is beautiful being a structure built around a central courtyard which has subsequently been converted into a seating area (it’s a shame they allow smoking here as it would be perfect otherwise) which also has a retractable roof awning which kept the area warm during our visit in September. Our room was spacious with all necessary amenities, furnishings, wifi, room safe, etc. The bathroom was very large as would be expected for a wheelchair-accessible room. Housekeeping was excellent. The breakfast was wonderful. Both hot and cold options were available - eggs, meats, cheeses, pastries and cereals, juices, tea and coffee - a great way to set ourselves up for a day of sight-seeing.

A very luxurious hotel with all the needed amenities plus free breakfast. A good hotel which provides services like a porter really makes the travelling experience easier. Staff here are clearly very well trained. The location is superb, an easy walk to many attractions and terrific restaurants. It's also on one of the quieter streets, which matters because Palermitans like to party loudly into the wee hours and the stone streets really echo. This is a problem for all hotels in the historic center and choosing one that opens onto the main streets will mean no sleep without earplugs. Skip the expensive restaurant here though and go for the smaller places surrounding it.

Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa. Disappointing Service||I would love to have rated this hotel higher. A classic Italian structure from 1862, it is built around a huge 4 story central atrium called the cloister. The last renovation was very well done maintaining the design themes while bringing the place up to modern standards. Our room was quite large with enough space to lay it out a small suite. It was beautifully furnished with both antiques and contemporary furniture. ||The housekeeping staff was first rate. The rest of the staff was another story. Our impression is that they felt it was a privilege for us to be allowed to be in the place. One evening we sat down in the atrium area to play cards. The wait staff attended to all the nearby tables and ignored us. After an hour, I went up to the room to get a beer that I had bought outside. In less than five minutes, the manager was at the table to tell us that a waiter had complained that what we were doing was not allowed. |My response was not heated, but I was clearly very annoyed and unhappy. After telling me that we had been ignored, he backed down. In that case there “was no problem”.||The maître d’ of the dining room displayed a similar attitude. He strutted about rather pompously ignoring diners after he had pointed out their tables. On our free day, we went down to breakfast around 9:00. At 9:30, he stopped by to hint strongly that we should go even though breakfast ended at 10:00. He said in plain English :”Two minutes!”||The breakfast was worse than a bargain hotel breakfast in the states. Hot food was served cold. Cold meats had no flavor except for the smoked salmon. It tasted fishy. Selections were limited. By 9:00 they stopped bringing out fresh food. Even earlier, selection was very limited. There was no indication that guests could order omelets or fried eggs until people at another table did so.

Great building or complex. This grand hotel consists of 3 former palaces. And there are many marvellous dreams to discover inside. The cool inner courtyard is wonderful on hot summer days. In the evening there is a pianist and very pleasant piano music for the aperitivo, live bar music. Very fair prices for wines and drinks. It's worth stopping here for a short break and refreshment when walking through the city.

The location of the hotel is very central and the public rooms are quite attractive, especially the breakfast rooms. Moreover, the staff is gracious and helpful. Consistent with some other reviews, our one bedroom suite was dated, a little drab, and certainly not worth the $800 per night charged.

This hotel reminded me of grand , large, classic hotels in NY with art decor furnishings. Our room was very spacious , had lots of closet space , great bathroom . |Location was great, walkable to much of Palermo . |Breakfast buffet was adequate but nothing outstanding. The servers were courteous but we found the manager to be off putting. |The bar service in the large atrium was also not very good.

Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa. Disappointing Service I would love to have rated this hotel higher. A classic Italian structure from 1862, it is built around a huge 4 story central atrium called the cloister. The last renovation was very well done maintaining the design themes while bringing the place up to modern standards. Our room was quite large with enough space to lay it out a small suite. It was beautifully furnished with both antiques and contemporary furniture. The housekeeping staff was first rate. The rest of the staff was another story. Our impression is that they felt it was a privilege for us to be allowed to be in the place. One evening we sat down in the atrium area to play cards. The wait staff attended to all the nearby tables and ignored us. After an hour, I went up to the room to get a beer that I had bought outside. In less than five minutes, the manager was at the table to tell us that a waiter had complained that what we were doing was not allowed. My response was not heated, but I was clearly very annoyed and unhappy. After telling me that we had been ignored, he backed down. In that case there "was no problem". The maître d' of the dining room displayed a similar attitude. He strutted about rather pompously ignoring diners after he had pointed out their tables. On our free day, we went down to breakfast around 9:00. At 9:30, he stopped by to hint strongly that we should go even though breakfast ended at 10:00. He said in plain English :"Two minutes!" The breakfast was worse than a bargain hotel breakfast in the states. Hot food was served cold. Cold meats had no flavor except for the smoked salmon. It tasted fishy. Selections were limited. By 9:00 they stopped bringing out fresh food. Even earlier, selection was very limited. There was no indication that guests could order omelets or fried eggs until people at another table did so.

Perfectly located to anything you want to do in Palermo, the Grand Hotel Piazza Borso will have you feeling like a Queen ( or King) given it is located in a building that once was a palace. The main entrance is on the side street but once you push through the revolving door, you'll find yourself just steps away from the gorgeous center courtyard which is used for weddings and gatherings around the fountain. Smart people designed a retractable roof over this section so it is available rain or shine. Check in is smooth and easy assuming you have made a reservation and within moments I was on my way to my room. I got there about noon and thankfully my room was ready as I needed a nap from the travel. I had what they call a deluxe room with a view and it was lovely. Large with a balcony overlooking the Piazza San Franseco, it had a king sized bed, desk, mini fridge and a pot for boiling water for tea, no coffee. The bathroom was great stocked with toiletries, a decent shower, heated towel rack with plush towels and a toilet that required a master control panel. What's that, you say? Yep. This toilet comes with a control panel that had it doing all that a toilet should and then some. My favorite feature was the light inside, perfect for those middle of the night visits. Breakfast was also included in my room rate and is served until 10 am in a lovely room on the first floor. It's buffet style and includes eggs, bacon, pastries, cheese, cereals etc and was just ok. I came toward the end of the time and the food wasn't warm any longer and the coffee was not good at all so my advice is go early. Pricing is fairly reasonable as well. My two night stay, with breakfast, ran me about $450 US for a deluxe room,which is a comparable rate to other hotels of this caliber. Please note that there are cheaper rooms as well if you don't want a view or a larger room,as this was an upgrade. Perfect location for your stay in Palermo.

Very nice "old" =elegant hotel here on Palermo, every worker here very nice and courteous, they try so hard to help you speaking in English with us!!! Nice spacious rooms, nice area and reasonable price!!!