I really loved this hotel stay, definitely one of my favorites ever. Musciara Resort is located in Siracusa (Syracuse) in Sicily. I was working in Rome the second week of November and while the temperatures were very nice compared to New York , I saw that the weekend forecast for Siracusa was a rare 80 degrees in Nov! I quickly booked a very cheap flight on blu-express (see blu-express – Cheap & Very Scary) and started looking into hotels. Besides the Best Western and Mercure, there were no chain hotels to choose from …meaning I wouldn’t be staying at my normal SPG or Hyatt property.
This is part four of an eight part trip report from my travels to Rome and Siracusa, Sicily. This short picture report includes photos from my Air France business class flight on-board an A321 from Rome (FCO) to Paris (CDG):
- Delta BusinessElite JFK – Rome (FCO) B767-300
- Revisiting the Westin Excelsior Rome, has anything changed? Original visit’s trip report here.
- Trip Report – blu-express – Cheap & Very Scary
- Musciara Resort – Siracusa, Sicily
- Alitalia T1 Dolce Vita Lounge FCO Rome – The Nicest Alitalia Lounge? Flight Simulator & Eataly!
- Air France Business Class Rome (FCO) – Paris (CDG) A321
- Air France Lounge Charles De Gaulle Terminal E Gate M
- Delta BusinessElite Paris (CDG) – Newark (EWR) B767-300
I started reading reviews on TripAdvisor and settled on the Musciara Resort. The resort has only 11 rooms and 1 suite as well as its own private beach (the only one in all of Siracusa). The reviews were very positive in terms of renovated rooms, a great beach, and a location walkable to the island of Ortiga. Rooms during the high season, June – September, can go as high as 200-400 € per night, however in November rates drop to 100 € per night for the smallest room. I decided to go ahead and book on hotels.com as I was only two nights away from earning my next reward…hey, you always need to be earning something for your stays!
Upon arriving, I stood in an empty parking lot with a locked gate to the resort. An Italian voice on the intercom told me that someone would be out soon to open the gate for me. An older gentleman then escorted me across the beach to the check-in area (resort office) where I met Laura Pallone, who manages the resort owned by her parents. She told me that I was the only guest for the entire weekend and that the resort would be closing for the winter upon my departure that Sunday! I was given the key to my room, a local map, and asked if I wanted breakfast tomorrow morning (included) and what time I thought I’d be getting up. Laura then invited me to the Ortiga bar that she and her friends would be grabbing drinks at later that night…if I wanted something to do after dinner. I then met Buddy, the resort dog, before heading to my room.
The room itself was small and although I couldn’t see much at night, I could tell by the sound of the waves that I was going to have amazing wake-up views. Granted, the hotel was empty and I was still given the small standard room, but it was quaint and I was happy to have the resort to myself.
After looking around the room, I headed down to the main shared area. It was really nicely and tastefully decorated with a homey flare…
The next morning I woke up to the following:
The entire family was waiting on me for breakfast. They didn’t want to start cooking until I was up so that everything would be fresh. All of the following was complimentary and brought out in multiple courses while I read my Nook and looked out at the amazing views. That’s fresh squeezed OJ:
A quick hop off the deck to the beach…
My own beach (besides Laura and her daughter who were outside sunbathing at times as well).
View from the room
You can see that one of the buildings near the hotel had some construction going on but I didn’t hear much noise from the beach or my room.
Lunch time! Laura came over to ask if I would be eating lunch at the hotel. I said I might head into town and then come back after lunch. She insisted that her brother was a great chef and would cook me up a fresh tasty lunch. Within 35 minutes he had made fresh pasta with grilled calamari, it was incredible as was the wine!
Breakfast feast day two, mostly new choices:
Many of the reviews noted that they loved the hotel but were concerned about the “shady” location within town. I have to say that I didn’t feel unsafe at any point. The hotel is in both a residential and commercial area that’s about a 15 minute walk to the island of Ortiga, allowing you to work up an appetite on the way there and walk off your food on the way back. I returned after midnight both nights and was not concerned.
The hotel is also walkable to many of the local attractions including the Greek Theater (late 5th century BC), Ear of Dionysius, and Temple of Apollo…all about 20-25 minutes away by foot. I didn’t use a car the whole weekend except for when I headed back to the airport.
Lunch time, by Laura’s brother and his girlfriend once again…
Fresh fish, salad, fruit, and a rice / meat / cheese ball. By far the best lunch I’ve ever had served on a lounge chair beachside.
The resort serves dinner as well, but I always went to explore in-town during the evenings. If you are planning a trip to Siracusa, I would most definitely recommend checking out the Musciara Resort. I got to meet the extremely friendly owners (who helped with some of the meals) and their children (Laura and her brother)…and of course Buddy the dog. The entire experience was quite a nice change from my normal Starwood / Hyatt stays.
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3 comments
These pictures are gorgeous. What’s your camera model?
@shannon – Thanks!!! You’re going to be disappointed…it’s an iPhone 5. I’ve begun taking more and more pics with it, they come out great.
Great review. What a gorgeous view from your room!