Wellness Hotel Principe ★★★★★

Eureka!

Forgive my euphoria, but I’ve finally done it – I’ve found a gorgeous, comfortable and relaxing hotel that’s allowing me to see and experience the best beautiful Syracuse has to offer, while still providing a relaxing and serene base to build my holiday from. Excuse me for not jumping from my bath and running naked through the streets with triumph as Syracuse-born mathematician Archimedes did, but I’m enjoying luxuriating in the hotel hot tub far too much for that.

“… the most beautiful and highly decorated of all, the city of Syracuse.”

Amongst the other compliments Cicero paid Syracuse, he also described it as the most beautiful and highly decorated city of all, and the Wellness Hotel Principe is certainly not letting Syracuse down. Though the service and staff work so smoothly you’d assume they’ve been running the hotel since Syracuse was founded, the décor and style of the hotel is modern and calming, as befits the newness of the hotel. Decorated tastefully with natural stone and wood, as well as lush topiary and fresh, bright white rooms, the Wellness Hotel fits in perfectly to the surrounding Siracusian landscape.

The hotel is situated in Plemmirio, a nature reserve that encompasses about 12 kilometres of coastline and even more spectacularly clear sea. It’s impossible not to notice the stunning natural beauty of the area just by staying at the hotel, and the location made it easy for me to venture further out and experience the incredible marine life for myself.

As fascinating and beautiful as the nearby beaches are, though, Syracuse has much more to offer than your standard seaside holiday. Since about 485 BC, Syracuse has been a hotbed of culture and the arts, when some of Greece’s most famous writers, like Aeschylus and Sappho, visited. Amongst the Greek temples, theatres and fountains, you’ll find remnants from the many other cultures that made Syracuse their home. Roman amphitheatres, Italian cathedrals and baroque churches are just some of the delights I came across while wandering Syracuse’s medieval lanes. The shuttle service close to the Wellness Hotel Principe was, therefore, invaluable during my holiday, taking me straight to the ancient city of Ortigie, where most of these wonders are.

Inside the hotel, the facilities more than live up to the ideology of a “wellness” hotel. There are two swimming pools, including a very large outdoor one that was lovely in the warm morning air, and the ideal wake-up for the rest of the day. The restaurant was superb, with a delicious breakfast, as well as fresh and healthy meals the rest of the day (the seafood in particular was delightful, one of many benefits of being by the Mediterranean Sea). The onsite wellness centre includes hot tubs, a hammam, a large steam room, and the possibility of booking spa and massage treatments. After a few days exploring Ortigie, these were most welcome! In addition, if you feel like working up more of a sweat, there is an onsite tennis court and free bicycles available too, giving you a full range of activities to enjoy on the hotel grounds, as well as in the surrounding area. Believe me, this hotel is the greatest discovery since Archimedes’ principle.