Des Etrangers Hotel & Spa ★★★★★

The island of Ortigia, just off Syracuse, is tiny – only one kilometre across and half a kilometre wide – and Syracuse’s harbour is dominated by the magnificent neoclassical façade of the Des Etrangers Hotel & Spa looking down from its position on the island of Ortigia. Unmistakably Italian, the ornate building in pale terracotta, almost rose-coloured stone, with tall windows and pretty little stone-balustrades on the balconies, glows warmly in the Italian afternoon sun.

We stepped inside into a wide arched marble hall, resplendent with delicate stucco works on the walls and high ceilings, and intricate decorations in the floor tiles as only the Italians can create. A grand piano was nonchalantly placed in the hall below the sweep of marble stairs. Off the hall we sat for a while in a lounge full of pure white sofas and armchairs, pictures of classical Greek vases and other ancient treasures on the walls, and black and white marble floor tiling. This is real Italian cool! We marvelled at the daring of having a monochrome room with only the rich glowing ochres and earth tones of the Greek vases for colour – it worked spectacularly well.

In our room, there were beds with intricately decorated painted bedheads in lacquered dark wood trimmed with an edging of dark wood carvings, a cool marble floor and really interesting architecture, with window-size openings in internal walls giving a sense of the spaces flowing into one another. From the bedroom we went into an alcove with a pretty settee and chairs and in the bedroom was a dark wood armoire and polished antique table. Our bathroom was decorated in blue mosaic tiling and white above, and had a huge old-fashioned free-standing bath. It was just what I needed after a long day on the road!

After an aperitif in the bar, which was pretty and relaxing with Tiffany lamps, delicate furniture and extravagantly draped flimsy curtains, we moved on to the next pressing necessity after our long day - a quiet dinner and perhaps a glass of wine. This need was perfectly met in the romantic Roof Garden Restaurant under the gentle sea breeze, where we watched the moonlight rippling on the waves. A classic Mediterranean menu was just what we needed. The tagliatelle pasta with clams was delicious!

What a perfect base for exploring the delights of Syracuse! The next day, after a lovely breakfast on our balcony, we set out and immersed ourselves in the ancient Greek and Roman architecture of this historical part of Sicily. We discovered that Archimedes – Eureka!  – was born in this city when it was part of the state of Greece, and some of the ancient Greek ruins rival those of Athens. In particular the 5th century BCE Greek Amphitheatre was amazing. It held 15,000 people and is still used for an annual festival up to this day. The pure white of the Duomo di Siracusa, with its elaborate façade in the baroque and rococo style, is astonishing.

Gorgeous little cafes for refreshment, lovely Italian sunshine and fascinating Greek antiquities … all this was on our doorstep from our grand Italian residence, Des Etrangers Hotel & Spa.