Hotel Il Portico, Favignana - hotel review

About Hotel Il Portico

Hotel Il Portico is a comfortable three-star hotel on Favignana, the largest of the Egadi Islands off the western coast of Sicily. The hotel is a convenient base for seeing the islands. I stayed at the hotel for three nights at the end of May 2010, paying a total of €201 for a double room (single use) for the three nights. My travelling companions booked a double room for €321.

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My review

Hotel Il Portico is in Favignana town, in an ideal location for travel and sightseeing. It is five minutes' walk from the port where ferries arrive (perhaps less), and just around the corner from the main town square, Piazza Madrice.

My room was on the second floor, and its balcony looked out onto the hotel's courtyard and some characteristic island buildings. My companions' first-floor room was larger, also with a balcony, and looked over some intriguing little garden-allotments built in old quarries concealed amongst the town's buildings. My bedroom was a good size and stylish in a simple way, with a cream, brown and ochre colour scheme. The room was well-equipped with a small flat-screen TV (Italian channels), a suitcase stand, a large mirror, a wardrobe with plenty of hangers and a full-length mirror in the door, a large safe for laptops, air-conditioning, a small fridge with water to buy, and - importantly for me - a good work desk with a comfortable chair, power point and light. Internet access, I believe, was charged. I found the bedroom very comfortable indeed, but did get rather irritated with the electronic key which always took several attempts to open the door.

My ensuite bathroom too was a comfortable and very good, with a powerful shower, toilet, bidet, large washbasin, lots of space for washkit, a stool and toiletries. There was a big mirror above the sink and an excellent shaving/make-up mirror. The hotel had been equipped with care, not thrift: the towels and bedlinen were good quality and the bed was firm and comfortable. The curtains were very effective at blocking light.

The hotel had a lift, and a good little roof terrace, with views of the church dome, sun-loungers and even a jacuzzi. Downstairs was a reception area with seating and a small bar area opening onto a courtyard with more seats. Breakfast was taken in the bar and courtyard. It included some very good cakes, cold meat and cheese slices, croissants, oranges, small bread rolls and cereal. There was Italian coffee available, and hot water and teabags for foreign guests. Unfortunately some Italian fellow-guests smoked on the breakfast terrace; we sat indoors.

The receptionist we met when we arrived was almost always around and along with a colleague served breakfast and dealt with queries. Their English was limited, but they were helpful, providing useful maps, recommending beaches and booking a Levanzo cave tour for us. We also got a discount in a good restaurant thanks to the hotel.

We did encounter a few minor problems at Il Portico such as towels being removed by a cleaner but not replaced and - to my horror - the hotel's hot water supply cutting out while I was taking a shower, but each time a trip or call to reception produced an immediate solution.

I couldn't tell how soundproof the hotel was. Mostly my room was very quiet, but every so often I could hear other guests: a baby crying, electronic door-keys buzzing. I was woken at seven by the nearby bells of the church

Recommendation

I thought the hotel was extremely comfortable and refreshingly modern. It evidently catered for business travellers at a conference in Favignana as well as for tourists. There were minor problems, but these were dealt with so efficiently that I'm not sure I could count these as negatives. The breakfast buffet was fine, and staff were friendly and helpful. I'd looked forward to relaxing on the hotel's sun terrace, but we found a surprising number of activities to keep us busy for our three days in the Egadi Islands, so I didn't find the time. I'd definitely return to the hotel when revisiting Favignana, perhaps for a longer, restful stay, and I'd recommend it highly as a base, both for comfort and convenience. I don't think you could find a hotel with quite so ideal a location for the port and town.

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