Palermo | BB22

Anyone for Sicily? If so, this could be just the accommodation you need in feisty Palermo. And that’s not quite as pretentious as it sounds, since BB22 means a choice of boutique hotel, sumptuous self-catering apartments or any (or indeed all) of the rooms in a plush residence, all in the central Castellammare district of town. Let’s start with BB 22 Palace the commodious apartment on two floors, upscale contemporary but nothing flashy, with all the comforts and accessories you’d find at home and then some. The three rooms on the upper floor give onto a common terrace. Another shares the lower floor with an ample sitting and dining area where breakfast is served, and there are two more in an annex. All this housed in Palazzo Moncada, magnificent example of an eighteenth-century townhouse overlooking Piazza San Domenico.

Across the piazza and a few steps down the road are the Luxury Apartments: similar décor but self-contained. Which doesn’t mean you can’t still pick and choose from a host of BB22 extras including customised guided tours and boat excursions, personal trainer and massages, personal shopper, baby sitter, cleaning and laundry services, and even breakfast if self-catering didn’t quite work out… But it’s the gorgeous little guesthouse on the same street that has real charm. Seven rooms from a suite down to a standard, each generously and distinctly fitted out with a quirky mix of design elements, antique pieces and pure flair. Some have balconies. All mod cons are present and correct, of course. Boutique BB22 has its own breakfast room but also a self-service bar area and a little terrace, the better to enjoy a glass or two of excellent Sicilian wine as the sun sets. None better or more local, by the way, than Feudo Disisa’s Chara 2015, best of 2700 whites at Vinitaly 2016, made in Palermo. Then set out for a night on this unique, brash, heady and complex city, teeming with exoticism on Europe’s southern edge.