Palazzo Speciale

For over 300 years, Palazzo Speciale has stood in the old quarter, once home to princes and fishermen.
Here, in the heart of the old town, picturesque popular customs, miraculously surviving the changing times, coexist with contemporary attractions and services: trendy venues, festivals and art centres, museums and exhibition spaces, the metro and hi-tech car parks.
Today, just as in the past, Palazzo Speciale enjoys a strategic location: a few steps from Piazza Duomo, the famous fish market, Castello Ursino and Piazza Borsellino-Alcalà, the main stop and terminal for the buses connecting the city to the airport.
 
A family atmosphere and hospitality

Protected by the ancient walls of the palazzo, which keep the city noise outside, Palazzo Speciale Rooms in Catania is located in the innermost part of the 18th-century building, guaranteeing guests absolute peace and quiet.
The atmosphere inside the Palazzo is that of a family home or a friend’s house: casually cultured, informally elegant.
And with the same warmth with which one welcomes loved ones, you will be greeted by the members of the Speciale family who live on the noble floors of the palazzo.
If the period finishes and furnishings, harmoniously paired with modern comforts, are enough to make your Sicilian stay feel like a dream, the attention and travel tips of the Speciale Family will help you discover every curious aspect that brings the city to life and, even, the heart of the Sicilian people.

Aperitifs

This is the place to chat and get to know each other, but it is not the only common area.
During special public celebrations, such as those Catania holds every year in honour of Saint Agatha, the Family will invite guests onto the terrace to watch the religious processions and fireworks while sipping an aperitif.

Catania just steps from the Palazzo

Outside Palazzo Speciale, the city at the foot of Etna is ready to reveal its attractions to travellers: architecture, history, art, and the nightlife that livens up the surrounding streets every evening.

The common areas of Palazzo Speciale:

Kitchen

In every Sicilian home, the kitchen is where the day really begins, and at Palazzo Speciale it is no different.

The shared kitchen is open to all our guests: a bright, welcoming space where you can make your morning coffee, prepare a light meal or simply store the treasures you picked up at the nearby fish market and street stalls.

Here, guests from different corners of the world often end up sitting at the same table, swapping travel stories and advice, just as happens in a real family home.

Feel free to use it as your own: all we ask is that you leave it as you found it, ready for the next guest.

Study room

Beyond the Palazzo walls, Catania is lively, loud and full of life. Inside, the study room offers the opposite: silence, soft light and time for yourself.

It is a quiet corner reserved for guests, perfect for reading a book, planning the next day's excursion to Etna or the coast, or catching up on work while travelling.

Surrounded by the atmosphere of the 18th-century palazzo, even answering a few emails can feel like a small pleasure.