i dislike hiltons and hyatt and other such chains. i think they all remind me of chicago or detroit. they all look alike, and are supported by large conventions::

in catania, we stayed at il principe. a lovely hotel. centrally located. 105 euro per night for a suite.

in palermo, palazzo conte federico. this is a palace. centrally located. they rent guest appartments. was 130 euro/night. we had a 4-5 room appartment. cook own breakfast(food provided) this is probably the most fantastic place we have ever stayed, and we have been to probably 20 high end starwood properties.