Asmundo di Gisira

Opened in 2017, Asmundo di Gisira inhabits a private palazzo dating to the late 1600s. Don’t expect the grand and well-marked front door of a large hotel -- the entrance is similar to that of an apartment building, tucked into the Catanian streetscene, complete with idling cars, motorbikes, and food vendors selling giant watermelons from wooden boxes and the backs of pick-up trucks. Once buzzed inside, guests are transported to the sensationally curated world of Asmundo di Gisira, owned by a local man with a passion for art and Sicilian mythology. Squeezing through the narrow entries to the reception room feels like entering an alternate universe -- the sunken streets of 17th-century Catania are visible through glass floor panels -- and rough stone walls covered in fragmented plaster give the sense that you’re standing in an ancient palace. The centuries-old room makes an atmospheric backdrop for the hotel’s incredible collection of art and antiques. In fact, the reception feels more like the office of an incredibly hip and in-the-know art dealer with exquisite taste, rather than the check-in area for a hotel. On our 2019 visit, the space was decorated with classic Sicilian Moorish-style ceramic heads, antique copies of the Art Nouveau “Scena Illustrata” magazine, fabulous midcentury velvet seating, cool globe lighting, Italian artist Max Ferrigno’s anime-esque paintings -- it’s all for sale and at a special price for guests. 

Asmundo’s beautifully artistic vibe is felt all over -- in the common areas, the guest rooms, even the outdoor terrace off the second floor, where a ceramic life-size Spiderman by Palermitan artist Domenico Pellegrino scales the outside of the building (his striking Catwoman and giant flamingo sculptures stand guard inside). The hotel collaborated with Palermo-based artist Rossana Taormina to create a stitched collage in the breakfast room based off of old maps of Mediterranean islands and photographs; it’s opposite a whimsical hand-painted mural by Daniel Egneus filled with symbols of Catania and Sicily -- elephants, butterflies, donkeys, cacti, flowers like the ones in Villa Bellini, Catania’s 19th-century garden. It all adds up to a deeply lovely and one-of-a-kind experience in Catania that nearly all past guests describe as outstanding.

Asmundo di Gisira has a prime location in the historic old town of Catania, less than five minutes on foot from Piazza del Duomo and its lovely Baroque Cathedral of Saint Agatha. The hotel is a two-minute walk from the 19th-century Fontana dell’Amenano and La Pescheria, Catania’s rowdy fish and food market, where local vendors hawk their swordfish, mussels, and sea urchins hauled in from the Ionian. Other nearby sites include Museo Emilio Greco (a two-minute walk away) and the 13th-century Castello Ursino (four minutes). It’s an 11-minute walk to the ruins of the Roman Amphitheatre of Catania. Budget about 20 minutes for the drive to and from Catania Fontanarossa Airport.

No two rooms in Asmundo di Gisira are alike, though all share excellent amenities, including minibars with local products, air-conditioning, coffee, tea, hypoallergenic duvets and pillows, Smart TVs, and free safes. Bathrooms have Ortigia toiletries and rainfall showers with LED lighting and chromotherapy that can be controlled through an app. Some rooms have terraces and balconies, including Uzeta, a corner Junior Suite with two private balconies facing Via Gisira and Via Auteri.

All rooms are individually decorated and based on Sicilian symbols and legends. For example, the Eliodoro is inspired by a medieval Catanian occult and his elephant (a symbol of the city). The room has a wall of tiles (custom-made by Iudici Ceramics in Caltagirone) meant to represent the textured skin of an elephant, tusk-light bedside lamps, and a striking wall of 25 vanity mirrors that alludes to Eliodoro’s magical powers. The room Colapesce honors a Sicilian folklore about a fisherman with blue walls, floor, and ceiling. Deep red curtains resemble a bed of coral and long tassels hanging from the light bring to mind a jellyfish.

Wi-Fi is free in the rooms. Note that there are no interconnecting rooms and all are non-smoking. Wheelchair-accessible rooms available by request.

As a tiny boutique hotel in historic Catania, there is little space for common areas and extra features, but Asmundo still manages to make room for nice perks. All rooms come with free breakfast, which is served in a charming room with indoor and outdoor seating on a stone terrace overlooking Piazza Mazzini. The breakfast offerings consist of fresh Sicilian products, including Nebrodi salami, ricotta, provola (a stringy curd cheese) from Ragusa, organic jams, fresh bread made from timilia durum wheat, which is only cultivated in Sicily, and fresh fruit from the market. Throughout the day, the breakfast rooms and terrace are a pleasant place to sit and read and enjoy water (natural, sparkling waters, or flavored with citrus and ginger) or amaretto put out by the hotel. For a night cap, there are small bites and Marsala wine. A rooftop terrace with incredible views of Catania and filled with potted plants has tables and chairs and a solarium deck with loungers.

Wi-Fi is free at the hotel.