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After arriving in Sicily, we spent the evening at the Four Points by Sheraton Catania Hotel & Conference Center (full review here). We were headed to Palermo, but decided to spend a night at Susafa along the way. The hotel is a 200-year-old farmhouse that has been converted into a charming boutique hotel. The hotel is part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) and is included in the Hyatt partnership.
Anthony’s Take: This hotel provided the perfect respite from being in cities most of our lives. The pastoral surroundings immediately provide a sense of calm as you stroll through the fragrant gardens and relax by the stunning pool. The suite we had was well appointed, the air conditioning worked well, and surprisingly the Wi-Fi was decent throughout most of the stay. Food served in the restaurant is largely supplied by what is grown on the land or purchased from local suppliers, farmers, and artisans. You can’t help but relax at Susafa and a stay here is a great way to get back to nature without having to rough it.
Booking
I booked a Classic Suite on a World of Hyatt Best Available rate on Hyatt.com. It cost €439 for the night. Rooms were selling for around €300, so I thought this was a good value for the upgrade. If you’re redeeming World of Hyatt points, this hotel ranges between 17,000 and 23,000 points per night for a standard room (depending on if the date commands an off-peak, standard, or peak redemption).
Transportation to the Hotel
We rented a car in Catania and drove from the Four Points by Sheraton Catania Hotel & Conference Center to Susafa. It took around two hours and 15 minutes for the 151-kilometer ride. Leaving, we drove to Palermo. That ride took about 90 minutes.
Check-in
We arrived around 3:00 PM and our room was ready. The parking lot is just inside the main gate. They will send someone to help with luggage if needed. We were fine carrying our bags to reception and then to our suite. The agent checking me in explained that breakfast is included for all guests, Wi-Fi did not need a password, and that she would let me know if I my late checkout was approved. I requested a 1:00 PM checkout and this was granted later that night. World of Hyatt members receive early check-in and late checkout (subject to availability), a room upgrade (again, subject to availability), and continental breakfast when booking Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) properties directly through Hyatt. She then escorted us to our suite and explained some of the features.
The grounds are lush and filled with flowers and plants.
The hotel operates its own apiaries with bees and butterflies pollinating away.
Classic Suite (103)
There are 17 rooms and suites at this hotel. Most are in a main building. Three are housed in a structure that was completed in 2019 (including ours).
As you approach the patio, the area is landscaped with rosemary bushes. The fragrance is welcoming and calming. The patio had two lounge chairs. It was shady most of the day, so we sat by the pool.
A heavy metal key ring holds the key for your room. No keycards here.
You enter and are in the bedroom area. It features a king-sized canopy bed, side tables, a bench at the foot with some blankets, and a few outlets. These seemed to charge slowly for some reason.
Two armchairs and a small table are to the left of the entrance.
A table near the closet had bottled water, loose tea, a tea kettle, and some glassware.
Welcome candy known as “Sospiri” (almond paste with rum rolled in cocoa) were on this table.
A hallway leads to an open closet. Here, you’ll find extra blankets, the safe (which was inoperable), extra pillows, and lots of storage space.
The bathroom is off of the closet. It features a glassed-in shower, standalone bathtub, toilet, bidet, and vanity with a counter that runs the length of the room.
Robes and heated towel rack were next to the sink.
Toiletries were Susafa’s own brand. They had a pleasant prickly pear and citrus scent. Shampoo + Conditioner and Body Gel were found in the shower.
Hand Soap, Face Cleanser, Body Lotion and soap were found next to the sink.
Additional bars of soap were also in the bathroom.
A toilet and bidet were against the side wall.
The standalone bathtub and shower were close to the entrance to the bathroom.
Breakfast
Susafa has a restaurant called Il Granaio. It is housed in the farm’s former granary.
It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast is complimentary and includes a good mix of meats, cheeses, breads, pastries, and more. I loved that it offered a juicer with a wide selection of fruit and vegetables that guests could juice themselves. Coffee was brought to the table by the server.
Cereal and granola
Breads, cakes, and pastries
Biscuits and nuts
Bread, jam, and butter
Quiche
A selection of meats
Amazing cheeses. These were so fresh and homemade.
Croissants
Tea and honey
The impressive selection of fruits and vegetables allowed guests to create their own fresh juice.
Water with star anise and water with a cinnamon and orange infusion
Cappuccino was brought to us by our server.
If you want to add a hot entree, there is an additional charge. We were good with the buffet.
Dinner
When staying at Susafa, you will be eating on property. The restaurant is reasonable and the food was tasty. Some reviews I read complained that the menu does not change often. This was not an issue for us since we were only there one night. Our server had just arrived at the property two weeks earlier and was learning the service flow. It was not quick, but he was trying hard and will get the routine down.
Bread and olive oil arrived first.
A potato croquette was brought out as an amuse bouche for all guests.
We started with the Seasonal Arancina, Wild Herb Ravioli, and Gnocchi with Zucchine Cream. The rice ball was a little bland, but the pasta dishes were tasty.
Next, I had the Pulled Leg of Lamb. It needed a little salt and was presented in an interesting way.
My husband had the Rolled Veal and loved it.
Amenities & Common Areas
The hotel has vast gardens that you may stroll (pictured above and in tons more that I did not post). A path leads to an infinity pool lined with loungers and panoramic views of the valley. The lobby has a cozy waiting area with couches and chairs. You’ll hear the birds singing in the trees outside the windows here. The hotel’s restaurant offers daily, complimentary cooking classes. We took a pastry class. It was educational and fun. There is also a bar, but we did not have the chance to visit it.
The gardens are packed with beautiful flowers. There are tons of bees and butterflies throughout.
There are also lots of birds and skinks inhabiting these gardens.
The pool is large (and while cool it was refreshing).
There are several shaded areas around the pool.
We had no problem finding chairs by the pool during our stay.
A shower to rinse off is to the side of the pool.
Water with Fresh Lemon and Mint was available for guests to serve themselves.
The lobby is a cozy spot to relax.
There is also a rooftop lounge above reception.
Pastry Making Class
The class was offered at 11:00 AM and open to all guests. Susafa requires that you register in advance and we did the night before. There were two other couples in our class. We made an apricot crostata. Three stations were set up and ready for us to learn.
The baker went through the process step by step with an assistant translating her instructions in English. We mixed the dough by hand and then rolled it out.
We lined a pie pan.
Then cut strips of dough to decorate.
Unfortunately, we did not bake our treats, but I was fortunate to try it at breakfast. I loosely remember the recipe and will try to recreate it at home.
Overall Impression: Susafa is worth the trek to find this luxe respite. It will charm you with its fragrant gardens, comfortable accommodations, relaxing pool, and delicious dining. Relaxation is all there is at Susafa and it’s served up without pretense or fuss while maintaining what you want in a luxury hotel.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
