Ragusa, ItalyRagusa Ibla
Locanda Don Serafino - Historic Boutique Hotel
Baroque cave palazzo
Baroque cave palazzo
The hotel embeds modern boutique living into natural rock caverns and a nineteenth-century palazzo carved from Sicilian limestone.
“Occupying an up-lit, vaulted cave (once stables for the church) in Ragusa Ibla’s old town, Locanda Don Serafino’s restaurant is a five-minute shuffle down several steep streets”
What it’s good at
Notable
A fourteenth-century stone staircase survives within the UNESCO-listed Baroque quarter.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Also in Condé Nast Traveler.
it’s a patchwork of Baroque-era buildings, stitched together into an eclectic contemporary boutique hotel, complete with rakish modern furnishings and all the current luxury-boutique comforts.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Steep stone staircases thread through ancient baroque quarters, descending toward the wild slopes of the Hyblaean foothills.
The rooms
Cave rooms are carved directly into native rock, finished with dark pitchstone and hand-embroidered Sicilian linens.
Restaurant
Ristorante Locanda Don Serafino
Chef Vincenzo Candiano cooks Michelin-starred Sicilian dishes beneath vaulted limestone caves, backed by a cellar of over 2,000 labels.
At the table
Leather armchairs sit against textured cave walls in the lounge, where drinks pour from an extensive spirits list.
How it began
Brothers Giuseppe and Antonio La Rosa opened the hotel in 2004, naming it in memory of their father, Serafino.
Ragusa
More like this
Eremo Della Giubiliana
“Fortified convent estate”
a.d. 1768 Boutique Hotel
“Baroque pop palazzo”
Neropece Suites
“Vaulted stone townhouse”
Relais Chiaramonte
“Modernist olive agriturismo”
The app
Like this one? There are so many more.
Swipe any city’s hotels and heart the ones you love. The app gets your taste.
Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.