The central streets of historic Marsala are made from marble, and lined with elegant Sicilian Baroque buildings, gracefully opening out onto beautiful piazzas and garden squares. It on these marble streets that the majority of our Gurus’ recommendations for the best places to stay in Marsala can be found, in converted villas, palazzos and apartment buildings. There are several more contemporary beach resorts between Marsala and Trapani, but Marsala itself has plenty of charm.

Marsala’s two most mentioned claims to fame are its wine of the same name, and as the location where Giuseppe Garibaldi first came ashore with his thousand redshirts — a moment which led to the eventual unification of Italy. Garibaldi is remembered all over town, with plaques and statues, but also in local businesses. Marsala wine is fortified, and in Marsala drunk in the sunny squares thorough town, and tasted and sold in bars, enoteche and ‘baglio’ — or local cellars.

Our Gurus also recommend the best places to stay in Marsala to travellers looking for a base for exploring Sicily. You don’t have to follow in the footsteps of Garibaldi, there are plenty of directions of travel — Palermo is only about an hour away, Trapani is even closer, and Trapani’s ferry is linked to spectacular Favignana and the Egadi Islands. Marsala has several archaeological sites, with the major ones being on the island of Mozia, and on the headland. Finds from these sites now fill Marsala’s fantastic archaeological museum. The Greek temple of Selinute are also an easy excursion from Marsala.

The Best Places to Stay in Marsala

For Historic Marsala

• The Hotel Carmine is a wonderfully traditional Marsalan villa, with a simple, whitewashed facade decorated with impressive stone doorways and wrought iron balconies. Inside the villa still has its vaulted or beamed ceilings, its colourfully patterned tiled floors, and plenty of original stonework. There are just five rooms and suites, decorated with antiques. There’s also an atmospheric bar and light and cheerful breakfast room, plus a spa, a garden, a library, and bike hire available. And you’re only three kilometres from the beach.

For Great Value

• The Slo Design House is a surprisingly contemporary hotel, surprising because it’s been memorably converted from buildings in the heart of Marsala — the views of the Duomo from the roof terrace are incredible. The seven room designs are all unique, and rely mostly on a minimally monochrome palette, with clean lines and large, fancy bathrooms. The restaurant serves Sicilian classics.

Best B&Bs

• The three-room B&B Nonno Gino is a stylish pick in historic Marsala, perfectly positioned for views of the Arch of Garibaldi. The rooms are simply decorated, with contemporary furnishings, lots of white, and large, modern bathrooms. Convenient for restaurants, bars and cafes, very convenient for exploring Marsala, and just a few kilometres from the beach.

For a Private apartment or private villa

• If you're travelling as a family or a group of friends it may be a better option to book a villa or apartment. For a wide range of properties for all tastes and budgets we recommend you visit our online partner Booking.com.

Travel Information

• The closest international airport to Marsala is Palermo Airport, which is under an hour and a half away by road, or about three and a half hours away by train. Trapani Airport is also nearby, only about half an hour away, but car or bus. It’s favoured by low-cost European carriers.
• If you want to hire a car, we recommend you visit our online partner, Rentalcars.
• Sicily, unlike some Italian destinations, remains open all year round. That doesn’t mean it’s equally nice all year round, it’s definitely chilly in winter. If you do come between November and February expect the daylight hours to impact opening hours too. Spring, or March through June, is one of our favourite times to visit Sicily, because the weather is sunny and mild, and the festival and events calendar is packed with activity leading up to Easter. July and August are properly hot, and the Mediterranean beaches and beach resorts are busy, and can be expensive, but the visitors tail off in September, though the sea is still warm and pleasant. The Scirocco winds bring a good amount of rainfall to Marsala in September. October is a good pick if you’re planning to visit Sicily’s museums and palaces, and admire the architecture, and we recommend September and October, and April and May, as the best times to visit for a walking holiday.

Still not sure where to stay?

• You could expand your search to include all the best places to stay on Sicily
• Consider refining your search by the type of holiday you’re planning and focus on the best beach hotels on Sicily, Sicily’s great rural hotels or Sicily's best wine hotels
• You could also drill down by location, and focus on the best hotels near Mount Etna or the best hotels near Agrigento
• Or you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.