My husband and I stayed at the San Giorgio Palace Hotel in Ragusa Ibla in mid-October, which is a great time of year to visit. The weather is still warm, the hotel rates are better, and there are very few other tourists around. We weren't sure what to expect, but we found Ragusa Ibla to be simply a drop-dead beautiful town. After the chaos of Palermo (which we also loved) Ragusa Ibla was such a contrast of peace and tranquility. My husband is a professional photographer could not stop taking pictures everywhere we went.
The location is very good and an easy walk to the center of town. There are other hotels that appear (when looking at a map) like they are within easy walking distance to reach the main piazza, but because of the winding streets and hills it can be quite a hike.
Because of the name, the San Giorgio Palace Hotel, we were expecting a place that was a little stuffy, ornate, and expensive. It was just the opposite. It was clean, modern, comfortable, friendly and the best hotel value of our trip. Unlike other reviewers, we greatly appreciated the lack of bad hotel art on the walls. The decor is tasteful and refreshingly simple.
There was a complimentary small bottle of Prosecco and two glasses in our room, which was nice, but what really impressed us was that the mini-fridge was stocked with drinks (water and soda). Shockingly, there was no extra charge and it was restocked daily. The complimentary breakfasts were very good although a little limited on variety. The dining room (originally a stable) was tastefully remodeled and has a great view of the valley. The Internet is free, but you need to update the pass-code everyday.
Ragusa is a great home base to take day trips to Modica and Scicli. There is a new airport in Comiso, a 30 minute cab ride away, which has one flight a day to Rome.
The small staff here are exceptionally helpful for whatever you need. You get the feeling that they sincerely want to help you, and not that they are just doing their job. That makes a huge difference. Ivan and Gianluca were the ones who told us about the airport in Comiso, helped us book our flight, print the tickets and set up the cab to take us there. We definitely are looking forward to coming back.