Fodor's Expert Review Casa Melia

Set on the fringe of the Kasbah and built within the Norman fortifications, this quirky, unconventional little hotel is ideal for anyone who wants to inhabit a piece of Mazara’s multilayer history. It still retains a secret passage leading straight to the port (though sadly this is closed for safety reasons) along with a medieval chapel, and it's been built around an Arabic-style garden courtyard with whitewashed walls, ceramic tiles, and a well. Part of the house is Renaissance, part of it Art Nouveau, with rooms decorated throughout in the style of a shabby chic Sicilian stately home. Breakfast is served in the courtyard in good weather and in the Renaissance dining room in bad. This will appeal to adventurous travelers who value authenticity and quirkiness over faultless functionality, power showers, and super-fast Wi-Fi.