Dolcestate

Hotel was fine, but the beach was terrible. There were stones everywhere - on the beach and in the sea. No sand at all. The place is not recommended for kids, elderly people or those with mobility difficulties. Huge disappoin**ent as beach does not look like as promoted (sand).

Hotel Dolcestate is very clean, well represented and staff very helpful and friendly. The hotel set up is lovely, looks like a little Italian village with courtyard and outside/inside space. Rooms are modern, comfortable and the shower was amazing not what I was expecting so pleasant surprise. Food is exceptional. I have been to many all inclusive resorts around the world and this really does top most. Granted there is not extensive amounts of choice, but if that's what makes a great all inclusive for you try a bigger hotel in a tourist trap. There was different pasta dishes each day, fish, meat, potatoes and the desserts to die for. The only downside to this hotel is it is in the middle of nowhere really. No restaurants or shops to walk to, but the hotel run their own shuttle bus service into Palermo, Cefalu and Campofelice at very reasonable prices and very reliable service. I would recommend this hotel if you are looking for relaxation and good food. Sicily itself is a great island we will be returning to and prices cheap too, a cappuccino in Palermo €1.60!!! Bargain.

The best holidays ever! Sam and Samuele from the pool bar, the best service by far ! As I was solo there they both made me feel very comfortable and looked after ! Highly recommended to travel with family max friends or solo !

We paid for All Inclusive. IT'S NOT. If the drink you want is not on the VERY short list then you have to pay for it even though you have already paid "up front". Rooms & hotel all clean. Staff friendly. Unfortunately the shops on site were all now closed either for the season or permanently. Nearest town approx. 3 miles away. Shuttle bus once a week. The beach is a quarry. Take mountaineering boots if you want to walk along it!

Beautiful clean hotel. Excellent and friendly staff who went out of their way to make us feel welcome......my cousin and I were two of only six British couples on arrival. Towels changed and rooms cleaned daily as were the pools. A vast array and choice of delicious food at breakfast and dinner, we were half board. Dining room staff were very competent, hard working and friendly. Every Monday evening was gala night where a four course meal was served plentiful bottles of wine and water replenished on tables. My only criticism, being HB if we wanted water with our evening meal, even a carafe, it was chargeable. The only drawback is that the hotel, whilst gorgeous, is very isolated. Nowhere to walk to i.e shops or attractions. A number of sightseeing trips at additional cost, available Shuttle to Cefalu E10 return, market trip on a Friday - fantastic. Sicilian mountain villages trip no to be missed, though very hilly need good walking shoes E60 including a beautiful lunch. All in all an experience I thoroughly enjoyed

On arrival electric gate to enter was closed so had to press intercom, Not the best welcome. Each time you leave hotel same routine with gate in and out. Rooms were good,booked superior, lovely terrace, rooms cleaned daily, peaceful. Food was awful, I’m not usually a picky eater but the choice of food quality and quantity available was poor. Service terrible, wait till meal is almost over before you get a drink. There are only 3/4 waiting on tables for whole dining room. There are lots of areas to sit around hotel and the areas are spotless, Beach is pebbles large pebbles. You can’t walk in to sea, unless you have water shoes, but even with those people were struggling, There is a sandy area with beds and parasols which was ok. No shops, bars or restaurants nearby. Don’t bother trying to walk to find one, road is too busy and there is no path. 20 min to Cefalu in taxi €30 each way. Shuttle bus €5 each way.

After reading reviews I was apprehensive but shouldn’t have been. The hotel staff from reception, dinning, bar & general staff couldn’t be more helpful & pleasant. Very welcoming. I was all inclusive & the food was lovely & The Gala night was AMAZING. The cleanliness from the moment you stepped into the hotel was nothing but spotless. The pool was so very clean each & every day. The hotels private beach was great which still provided sun bed’s & umbrellas for shade. The entertainment team were very pleasant & came round everyday to say hello & no pestering to join in but just letting you know what’s happening. Predominately French people holidaying so entertainments were all spoken French & Italian but didn’t cause a problem. I went for a lazy week to enjoy the sunshine & relax but if I had to give a negative there was nothing outside the hotel like shops, everything was so far away but for me it wasn’t a problem. I would most definitely rate this hotel & would go back again. Date of experience: 11 August 2023

Just returned from an amazing holiday with my daughter. Dolcestate is a lovely hotel. Firstly we noticed how clean it was when we walked into reception! The floors were sparkling and this was everywhere round the hotel. The rooms also were large and comfortable and very clean. The cleaners there do a fantastic job, as it is a very large hotel with a lot of common areas. The pool was lovely too. Very clean, and there’s also a bar area it’s ice creams etc. There is activities around the pool twice a day which anyone can get involved in. The staff who work there try to get everyone involved and are very nice. The food at the Dolcestate is authentic and varied. Breakfast had loads of stuff to pick from as did dinner. We were spoilt for choice. The staff in the restaurant work very hard and are very professional. They take empty plates away quickly. The gala night was lovely, and I’m guessing would have been quite stressful for staff to organise, but they carried it off amazingly. The beach which is a 5 minute walk from the hotel, did have a lot of large stones. Apparently this is because of a large storm which brought them in from the sea. There is a little bridge to walk over, but probably bet to have rock shoes, though I was ok in flip flops. There are sunbeds and umbrellas too. A lifeguard is also there. The sea is warm no clean. We loved it! Maybe a small bar down there is a good idea? We went on amazing trips to Palermo, Cefalu, Mount Etna and Taormina. The hotel runs a reasonable shuttle bus also. The only thing I would say is it would have been helpful to have some kind of shop there, like a small supermarket as there is nowhere within walking distance to buy anything. Overall we loved it and will definitely visit again. Grazie mille Dolcestate! From Joanna and Natalie room 506. August 8 - August 18 2023.

We are guests from canada and stayed at Dolcestate for 2 weeks. The stay was very pleasant and the area is beautiful. Even though the hotel is far from cities such as cefalu, there are shuttles that often go from the hotel to the cities. There is also a private beach for the hotel which is quite hard to find in sicily as most beaches are public. We particularly appreciated the effort and care provided by the chefs Gloria, Gioacchino and their team. They always made sure to provide meals that met our dietary restrictions and went above and beyond to offer quality meals and service. We greatly appreciate the effort they put into making our stay an enjoyable one!