Etna Hotel

We really enjoyed our stay at Etna hotel. The whole place has got so much character and authentic style. The staff was so friendly and keen to help. We felt really relaxed there. And also the food in the restaurant was to die for!!! Have the Sicilian grill plate, we have enjoyed the food so much! It’s also really close to the beach and the beach there is lovely!

Let me start by saying we loved Sicily and the people there. The reception and dining room staff were very helpful throughout our holiday. The Hotel itself had its charm, you wouldn’t guess from the owner’s pictures the rooms were so dated, or maybe that was just our room. They must have used pictures from when the hotel was first opened. The hotel grounds and swimming pool were lovely and the view of Mount Etna on a clear day was amazing. Food was not allowed to be brought to the hotel and as the hotel had no lunch facilities, you were basically forced to go out for food. Breakfast was nice at first, then became boring as it was the same selection every morning. Dinners were nice but overpriced (compared to good restaurants in Catania). Oh, and make sure to check if the food is frozen. States on first page of menu that if fresh food is not available may be frozen. On that note, be sure to try the Scirocco Sicilian Fish Lab if you are in Catania. Disappointed with the area where the hotel was - far from restaurants and we wouldn’t walk around in the evenings. You have to be extremely careful as the hotel leads onto a busy road with no footpaths and car drivers give no quarter. Driving in Italy can only be described as being like the real life version of the Grand Theft Auto game. Be careful with the sun-beds - my wife's flipped over and she hurt her back - very thin and not stable. Another hotel guest said they had a similar issue. Now the explanation for our review title! From the start of our holiday to the end, our room was dirty and unclean from top to bottom, as you will see from the attached photos. Our room had limited storage areas A small, dirty cupboard in the wall and a tiny (Ikea) wardrobe with only 4 coat hangers - not enough for a couple. Doors weren't even on straight (see Pics) With walls so thin, with no soundproofing - you could hear neighbours talking. The Blackout curtains were nothing of the kind and you can see from the pictures that the sun shone right through them, so at night were not making the room dark enough. The toilet after flushing water kept noisy for 20 minutes- very annoying at night Supposedly cleaned Every Day, our room(Room 110) had: Dirt and cobwebs under the bed. Mould, dirt and layers of dust everywhere. The shower unit door was broken, was almost impossible to close and kept falling off. Unpainted plaster repairs Dirty light fittings Floor wasn’t swept or if it was, then not properly as I could see same bits lying every day on it Bed wasn’t changed even once in a week Mould, not just in the bathroom, but around the old metal framed windows where puddles of condensation would form. We would not recommend and we won’t be back here! It’s not even 3 star hotel never mind 4 stars given by easyJet holidays !!

Beautifully restored villa, retaining many historic features but with modern comfort and service. Friendly, efficient staff, who speak good English. Pool, or 10 min drive from a public beach. I would say you need a car, we braved Sicilian driving ( and you do need to be brave- it is NOT for the faint hearted) and were able to access all along the east and south east coast as well as a trip up scary narrow roads on Etna. I advise a good map as the car SatNav took us to places where the roads just petered out into goat tracks. Sicily is chaotic and wonderful!

Beautiful hotel, lovely sized room, restaurant was nice, only small issue was you can't bring your own food or drinks back to the hotel, but at 3 euros for a tiny bottle it was a bit expensive, well anyway we did bring our own water, supermarket up the street sells large bottles for 25 cents, if you have mobility issues this could be a problem to get anywhere due to the location, we found it fine walking to town and around the area but beware in some parts to town there's no pavement and car drivers are bit nuts here, anyway would I stay again, yes I definitely would!

There is plenty to say, but I suppose I should open with it being a bit of a mixed experiance. I will open with the good. The rooms are huge, with all the things you would want, save for a bottle opener. Shower design is a bit odd but not bad, just different. The view is excellent & for our part the room was quiet enough. Wi-fi was good too. There are a lot of negative comments about the location & accessability. Not sure I understand this, you can walk to Giarre and the transport links there in about 25 mins & the roads are passable on foot with a little caution. Mascali is about 20 mins walk & has bus/train links. Excerise caution on the walk there and you will be fine. The dinner menu is good, reasonable in variety & serving size. Have to say it is more expensive than either the Etna Vulcano Pub or several resturants further up but each time we ate there we had no issue with the food. Breakfast & lunch is a different matter. There is nothing wrong with the breakfast, it just lacks variety & at £7 is more expensive per person than walking to the 2 places 5 mins away. And lunch, given that bringing food back is not allowed, is a real disappointment. A few pasta dishes or a variety of panninis would be fine but it is always the same, and very much limited. The staff, particularly one lady on the reception desk, are excellent. Very helpful, and accomadating. The downfall here is the little things. I have covered food so onto the bar. The pool bar is expensive - €4 for a beer or a coke? Steep, place up the road is €2.50. And the tab..... it is not ideal. I like the idea of trust, and if there were errors the staff corrected them, but it is too easy a system to make errors on or abuse. Tweaks need to be made. I would like to have gone for a 4 here, but felt there were too many little things - even if corrected - that dragged it just under. Would I return, maybe. Do I understand why people are always perplexed that it is a bit remote, no. Worth a stay but maybe for adults only.

Very friendly and helpful reception staff. Irene is brilliant so pleasant and nothing is too much trouble, she helped us with train times and buses. Carolan also so nice at breakfast time making us lovely latte and cappucino. The breakfasts are delicious, homemade yoghurt and jams especially. Cooked meats, fresh fruit, eggs, croissants, cakes. It is better if you have a hire car due to location of this hotel but we managed to walk to the train station at Giarre Riposte, a thirty minute walk on quite a busy road. The hotel rooms are pleasant, love the traditional feel of this hotel, it is a converted winery, so the historical value adds to its uniqueness. The restaurant in the courtyard also has a nice ambience. The views of Mount Etna from the garden, pool area are wonderful. We love it here. We tried the Ferrovia Circumetnea train today from Giarre it was a wonderful journey up to Randazzo through vineyards and lemon groves, it's the nearest town to Etnas craters.