Etna Hotel

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 !!

Hotel at first view nice but our room was very unclean (see pictures attached) The location was disappointing- glad we hired a car. Staff friendly and helpful. Breakfast buffet ok ish, couldn’t eat same things for another week though. Sitting area outside was a plus. Food not allowed inside the hotel - seemingly causing infestation or something. Small and overpriced dinner menu. Nice view on Etna mountain from the hotel -weather permitting. During our 1 week stay bed was not even changed once. Shower cabin old and filthy - good luck trying to close it as it will stay in your hands. Cobwebs, spiders, dust and mould - that’s what room 110 was about. Disgusting. And not enough room for storing holiday clothes! Won’t be back and don’t recommend!

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!

We stayed at the Etna hotel for a week in early October, myself and my parents. The hotel is a small rustic hotel with around 14 rooms in different buildings, we were unlucky in that our rooms faced onto the road which was quite busy at times, so we didn't make use of the balconies due to the fumes and noise. All the other rooms seemed to have a better position. We booked B&B which we felt was best for us as we planned to eat at different places in the evening, but we ended up eating at the hotel 5 out of 6 nights as there are no restaurants within easy/safe walking distance. If we had known we may have looked at half board. All the food we had was of excellent quality and was home made, the Parmigiana and lasagne were firm favourites. Breakfast was help yourself and there was always a good selection, homemade yogurt with local honey was delicious. All of the staff were very helpful and friendly. The only issue we had was the steps up to our room were not well lit at the bottom and my dad injured his hand when a sunbed collapsed on him on the last day at the pool. The hotel could do with a bar area to sit and enjoy a drink of an evening, there is a terrace outside the restaurant but due to the greenery there were lots of biting insects and it got chilly, so we ended up going to bed soon after dinner. I would have enjoyed sitting in a bar area enjoying a book and a drink. I would recommend the hotel but you do need a car to get about.

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.

Spectacular for this hotel, best food, pool, staff, Mount Etna view, absolutely recommend, stunning! Was very impressed with the room rate that was booked through ******* and will absolutely return if ever back in that part of Sicily. Dinner was exquisite. Thank You For the Hospitality!!!! Travelers from Canada