From start to finish loved this charming hotel by the water in Ortigia / Siracusa. Denise and the…read moreteam at the front desk were so warm and helpful. The location is perfect to stroll into town, walk to the water, or take boat excursions. Wish we could have stayed here longer.

Photos do not do this very special hotel justice. We were lucky enough to book the family room and…read morecouldn't believe our eyes when we walked in. Two exceptionally spacious rooms with beautiful bathrooms, high ceilings, stocked refrigerators connected through a perfect hallway that allowed both for privacy and the comfort of togetherness for our younger kids. It was fabulous. The location is lovely in perfect Ortigia, which in and of itself is such a gem. The staff offered many great restaurant recommendations and could not have been more accommodating. The breakfast was excellent - you would be hard pressed to find a person who wasn't delighted by the myriad of offerings. The hotel also has a spacious seating area to relax with wine, water, some juice and little bowls of snacks during the day, which made for a nice area to relax with our kids in the hot afternoons. A couple of teeny tiny quibbles: the tvs were so small they were unusable (wouldn't care normally but we were there during the world cup and the ball was a mere pinprick) and had very few stations, the shower floor was so incredibly slippery that my son took a nasty spill (I almost did as well, so it wasn't kid horsing around) and the parking is more expensive than it should be. The air in one of the rooms ran very cold and refused to adjust, but in a 105 degree heatwave, that was certainly preferable to the alternative. One final quibble - they use some sort of a pod machine for the coffee, which in addition to being environmentally questionable when used on a large scale, it also makes pretty low grade coffee. We'd come to enjoy our morning freshly ground lattes elsewhere, so again, though a minor quibble, I think they should switch to a standard machine to step it up just a notch. We would enthusiastically recommend this hotel to all. It's a real find.

I stayed at the Grand Hotel Ortigia in Siracusa and loved every single moment... the location was…read moreclose to all and the views were amazing. Our room had a window with a view of all the boats, and had some super luxurious amenities in the rooms! Slippers, bath products, sewing kits, shoe shine sponges, soft blankets, and an assortment of pillows. We walked the entire Island, the side streets, and watched beautiful sunsets. Loads of authentic food restaurants, and shopping artisan finds! Boat rides, and an hour from horseback riding! The vibe was a bit period which we LOVED. Can't wait to go back!!

I would give this hotel 6 stars if I could!! Phenomenal. The staff are warm, welcoming and the…read moreamenities are spectacular. The views alone for breakfast are just outstanding. Loved the breakfast- by far our favorite hotel in Sicily. I would go back and enjoy the richness of this hotel every day of the week!

There is not a star rating high enough to express how wonderful this hotel is!…read more We were fortunate to stay here for 3 nights on our honeymoon in October of 2022. The building and the setting are absolutely beautiful. We had a room with a balcony that offered incredible views of Mt Etna, the sea, and the amphitheater. The rooms are exceptionally appointed. Ours had a large walk-in closet, a sitting room area equipped with TV and mini bar (plus Nespresso machine), a beautiful bedroom and a very large bathroom. I think the biggest highlight of this room was the balcony, where we took our breakfast every morning. The staff at Timeo seem to be highly committed to creating an experience of excellence for guests. Every morning for breakfast, a butler or two would come to our room, set up a beautiful table on the patio for us and provide all the food we ordered (which, by the way, was included in our room rate and did NOT cost extra! It almost seemed too good to be true.) You want scrambled eggs for breakfast? Done. A plate of prosciutto? No problem. A basket of pastries and a big glass of lemon granita? Done and done. I don't think any breakfast will ever top the ones we had here. We originally had reserved a table at Otto Geleng, but decided upon arrival that we'd rather have a more relaxed (and admittedly, cheaper) meal at Timeo's other restaurant. I would love to experience Otto Geleng in the future, but we have no regrets about the choice we made at the time. The restaurant is beautifully situated on a patio overlooking the town, the volcano, and the sea. You could not have a more romantic setting! The food and service was exceptional. I recall having a lobster pasta that was prepared tableside for me, and some very excellent Sicilian wine. A few additional touches that really put this place over the top for me: slippers and robes included in the rooms; turndown service; the Acqua di Parma bath products; the comfortable lounge chairs on our patio; the beautiful gardens; the beautiful, historic architecture; did I mention the breakfast???

Review is for Ristorante Timeo. Views were great but we got there too late to see the sunset…read more Admittedly, I knew the food was going to be subpar relative to how expensive it is. We went for views, not food. However, since it was too dark to see shit, we focused on the food and... well... it was subpar for what we paid. So there's that.

We were in Taormina and wanted a restaurant close to our Hotel Bel Soggiorno. The Villa Carlotta…read morewas the perfect location. The hotel interior is very charming and tastefully decorated. We went to the rooftop restaurant. We were greeted by Luigi and given a wonderful table with a view of the Ionic and the full moon. We chose the fish croquettes as our appetizer. They were outstanding, and so delicious. I had the baby lamb chops as my entree, delicious. Our friend chose the pasta with Lamb Ragu which was outstanding. We then chose the desserts, all works of art and so delicious. The wait staff could not be accommodating, my wife wanted a French 75 which they made for her. I am recommending this as a must go restaurant in Taormina.

I did not stay here, only came for dinner on the rooftop, which was just amazing. The views are…read morespectacular. The food amazing, the drinks inventive, the service exceptional. Came here with a group and everyone really enjoyed their dishes. I had been in Taormina for a few days and was on the hunt for the best cannolo. We went here on our last night and at last, the best cannolo I had on my trip. Highly recommend dinner here.

Halls look like a hospital, Rooms nice size but walls need painting, floors need cleaning, towels…read moreold, bathroom counters completely worn and shower doors have mold. Breakfast good but you have to wait for champagne to be replenished Even after asking staff, we waited 15 minutes. Service charge for ice, wine glasses to room. Would not return.

This hotel is now Eurostars Monte Tauro. The hotel is outdated, but gorgeous!!! I knew it was…read moreoutdated when I read reviews but the views change everything. Pros: breakfast, views, tubs, balconies, pool, bathrooms on every level, bar and restaurant (just a bar in the winter with very limited menu), very pleasant staff, towel warmer The junior suite had a nice seating area, double wide balcony with table and layout chair, Some may consider these cons, but I did not: the walk out of the hotel, I will attach a video, is not for the weak, it is steep and a hike up and down! There is a van to take your luggage up and down, just ask! Outdated, but I love the 80/90's look. Your neighbors have a view into your balcony and possibly your room

Modern hotel with friendly staff. The beds, towels and toiletries were ok. There was good closet…read morespace. The room cleaner managed to get conditioner into the shower gel. There were design issues: not enough electrical outlets- almost none without unplugging a lamp. The electric kettle had a cord so short that it was hard to use. The bathroom had glass walls that were translucent from knees to head- not appealing and leaks light into the bed area, which can disturb a sleeper. The breakfast buffet was good.

Don't stay here if you don't have to. For 700 euros a night, it's a rip off. The rooms are as big…read moreas a closet, the beds are uncomfortable, and the cleaning staff is lazy and disappointing. Our maid service would forget to clean our room, not change dirty towels to clean ones, wouldn't clean the floors, or wouldn't change our cups/spoons for days unless harassed to do so. To prove a point, we left our dirty towels OUTSIDE the room in the hallway and the maid brought them BACK in the room from off the floor. Ridiculous! Furthermore, the staff was confused except for 2 employees. We had major issues at check-in where one employee said one thing and the next contradicted what the former said. Very unorganized, dirty hotel for a high price. Wouldn't stay again.

Day one at Isola Bella, we went to the free area and ended up getting a few scraps from the rocks…read more Day two, we decided to do the beach club. It was 10-12€ for each chair + umbrella rental for the full day. They also have towel rentals. WORTH IT. That's a full day of lounging, you have direct access to the bar/food/snacks/restrooms - very clean restrooms. They don't let you share, so if you have four people in your group, you must rent 4 chairs. No swapping out if people are coming and going, etc. Call ahead and make a reservation if you have a particular spot you want - right along the water, full shade, partial shade... Main gripe is the annoying vendors they permit to enter the beach club and bother non-stop. I couldn't fully relax with a rotation of massage people, jewelry vendors, sunglass vendors, etc wanting to sell me something.

This is a pleasant and adequate place. There are three beach clubs in the Isola Bella cove. This is…read morein the middle, with one nearest Isola Bella, and another further, to the left of the stairway down from SS 114, Via Nazionale. The entry to the water is on the stony beach. Here's some deets: - 7.5 EUR for admission and the chair - 3 EUR per towel rental - 3 EUR for 1.5 L acqua fizzante Total was 24 EUR TIP parking nearby in Isola Bella parcheggio was 6 EUR for 5 hours

My friends and I stopped by for aperitivo and had a really good time even though it was cloudy,…read moregloomy outside, the views were still fabulous. I saw pictures and when it's sunny, you can even see Mount Etna from here. I highly recommend this place for afternoon cocktail drink, and light snacks.

Place looks great! Went for dinner and oh no. Way to expensive for what your getting. Staff is…read moreawesome but the quality of the food is a real no go.