Hotel Etna

Beautiful setting and the hotel courtyard and buildings are full of character but if you're expecting to relax by the pool don't go in European school holidays, most days it was overrun with undisciplined children and ignorant parents. A good base to tour from, and you DEFINITELY need a car as there are only a couple of restaurants and bars close by otherwise you will have to eat in the adjacent restaurant every night where there is a fixed menu, but the food and service is excellent. (Pool side snacks at the hotel are only available from midday.) We paid for an upgraded room which only means that it has views of Mt Etna. The room itself was clean and simply decorated, but dark and gloomy as the only natural light came from a window at the end of a narrow corridor which housed the room's wardrobe. The owners and staff were friendly and helpful which was just as well as the safe had been removed from our room and we had to keep our money and valuables at reception, which was, we felt as much an inconvenience to them as it was to us! There are guide books that you can borrow and return in reception about the island and access to a laptop computer. There are various Wi Fi codes for the property and the signal tends to drop out as you move around the hotel grounds. A word of warning about driving in Sicily, they are absolutely crazy. The driving is very aggressive! You need strong nerves on the main roads or built up areas, but once you get out to Etna and the villages it's ok

The hotel is in Giarre in Catania. The facilities are good and value for money. The reception staff were efficient and very helpful, although we found one particular receptionist rather abrasive and impatient with customers. The restaurant provides good authentic Italian cuisine; however, the menu is fixed and there is very little variation. A car is essential to get around since the hotel itself is quite isolated. That said, the facilities were good and we had a lovely, quiet family holiday. We were without hot water for a few hours on day 3 of our stay but this was quickly rectified.