Hotel Villa Angela

We stayed here for a couple of nights. We were expecting great things from the reviews, but as a customer we found it a bit flat with a strange sad atmosphere and overall rather disappointing. Sure, it's a small boutique hotel, with nice views (when the clouds clear) of Mt Etna, but it has a range of customers that don't quite work together in such a small building. Most visitors during our stay were like us (young retired), but there were a couple of families staying as it was the UK school break. One family was quiet with very well behaved kids, but the other family rather took over the pool area and let their kids run around being very noisy. The same kids also emptyed the breakfast of fresh fruit and then left it uneaten on their table. This was never refilled. In a larger hotel these points would not have been an issue but here in such a small building (with very poor sound proofing between floors) it began to grate and was not relaxing or peaceful. Downsides. Well, the hotel is located well up a steep hill and you really need a car to get around. There is a hotel hopper minibus to get you to and from the edge of Taormina as its a real hike walking up and down the hill on foot. The hotel strangely does not have a restaurant that opens in the evening, so you need to eat out. Options close by are very limited, so you need to travel down into the town. Having visited friends staying at the 5* Belmond, I now know where I would prefer to stay when we return next year.

The high quality of the views, the rooms, the food, the staff, the shuttle bus service all contributed to a wonderful holiday, and Etna even obliged with three sources of eruption and its first dusting of snow during our stay. All the original artwork and little touches like that just set this hotel apart from others.