Hotel Villa Sonia

fantastic place as I love the mountains and had a room with a view on Mt. Etna. A bit away from Taorimina center, which is for me a plus, because it was less crowded. There is a bus to Taormina and also a lovely path through the Taorimina castle (around 1-1,5 hr) walk to the center. I am planning to go back.

Das Zimmer mit Blick auf den Ätna war sensationell. Reichhaltiges Frühstück mit Kaffee von der Kolbenmaschine.

Nice and tidy.

Small shower cabin with smell of mould.

The views and location - excellent. Some of the best views I have ever experienced at a hotel, anywhere in the world. The staff were also simply brilliant. They even made us up a breakfast box to take away when we had to leave very early for a trip to Etna.

As the other reviews mention, the decor is a bit dated. In the communal areas, we found this charming. However, in the rooms the decor was out-moded and not befitting of what is expected for modern hotels. The showers are tiny and the beds not very comfy, particularly with 2 singles pushed together. There is not much space in the bedroom either and the light bulbs are very white and stark.

The view from this place is outstanding the staff are lovely , food is great and the location, although a little out of the way, makes it quiet and relaxing. The hotel itself is a step back in time to the early 1980’s and there is something really changing about that, it’s reflected in the decor, the staff uniform and the music playlists , but we found it charming. We travelled with our 17 year old and 21 year old kids and they were fine. We were in need a relaxation a rest but there were plenty of options of activities, from climbing Mt. Etna to boat trips and Taormina tours if you wanted to explore. The breakfasts were great- lots of choice They even brought a jug of hot chocolate for my son every morning. There is a pizza oven on site and were several of options for Gluten Free, the GF pizza was amazing and they were very knowledgeable about GF. The menu was small but something for everyone- we are there twice. My only comment was that there could have been more choice of GF desert. The pool is lovely but cold water - and I mean cold , we found out that most pools in the area are not heated.

There wasn’t anything we didn’t like. There is only one plug socket in the bathroom - so pack and extension lead. The USB chargers by the bed were a bit hit and miss too. Because it’s a bit out of the way there is shuttle bus - this was out of service, while we were there, and it’s only runs three times a day. It would be perfect if this was more frequent or you could call ahead. It cost 25 euro to get to the bus station ( main town) and 35 to the train station which is quite a lot. Local buses are hourly , really cheap but the ones we took ( bus stop right outside the hotel) was 25 mins late . It’s 2 euros into town but they stop about 7 pm and there are no buses back from Taormina at 3pm. The walk back is a work out. We quite liked it, but is - good 25 minutes up a steep hill . Beautiful views and it’s just a footpath so takes the back streets with amazing views.

Grande chambre avec une très belle vue sur l'Etna. Bonne literie. Dîner pris au restaurant très bon avec un personnel serviable. Présence d'un parking appréciable. Amabilité du personnel.

Climatisation de la chambre non fonctionnelle ou problème pour la régler mais aucune explication laissée sur place. Petit déjeuner standard (à part le cappuccino qui était bon), déception par rapport au diner pris la veille. Cabine de douche de la salle de bain vraiment petite !!