Villa Mater Hotel

Not bad for a night but wouldn't stay long term. Shower was 3 feet squared, but the room was a decent size for my wife and I.

Very much enjoyed my stay. A bit out of town but that's why I selected it so I could get onsite parking. Buses outside take you downtown, however as it was a sunday I drove myself down and parked. Buffet breakfast was great - pastries very good. Staff very helpful. No restaurant on site and not much around - however a local restaurant does a free shuttle service and their food was very good and reasonably priced.

I chose this hotel to be close to the Catania airport. It was hard to locate and not easily accessible . It took 1/2 hour at 5:30 am - not what I expected. The staff was very helpful and accommodating. They actually arranged for us to have coffee and croissants at 5 am!

The room was dormitory style, actually more like a hostel. Since we only stayed there one night it was acceptable for the price but if you are looking for a typical hotel suggest you look elsewhere. The room was warm and when we opened the windows for air it was quite noisy, so al-in-all not a good night's sleep. Breakfast was included though and was satisfactory.

This location is ideal for those moving car on a tour of nearby attractions. Basically, it is a 3-star hotel and a good offer of the price.

The hotel staff told me that, to get from Piazza Giovanni XX111 to their hotel. I need to take the #628 (red) or 936 bus to Via Vittorio Emanuele Da Bormida then walk, or I could pay 15 euro for a taxi. I purchased a bus ticket and was told only the 936 bus would bring me to Via V.E. da Bormida & I would need to change buses. When I changed buses, the driver did not know where to drop me off and brought me back to the train station. I paid 20 euro for a taxi. The next day, I purchased a souvenir from the hotel for my friend, but the front desk receptionist refused to swipe my credit card despite the sign on their front door saying they accept the credit cards. He insisted I pay cash. The bed was not comfortable, the remote control for the television did not work, I was not able to access the internet from my room, and the room was dirty. They claim to have a multilingual staff, but desk clerk on duty when I arrived told me my room was on the second, it was on the sixth, the morning clerk did not speak English. I would not feel comfortable in walking alone at night in this neighborhood alone.

First it is important to note that this hotel is VERY difficult to locate, off a side street and down an alley. If you are coming from the airport and have not rented a car, I suggest a cab — they'll get you there! If you are renting a car, the free parking cannot be beat — you'll suffer none of the downtown noise or parking problems — but do your homework to find out how to get to the hotel. Call ahead and get very specific directions. The view of Etna is spectacular! The hotel has an arrangement with a nearby restaurant and they will pick you up and drop you off for dinner and the food was good — that's a great way to start your first night if you arrive late. Angelo speaks English very well and can make any suggestion you may need. Walking to the downtown area isn't recommended — it's a hike, but it's a very quick cab ride and you never seem to wait more than 1-3 minutes for a cab to come pick you up. The walls are thin and the pipes will regale you with some interesting tuba sounds... the bathrooms are tight with very small shower stalls — but this is a fantastic price and for it the rooms can't be beat. The breakfast is functional... cereals and some meats and cheese, coffee, juice, etc. If you have a group, the hotel has meeting rooms and a full chapel, too. I'd visit again and recommend it.

Few of the hotel staff speak english. Most of them not very friendly.

A little hard to find, but what a great little place! Really helpful staff. Try the restaurant they recommend - the waiter picks you up in his old car and brings you home too. Breakfast was great too, all in relation to price, which was real bargain-basement. Excellent.

The hotel was very basic but great value for money- brilliant for a budget holiday. Great view of Mount Etna from the window. Not much to do around the hotel so you'll need to go into to Catania although it's only 15 mins on the bus and the buses are fairly regular. The staff only spoke a little English but tried to be as helpful as possible. If you're looking for a beach however don't stay here as the nearest one is some distance away including a bus and a walk (although if you've got your car then it shouldn't be a problem). Here's some tips if you want to visit: To get to the hotel from central Catania you need to get either the 536 or the 936 (they follow the same route) from Corsa Sicilia or Piazza Steisicoro to Pietra dell'Ora, we didn't know this and got sent on several random buses. To get back to the centre get the bus from the stop right outside the hotel. Buy some bus tickets from the airport or stazione central so you don't need to worry if you have them. Book your trip to Etna through the hotel, it was amazing and highly convenient. Ask the hotel about their link to the local restaurant- someone took us to the restaurant and dropped us off. Finally, if you are taking the bus back to the airport then it takes a lot longer on the way back (about 50 mins as opposed to about 15 on the way there)