Masseria Fortificata Lo Zafferaneto

Beautiful setting, very quiet. We were made so welcome . The food was outstanding both the evening meal and a perfect breakfast on the terrace.

The peace and tranquility of this hotel was very calming. The bed was very comfortable and we slept so well on our stay. Irene was always contactable and happy to manage a small issue with the shower. The pool is set in the garden with sunbeds surrrounding, again peaceful, and it is cleaned regularly. Evening lighting changes the colours in the pool which was a nice touch. The restaurant is both outdoor and indoor. The balcony is light and pretty, airy and perfect for breakfasts to take in the surrounding vista. Breakfasts are varied, plentiful incredibly tasty and served by such pleasant local staff ( the saffron infused honey and jams are amazing). The restaurant menu is wide ranging and the food is outstanding, all prepared and cooked by Alessandro, the proprietor. It is patronised by local residents a long side guests which is always a good sign. Being an hour from the coast, fish is not on the menu as an option (as ingredients are fresh and locally sourced) but can be ordered for the next day if requested. It is rural and therefore beautiful but you will need a car (or bike) to explore the island, Syracuse, Noto both 50mins-1hr and other interesting places about 30mins. Thank you so much Irene and Alessandro and we wish you continued success with your beautiful hotel.

Take some mossie spray.

We loved the laid-back atmosphere, the restaurant and the wild boar!! We would love to go back!

We had a wonderful stay at Masseria Fortificata Lo Zafferaneto and would certainly go back again. If pressed, I would say that the pool and the pool area could have been tidier / cleaner (it would benefit from a bit of gardening / lawn mowing if nothing else). Furthermore, the air conditioning struggled in our family room and was not at all effective which made it hard to sleep. Given the remote location (which was a huge bonus for us), it was a shame that the restaurant was not open at lunchtime but we understand the commercial decision behind this. Apart from the a/c, none of these other things really affective the enjoyment of our stay and we had a wonderful time.

We loved the quiet location, which was surrounded by mountains; most of the staff were great, especially the owner (Irene, apologies if the spelling is wrong). Room cleaning was good and the size of the room was great.

We had to remind the breakfast staff every morning that one of us was a vegetarian and one day, we were told to remove the ham from the sandwich ourselves (not good, since the ham had already come in contact with the veg and cheese). The air con in our room seemed to struggle. I am unsure why, but the room never got as cool as we would have liked. Maybe it is because of the very high ceiling or it just a bad/not powerful air conditioning unit.

The breakfast was varied and of a high quality, to cater for all diets and tastes. This included freshly made pastry and their speciality bread. The service was particularly good and friendly with experienced staff. The host, Alessandro is a talented chef, with locals coming from miles around to have dinner here. On the Friday night this included live music and much of the produce is grown onsite or sourced locally. The saffron theme ( Il Zafferaneto ) is in the bread, the cocktails and many dishes. His partner, Irene, is a great front-of-house hostess. You feel you are on an oasis . Very relaxing and fun and made to feel welcome by all. This also made the other guests relaxed and on good form. Grazie !

Directions could have been a little clearer, when we were nearby, but that made finding it all the more fun. Outside of that it was all good .

Highly recommended for a family trip with kids, we also took our dog and everyone from the staff was very nice and kind. The breakfast here is the best and most plentiful, real genuine sicilian produce. The place itself is really relaxing and the rooms comfortable.

We preferred if the dinner would be served earlier like at 7pm, because the restaurant opens around 8pm and for us is late, especially when we have a child to feed.