Sicilia's - Residence Hotel - Art & Spa

I think first things first about this hotel. This is a complex i think of around 3 or 4 buildings. The main building being on the picture which hosts reception and the dining area as well as i think a few rooms. There are other buildings but believe me when I say this. They are no more than 100/200m away from the main building. It is all very close together so when you read another review in here what they are saying is absolutely not true and in fact really unfair on the hotel. All locations are less than a minute walk to the pool. There are 2 pools. One near the main building and another lower down to the left hand side. Both are accessible and absolutely delightful to be around. They both get sun all day and the beds and service at the pool are great. Right now that's out of the way, I genuinely don't know if I can say anything other than how exceptional this hotel is. We stayed for 10 days and it was an absolute dream. The hotel itself is absolutely stunning. As soon as you walk through reception and out into the dining area you see the pool which is gorgeous. The hotel itself is really clean and smells amazing. The breakfast is lovely consisting of hot, cold and continental foods. The pistachio crema and wildflower honey and mini donuts were exceptionally good. The lunch menu is great, fresh salads, sandwiches and pastas. drinks menu is varied and the cocktails are great. The dining menu is superb, real fine dining experience. Lovely food and atmosphere. Our room was just by the pool in the main building and it was cleaned every day and was extremely comfortable. The wifi is super fast. What sets this hotel apart was the staff, they absolutely could not do enough for us. My partner is pregnant in her first trimester and was suffering with intense morning sickness. One night she just wanted some plain pasta with sauce as this is all she could manage. Not a problem. We had an issue with a curtain, they came and sorted it within the hour. I just cannot fault them in any way. Really really enjoyed our stay here and the staff just made it so much better so thank you. One last thing if you are staying here, get up early and go up to the roof top terrace to watch the sunrise. Glorious. Now, people have said that the hotel is out of the way and it is a little, but it really depends what you want from a holiday. If all you want to do is relax, read books, eat nice food and wind down then this hotel is perfect it has everything you need. But if you want to explore and see more of Sicily then i would recommend hiring a car. But watch out, Italian drivers are crazy. Overall this hotel was exceptional and I genuinely wouldn't let one or 2 bad reviews put you off because they have significantly over-exaggerated. Some suggestions for the hotel: The rooftop terrace is significantly underused. I would get a small bar there as the view is amazing especially in the evening. And in the morning, i would offer activities out. Maybe some sunrise yoga or meditation. Thanks for looking after us, we really enjoyed it.

Very disappointing hotel, certainly not for the seasoned traveller, and completely misrepresented on the website. Alarm bells should have rung when we were asked to pay in full in advance (non refundable). The hotel looks beautiful on the website, with a lovely pool, grounds and gardens, and we were looking forward to spending the last leg of our holiday at Sicilia’s villa, relaxing in the grounds and garden. Instead we were taken to a hideous block of flats that does not feature on the website, and the promised views of the sea, countryside and especially of Etna, magically transformed into a horrible residential area, streets and car park. We refused the room immediately, reception promised us another room, but it was not available for another day, and having toured the grounds and finding one average sized pool, and a another smaller one with deck chairs and no space for sun loungers, serving at least 3 buildings, we refused to check in. Staff were not sympathetic, just saying you have already paid and we will not refund you. I got the impression it was a sketch that they have practised many times before. I was not prepared to spoil the last leg of my holiday and stay, so we were then under pressure to find alternative accommodation at the last minute. Please check the photos for the visuals that are not advertised on their website and do CHECK GOOGLE EARTH for the location and the residential area before you book. The website is done beautifully but is completely misrepresentative. I had booked a superior double room with a view of Etna and was expecting to be in the grounds and garden of a lovely villa, not stuck in an apartment block. The staff refuse to communicate or refund my money on the basis of misrepresentation, I feel like I have been conned. Full marks for managing to make Etna disappear though. Penn and Teller would be very impressed.

Quality hotel, well maintained, lovely rooms and two swimming pools. Food and drinks great (extensive wine menu and good cocktails), varied and plentiful breakfast, we had dinner twice, delicious. Staff were helpful and professional, especially when extending our stay due to airport closure and flight cancellations. Would recommend a car, quite a walk down a long, busy and fairly steep hill to the seafront at Aci Trezza, with its square, church and many restaurants. Although do recommend roadside pizzeria (Gamase) five minutes up the hill. Views from roof top terrace wonderful, Etna to one side and the sea to the other.