Hotel Ariston and Palazzo Santa Caterina

The location was beautiful. The communal facilities were fantastic. The bar and restaurant offered great value for money and we’re cheaper than local restaurants

The economy room was really small and cramped and had no outside space. The toilet flush kept falling off the wall and the air conditioning didn’t work properly and was loud and noisy

Our room had a 180 degree aspect out over the bay and was very nice indeed. Breakfast was decent with some excellent fresh orange juice every day. Once you find the hotel you realise that it's location is very good.

It's hard to find fault with the hotel really. It's not the easiest to find if you are driving there but that probably goes for most hotels in Taormina.

Location - access to the hotel from the back of the bus terminal ( but no noise from it). Virtually door to door from Catania airport Swimming Pool - good size ( but 2m40 deep so not good for young children), warm, plenty or recliners, parasols and towels. Snack bar by the pool View - sea view from balcony Food - plenty of choice

Plumbing ( from other rooms) was noisy The live music was outside most nights and went on until late, so you could hear it quite loudly from your room

Breakfast was included and very good. We also ate dinner there and it was also good.

Impossible to find even with Google maps. It is located behind the bus station and to get to it you have to cut through the parking area of the bus station. There should be a note about this somewhere.

The location is quite spectacular with brilliant views. Being right next to the bus station made access really easy, while it is also really close to the funivia (cable car) and a close walk to Taormina centre and other attractions. Breakfast had a decent selection, while quality was good. We stayed in the Palazzo Santa Caterina, and had a large room. Trees obscured what could have been a really good view of the sea, however views from common areas were excellent. The rooms in Hotel Ariston are located higher up, and appear to all have excellent views of the sea. The swimming pool was nice, and a good to have as the closest beaches weren't that great. However, the better beaches are accessible by bus.

While Taormina is really nice to stay in, we wanted to mostly spend our time on the beach, and the closest beaches were disappointing. Isola Bella is really overhyped as a beach to actually swim in. It's very picturesque to visit, but being a pebble beach with rocks in the water makes getting in and out difficult, and some sort of footwear a must. We took the bus to Giardini Naxos, which was a better beach to actually swim in, and had coarse sand.

The location was perfect: the bus terminal is immediately outside the hotel; the cable car down to Mazzarò Beach is only a 3-minute walk from the hotel; and the town centre is only a 10-15 minute walk. The breakfast buffet had every food you could imagine, including Sicilian sweets and a granita machine. The staff were all very welcoming and hospitable, especially the manager, Francesco - he went above and beyond to ensure we had everything we needed. The grounds were spectacular - the pool area was very relaxing, overlooking the ocean with the palm trees.

The menu at the bar could be expanded. We arrived late at night (around 11pm) and the only food available at the hotel were toasted sandwiches. Some $$$ needs to be put into maintenance as the rooms and grounds are looking a bit run-down and outdated.

Hotel is well positioned and within walking distance to town, cable car and sight seeing options. Main bus terminal is based at bottom of hill outside hotel which is useful for airport transfers etc. It was well kept and clean although rooms need updating. Pleasant bar area and pretty terrace to sit and relax. There is no shallow end to pool but floating devices were freely available to use courtesy of hotel. Plenty of sun beds although quite close together. Entertainment was provided each night and food and drink options were very good. All staff were exceptionally friendly, helpful and professional. A special mention to Daniele (from restaurant) and young guy (sorry didn’t catch name) on reception who went above and beyond in their duties.

Mainly the bathroom. Lighting was not the best and shower cubicle was small. However it was clean and main bedroom had plenty of hangers and comfortable bed although a little dated

Beautiful room overlooking the sea (breathtaking views) and beautiful and expansive pool area. The hotel could use a lot of modern updates throughout. Amazing breakfast with many, many options! The hotel staff were very professional and all lovely. They all seemed to be smiling and seemed to enjoy working in the service industry. The bus terminal to the airport is at the back of the hotel grounds. Shuttle with lido access and umbrella/chair offered by the hotel for 18euros.

A minimum of one night at the hotel’s restaurant (for 3+nights stay) should be included in this expensive hotel stay. If guests were encouraged and tempted by at least one dinner there which is included, they might frequent it. Do not try and walk up Mabel hill and especially not with your suitcase (you’ll regret it. Trust me Haha).

The hotel was amazing, it exceeded our expectations! The property as a whole was beautiful with stunning views.The room was clean, large with an amazing ocean view. The staff was very friendly, helpful and accommodating. We had to check out early before breakfast, so they organised a small breakfast for us. The hotel had a very nice restaurant serving also lunch and dinner which were very tasty. The only small negative while travelling with kids was that the pool was deep (2.4-2.7 m) but our kids were happy with floating devices. We easily walked to the main streets of Taormina as well as the cable car. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a dreamy place to stay and enjoy Taormina!

We asked for a Seaview room in the note as one wasn't available during the booking. The receptionist had that note prepared and brought it up herself. They let us choose between the common room we booked with no balcony and window and a higher level room in an adjacent villa. The price difference was still acceptable and the fact we got the balcony with sea view made our stay much nicer and convenient. The cleaning staff was very nice and did a good job every day. The hotel does offer a relatively large parking lot for the area which not too many hotels do which is a big win for Taormina.

We thought that the prices in the restaurant and hotel bars could have been lower for the hotel guests. 8-9€ for a very basic drink next to the pool is an overkill. The pool itself was spacious however could have been designed to have a less deep section (min. Depth is 2.4 meters which does not allow people who arent good swimmers to enter).