Reviews
“Wonderful place”
This was a wonderful place to finish our ‘Treasures of Sicily’ tour with Esplora. We had stayed in three other locations in Sicily and had loved them all but I would say that this was probably the best. Our room had a brilliant shower – it was a double shower – one overhead and the other a normal wall mounted one with brilliant powerful supply. The room itself was well appointed – plenty of sockets (always my bugbear). the view of Etna from the window was wonderful. we were woken up each morning by the birds in the trees outside our room.
The grounds of the hotel are beautiful with bougainvillea all around. The breakfast room has a panoramic view of the sea and the breakfast itself was plentiful with lots of choice.
We were walking distance from Taormina and what a lovely place it is. We went in April which is slightly before the main season – I think it would be a different place during peak season as parking was already becoming a problem (not for us though as we were collected by minibus) but it was quite amusing watching the juggling of cars when somebody wanted to get out. It’s the same over the whole of Taormina though!
We did a jeep safari up to Etna with a guide called Christie who was very good and to be recommended!
As it was the last two days of our holiday we checked out at 11 but weren’t flying back until later in the evening so we had a last long leisurely lunch by the pool with the other seven members of our group. Perfect end to a perfect holiday. Review on Tripadvisor, 1st may 2013
“A perfect small hotel in Taormina”
We arrived late evening and were warmly welcomed by the reception staff. The hotel oozes charm & immediately felt like a haven of comfort and efficiency.Our room was extremely comfortable with a spotless bathroom and good sized terrace with sea view and good view of Mt Etna. The public areas were carefully and tastefully furnished to a high standard and in a style appropriate to the age and elegance of the villa. The hotel gardens and terraces were overflowing with flowers and infused with the heavenly scent of orange blossom.
Breakfast offered everything one could want in a lovely setting. The location is near perfect, quiet, and only a short walk along the narrow streets towards the town centre,passing a variety of restaurants on the way. Also near to the bus stop for going down to the beaches. I would not hesitate to reccommend this hotel to anyone and will certainly stay ther myself if I return to Taormina. Review on Tripadvisor, april 25th, 2013
“Gorgeous garden, views and wonderful staff”We enjoyed our stay at the Villa Belvedere immensely. I’d contacted the hotel prior to our stay to notify them that the reason for our stay was for my husband’s birthday. They had a BEAUTIFUL and delicious cake and bottle of Prosecco waiting for us upon our arrival. I’d simply asked for a note that said “Buon Compleanno”. The staff couldn’t have been more charming and helpful and this hotel was well situated to easily get to all that Taormina has to offer. We found Taormina to be a very romantic town. Loved it and would happily return there! The breakfast buffet is wonderful as well; accommodating all tastes. Review on tripadvisor, april 25th, 2013
“Perfection”We would highly recommend the Belvedere Hotel – far better than a normal 3 star. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful and attentive and the views from the hotel and gardens across to Etna and the coastline are fantastic with very comfortable and clean rooms. Breakfasts were excellent too. The lemon trees and sweet perfume of jasmine leading down to the pool in the steep Italian garden were delightful. An absolute treat! Tripadvisor, april 16th, 2013
“A dilightful experience”We returned to this beautiful hotel a third time because we were charmed by its quiet elegance and friendly ambience.
Its lovely garden is filled with the perfume of the Mediterranean and its pool is set overlooking the Ionian Sea where lunch is served daily.
The breakfast is delicious and exceeds the standard of most hotels where we have stayed previously in Taormina. It is close to Corso Umberto and to many excellent restaurants which the staff are only too happy to recommend.
Our accommodation was spacious and comfortable and the staff were helpful and friendly.We returned to this beautiful hotel a third time because we were charmed by its quiet elegance and friendly ambience. Its lovely garden is filled with the perfume of the Mediterranean and its pool is set overlooking the Ionian Sea where lunch is served daily. The breakfast is delicious and exceeds the standard of most hotels where we have stayed previously in Taormina. It is close to Corso Umberto and to many excellent restaurants which the staff are only too happy to recommend. Our accommodation was spacious and comfortable and the staff were helpful and friendly.We returned to this beautiful hotel a third time because we were charmed by its quiet elegance and friendly ambience. Its lovely garden is filled with the perfume of the Mediterranean and its pool is set overlooking the Ionian Sea where lunch is served daily. The breakfast is delicious and exceeds the standard of most hotels where we have stayed previously in Taormina. It is close to Corso Umberto and to many excellent restaurants which the staff are only too happy to recommend.Our accommodation was spacious and comfortable and the staff were helpful and friendly. Review on Tripadvisor, april 4th, 2013
“Hidden gem”I am a travel agent and have just returned from the Villa Belvedere – I cannot fault the Hotel, the location is amazing we had a sea view room with terrace which offered stunning views of Mount Etna and the sea, the rooms are very clean and comfortable. The service is excellent the reception / front office staff cannot do enough for you to ensure your have a wonderful stay in Taormina. Lunch is offered by the swimming pool each day offering a limited menu but supplemented by a wonderful buffet with Sicilian food specialities. I would recommend this Hotel without hesitation it is ideal for couples, friends and solo’s. This is a first class hotel fantastic central location. Review on Tripadvisor, october 16th, 2012
“Unbeatable”
My husband and I stayed here for our honeymoon and if you are looking to stay in Taormina look no further! The location is superb and has a beautiful botanical garden nearby that you can walk through during the day and early evening. The town is only 5 minutes walk away from the hotel. All the staff are extremely helpful and friendly. The rooms are great and cleaned daily.
We booked our stay direct through the hotel and this is the only way you can get one of the top floor rooms with a balcony which we would highly recommend. It was definitely the perfect hotel and location for our honeymoon.
Mr and Mrs Dennis Review on Tripadvisor, august 30th ,2012
“One of the very best hotel in Italy”
We stayed at Villa Belvedere over 4 days in mid July.
The hotels must rank as one of the best hotels in Italy.
From the location, overlooking the straights of Messina and the terraced gardens below the hotel; to the rooms and furnishings; to the courteous and attentive staff – the hotel was excellent. We did not have a car (although I note arrangements can be made for parking) and the hotel is very conveniently located next door to the “Villa Comunale” – the town gardens, and is behind the Greco-Roman theatre. The hotel is also ideally placed to access the “corso” the heart of the town. All the staff, from reception to housekeeping, were fantastic and extremely helpful. The hotel is a credit to them. Finally, one of the highlights at lunchtime is to sample the antipasto plate on offer by the pool. The food is great and sitting on the pool terrace blessed with such a great view is a treat. Review on Tripadvisor, july 19th, 2012
“Short stays but very sweet ones.”It is always a great pleasure to return to stay at Taormina’s Villa Belvedere. Right from the first time I went there, many years ago now, the welcoming air of the reception area felt familiar, somewhere I knew I could relax and enjoy my days in Taormina.
Each time I regretfully leave, it is with the intention of writing to Trip Advisor about this delightful hotel and also mentioning the loving improvements which have been gradually carried out in wintertime over the years by the proprietors, without ever losing sight of the typically Sicilian, family villa atmosphere there.
Finally I have found time to get down to doing just that.
The staff are so discreetly friendly and are always helpful and informative when necessary. Views are of course absolutely glorious and all rooms, even those without a sea view which I have occasionally occupied, are spotlessly clean, very comfortably furnished and just as pleasant as those with a glorious view over the sea.
The beautifully kept gardens could well be included in an “Italian Gardens” guide and nestling among them is the pretty swimming pool, with a tall palm tree on a tiny island in the centre.
I find the various elegantly furnished, comfortable lounges and reading rooms a real pleasure to use and there are always plenty of books to choose from, should I by chance finish my own.
The gracious, panoramic, breakfast room offers a delicious range of options for a very good buffet breakfast which also includes an ample choice of several types of fresh fruit, fresh fruit salad and other appetising food. Full marks to the fairly new, open-air restaurant idea, serving different, tasty, local specialities for lazy lunches every day, and with a superb but affordable wine list. As far as I am concerned, Villa Belvedere is the best place in Taormina to spend a truly enjoyable holiday in very beautiful surroundings indeed.
My only, very tiny criticism is the still-modest €3,00 charge for wi-fi, albeit unlimited, which I like to think will soon carry no charge at all. Review on Tripadvisor, 3 June 2012
“our favorite hotel in Italy”The Hotel Belvedere is a hotel never to be forgotten, and for my husband and I, a romantic and memorable part of our honeymoon. The view from our room was stunning, and our room itself, comfortable, cozy, and clean. I liked that the hotel has many sitting rooms, lounge areas, and ‘nooks’- each with their own character- so that the hotel feels less like a hotel and more like someone’s spacious summer house-to-be-explored. Breakfast was AMAZING. Above all else, the staff is friendly, helpful, and good-humored. You must stay here. Review on Tripadvisor, april 8th, 2012
“Stunning, Charming, and Not To Be Missed”My adult son and I spent 4 nights at the charming, beautiful Villa Belvedere in late March. Our stay was perfect, and I mean this, in every way. The hotel management was infinitely helpful even before we arrived. My phone calls from New York were given time and yielded excellent advice from Maria and Antonella. Upon arrival, we were greeted with the same thoughtful consideration. The welcome drink at the little bar was most appreciated on our first night. The interior of this hotel is elegant and tastefully decorated. Our recently refurbished room (57) on the top floor and overlooking the deep blue sea below and Mt Etna beyond was gorgeous with a beautiful, brand new, all-whitebathroom. Taormina in March is enchanting because there are no crowds, the vegetation is exploding, and the temperature is ideal, although it was not warm enough to swim in the inviting pool. We marveled at how convenient and bracing it was to walk everywhere. Breakfast was copious and varied. Love that cafe latte! One last mention -the terraced garden is a treat for the eye. The garden was one of the reasons I chose Villa Belvedere. I enjoyed walking up and down it as I admired the lush vegetation (lemons the size of oranges in the trees!) and took note of a few ideas for my home garden. I recommend this hotel most highly! Review on Tripadvisor, april 3th 2012
“Exceptional place, exceptional people”
We have just returned from a week in at the Villa Belvedere. As enticing as the website is, Villa Belvedere is one of only two places, in which I have stayed, where the hotel, itself, outdoes its advertising. It’s all there and more.
Villa Belvedere is delightfully furnished and appointed, cheerful, colorful and impeccably maintained as to both the common areas and rooms.The gardens are something to behold and provide an aura of tranquility. In the morning, when one ambles down to the sunlit breakfast room, you’re greeted by an array of pastries, cheeses, meats, fruits, breads, rolls and a greater variety of juices than you will find in any one place at any one time. The food was excellent.
The location was perfect. Leave the Villa, go left, walk 5 or so minutes to Joli Bar, go right, up a short winding, narrow, little “road” and your in Taormina central. Go right when you leave the Villa and a 10 minute walk will take you to the bus station which we used to take a day trip to Naxos and Castelmole on another day. After one thirsty excursion we found ourselves back at the Villa bar where one of the gentlemen, on duty, took the initiative in preparing tall drinks consisiting of Campari, soda and freshly squeezed oranga juice. OUTSTANDING! Where else could you get something like that without even asking?
But, enough said about the physical amenities, which have to be experienced to be appreciated. The real heart and soul of such a place, that which makes you want to return, are the people. We can’t say enough good things about them. They are highly competent, professional and efficient, yet genuinely warm and personable.You truly feel like a guest and not like a customer. Importantly, when a service is provided, such as a restaurant recommendation or reservation it is done with integrity and with concern for the interest of the guest. That’s a hard commodity to come by, these days.
So, if you’re thinking about a trip to Sicily, stop thinking about it and book into the Villa Belvedere and request a sea view room with a full balcony as was our preference. When you arrive, do what we did. Go up to the room and forget about the luggage for a bit. Step out onto the terrace and look down at the sun reflecting brightly from the city of Naxos and the calm waters of its bay. Now, look to the right and behold the majesty of Etna. Let the images wash over you. You have now truly arrived in Sicily.
Okay, time to back inside and unpack and let the Villa Belvedere and its people help build you a memory.
Review on Tripadvisor, 16 October 2011
“4′th year in a row and longing for next summer…”
Villa Belvedere is a lovely hotel that provides everything that our family appreciate :
-A warm and welcoming atmosphere created by all the friendly persons that work there
-A great, more than 100 years old, hotel that is continuously is updated (changes happen every winter when the hotel is closed) by the caring owner- family.
-A fantastic garden with lots of lemon-trees and flowers and a very nice pool-area with an unobstructed view over the sea.
-A generous breakfast and a calm environment to enjoy it.
–Guests on the hotel come from all over the world which result in an open atmosphere compared to, what I’m sure that many experienced, places where big groups of the same nationality sort of “take over”. Other things that we appreciate :
-The situation of the hotel means that you are able to go up to Town (10 minutes) by passing through the Public Park with its stunning view and floral splendor.
-The Sicilian cuisine! There are numerous restaurants with food that I’m sure will satisfy most. I’ll mention our favourite, Al Giardino, also situated on Bagnoli Croci so its very close to Villa Belvedere – Simple but great food at a very reasonable price – Here you always feel welcome, to us even like home. Another restaurant that was new to us this year was Vicolo Stretto with some of the best dinners we ever ate – but more expensive of course.
Several other guests that we met over the years and that were on a roundtrips of Italy or Sicily often told us that Taormina and Villa Belvedere was the peak of the journey.
With that in mind – why should we go somewhere else next summer? Review on Tripadvisor, 20 August 2011
