Voi Arenella Resort

“Nice resort but room for improvement”

The resort is set in well maintained grounds and there is a shuttle bus to the local picturesque bay. Our apartment was perfect for us and had everything apart from milk for our morning cuppa! Staff are friendly and helpful. If you want a relaxing holiday, it is perfect, but it is quite remote an… more

The resort is set in well maintained grounds and there is a shuttle bus to the local picturesque bay. Our apartment was perfect for us and had everything apart from milk for our morning cuppa! Staff are friendly and helpful. If you want a relaxing holiday, it is perfect, but it is quite remote and is not suitable for independent sight seeing, unless you have a car. You can book day trips from the hotel, but they are quite expensive. The hotel provides a bus service to Siracusa for a €5 return trip, but the latest you can return is 6pm. And evening entertainment at the resort is very poor and mainly geared towards children! We were on a fully inclusive package, but there are only two bar areas that cater for all inclusive, and all drinks are served in plastic cups including cocktails! Which makes you feel like you are in a student bar rather than a 4 star resort. Positives are that the resort has three lovely pool areas, the food is excellent and the staff are friendly and helpful. But the evening entertainment really does let it down and as you cannot get into town, there are no other options. There are lots of lovely things about the resort, but it could do better.

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“Good resort with notable flaws”

Travel & Arrival My fiancé and I (both around 30, no kids) stayed at this resort for eight nights in July 2025, booking a premium double room with an all-inclusive package. Getting there from Catania was straightforward. The most convenient option is the Interbus from Catania Airport to Syracuse t… more

Travel & Arrival My fiancé and I (both around 30, no kids) stayed at this resort for eight nights in July 2025, booking a premium double room with an all-inclusive package. Getting there from Catania was straightforward. The most convenient option is the Interbus from Catania Airport to Syracuse train station (~€6 per person, ~1 hour). Alternatively, you can take a bus to Catania train station and then a direct train to Syracuse, though this is more expensive and time-consuming. From Syracuse station, we took an Uber to the resort (€20, <20 min). For our return trip, we used the hotel shuttle (€5 per person, twice daily). Check-In & First Impressions The reception staff were welcoming, professional, and fluent in English. They provided a detailed resort map and information leaflet. After settling in, I was called back to pay the €112 "club tax" (€7 per person/night for premium rooms), which they had forgotten initially. The staff remained courteous, and this was only a minor oversight. The Premium Room Our room was conveniently located near reception in an adjacent building (no need to go outside). The bedroom and bathroom were spacious, modern, and clean, featuring a waterfall shower. Unfortunately, the shower head was clogged upon arrival, and it took two complaints to get it fixed. The terrace was private, spacious, and had comfortable seating. Unfortunately, the promised "haven of peace and quiet" (as advertised on their website) fell short. While soundproofing between rooms was acceptable, noise from the hallway, especially slamming doors, was excessive. Though somewhat expected with many families staying, even adult guests were disruptive, making relaxation inside the rooms difficult. Housekeeping was excellent: friendly, accommodating, and respectful of our privacy. The first restock of the minibar was included with our premium room, offering soft drinks, juice, and beer. Dining Experience The resort has two restaurants, one exclusively for premium/superior guests. The premium restaurant had a modern design, effective AC, and a pleasant outdoor patio, though it was often noisy due to families with children. Breakfast: Buffet-style with decent variety, but identical daily. The coffee (made to order) was mediocre. A major issue was the flies, as uncovered food near open doors attracted lots of them, particularly around the cheese and ham. Lunch: Buffet with rotating pasta and meat dishes, plus consistent antipasti/salads. Staff would slice freshly grilled, seared, roasted, or cooked meats and fish on request. Dinner: A mix of buffet (antipasti/desserts) and à la carte (pasta/risotto/fish/meat, with vegetarian and vegan options). Quality was inconsistent. Some dishes were good, others bland, salty, or undercooked (in the case of pasta and risotto; the meat and fish were always safe to consume). Service was chaotic at times, with long waits (up to an hour) and confusion between courses. It felt like their system for taking and delivering orders was not well-organized. The pizzeria (separate from the restaurant but included in all-inclusive) served excellent pizza, but we were mistakenly charged due to a language barrier. Reception resolved it, though reimbursement took a week and required extra effort on my part (I had to email them proof of payment even after providing the receipt). Pools Main Pools: Two lively pools near a bar, always with available sunbeds but noisy due to kids and music. Lifeguards were unnecessarily strict (e.g., scolding us for moving a parasol slightly). Wellness Pool: Quiet and nearly empty, but it inconveniently lacked a nearby bar, so getting water required a long walk. None of the pools offered drink service, which was disappointing. Beaches Sandy Beach: Private area for resort guests, but still crowded and loud due to an adjacent public beach. Rocky Beach: A serene wooden deck with direct sea access. Crystal-clear water, deep enough for swimming immediately. Solarium: A peaceful area with soft sunbeds, ocean views, and a bar. Perfect for quiet relaxation. All-Inclusive Drinks The unlimited beer, wine, and soft drinks at meals were great. However, the included bar cocktails were disappointing: cheap, hastily mixed, and flavorless. The resort should either improve the quality or remove them from the package. Entertainment There were lots of entertainment options, especially for children. One of the two main pools regularly played music, and animators hosted programs for kids. The animation staff was always pleasant and thankfully never intrusive. The resort also offers sports areas (soccer, tennis, and more) and evening live music on the terrace. For families, the entertainment is a definite plus. Final Verdict This resort has clear strengths: friendly staff, a stunning rocky beach, and generally comfortable rooms. But several issues hold it back. The premium room’s noise problems and inconsistent dining were the biggest letdowns. While families will likely enjoy the lively atmosphere, couples without children may find it lacking in tranquility. Would we return? Maybe if we are traveling with kids, or if the resort addresses the noise and restaurant issues. For the price, we expected better, especially in Italy, where both hospitality and cuisine are usually exceptional.

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“Could be so good.”

This hotel has so much potential but there are several odd practices that need to be changed. The layout is very confusing. Food lukewarm at best, although pretty good products. Lovely grounds and beach area. AI drinks too small, shops mostly closed. Staff generally friendly but pool stall officiou… more

This hotel has so much potential but there are several odd practices that need to be changed. The layout is very confusing. Food lukewarm at best, although pretty good products. Lovely grounds and beach area. AI drinks too small, shops mostly closed. Staff generally friendly but pool stall officious.

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“Very underwhelming”

Where to start as we were rather underwhelmed with the hotel and feel it falls short of the description. As there is a lot to unpack I've broken my review into sections.  The room - The room was made up each day but not cleaned. You knew when the maids were coming as the hallways echoed loudly o… more

Where to start as we were rather underwhelmed with the hotel and feel it falls short of the description. As there is a lot to unpack I've broken my review into sections.  The room - The room was made up each day but not cleaned. You knew when the maids were coming as the hallways echoed loudly of the trollies and them shouting from room to room to each other. If you like a lay in or are a light sleeper be aware that day or night the corridors offer very little peace. The room had no amenities other than a TV and an empty fridge. If you required a kettle, iron and anything else you had to rent them. Someone told us in the resort a kettle was €30 for the week! Food - We stayed as an all inclusive guest. Breakfast ran from 7:30 to 9:30 we didn't make it down for this. So unable to comment. Lunch - plenty of choice from local cuisine to pizza, burgers, chips etc. Fresh fruit and ice cream was available at lunch only. Dinner - Same as lunch but with more options including a roast station which changed each day from meat to fish. Drinks during meals - beer, red and white wine on tap as were water and soft drinks. Jugs available to save multiple trips which was handy. A Pizza bar is available for lunch or dinner. But you have to book. Pizza was decent and made a nice change from the buffet. When booking the website said snacks available throughout the day. The only snacks available within AI at the pool bar was what seemed to be left over breakfast pastries or cold squares of pizza. So this was very disappointing. There are two other places to eat. One restaurant is only available if you have a premium room. The other is a bar offering coffee, cocktails and local snacks (arincini etc). This is a pay only place and isn't covered under any board. The food was all ok, but my personal opinion it was never hot enough, everything was lukearm. So somethings weren't pleasant to eat. Drinks - Beer, cocktails, wine, spirits and soft drinks but all served in a small plastic cup. All fine and tasted pretty good. Premium cocktails and bottled beer drinks available to buy. Prices as of Sept 2025 were very reasonable. Pools - The 2 outdoor pools offer plenty of sun loungers. The reservation of beds is not stood for and is controlled by the life guards. One pool offers music and activities and the other more relaxed. The third "indoor" pool isn't indoors, just had a sliding cover which was open. I guess this is used in colder months. Also the 3rd pool is only accessible via the spa (payment required). The Spa - We did use the spa facilities. Massage was great as were both the wet and dry saunas. Unfortunately the hot tub was cold and only 2 jets working The cost for a 30 minute massage and spa access was €40. Other options available. We had a couples massage and one complaint from my wife was her masseuse had smelly feet and could smell them through her trainers when she was face down on the bed. So not the best when trying to relax! The beach. Just a 10 minute walk from the hotel or a free shuttle takes you to the lovely sandy beach and amazingly clear shallow sea. Very clean and well maintained. Plenty of sun loungers, first few rows reserved for premium rooms only. There is a bar/restaurant at the other end of the beach. However this is not included within the AI board, but it is reasonably priced. Two decked areas for sunbathing, one with a bar overlooking the sea and with direct access for a swim. Entertainment - There seemed to be plenty going on during the day if you wanted to, but we never took part. Evening entertainment was a singer doing their best. It was entertaining but maybe not in the way it was meant to be. This is the only entertainment during the evening at the hotel and is located at the terrace bar. WiFi available throughout the hotel including at the pools and beach. Good connection. Shuttle to Syracuse Runs every day at a cost of €5pp each way. Must be booked in advance. To help you plan day trips the bus runs 9:30am & 12:00pm out - 3pm & 6pm return. The hotel has absolutely nothing around the vicinity. So unless you have a car or use the shuttle to Syracuse you are stuck there. The hotel does have a little shop selling souvenirs but that's it. I feel it could do with a little mini market on the grounds due to its location. Although the hotel grounds are well maintained and a pleasure to walk around (it's a huge resort), the rooms and indoor areas are very bare. The hotel has a concierge service where you can book excursions and car hire if you want. The hotel staff were generally pleasant with a few exceptions. It felt like one or two had no interest when it came to anyone who wasn't Italian. This was generally the bar staff. One of the lifeguards hygiene surprised me. After using the pool facilities one of the lifeguards came out of the cubicle and followed me out of the door without washing his hands. I suggested he turn around and wash his hands but he laughed, refused and walked back to his post. God forbid anyone needs medical assistance from him. A note to be aware of, if you have a late return  flight you can request a late checkout at the cost of €70. But this request must be done at least 24 hours prior and isn't guaranteed. I think overall the hotel is ok and was good for a relaxing week away. However maybe a little too big for what the staff can manage. I can't imagine why it's like in high season. Due to its location and standards I wouldn't recommend friends to stay and wouldn't return.

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