Eurostars Monte Tauro

“A good hotel, but access could be a challenge for some.”

This hotel has good and not so good aspects. The rooms are okay - spacious with hanging & shelf space, balconies, and a dresser. Breakfast was plentiful, and the location within Taormina is very central. A special mention for Laura, the trainee receptionist and concierge for whom nothing was too mu… more

This hotel has good and not so good aspects. The rooms are okay - spacious with hanging & shelf space, balconies, and a dresser. Breakfast was plentiful, and the location within Taormina is very central. A special mention for Laura, the trainee receptionist and concierge for whom nothing was too much trouble - she organised restaurants, taxis, and tours. Unfortunately, access to the hotel is via a very steep slope, which is difficult to access even by car. One has to turn the car almost 360 degrees to enter the narrow slope. I wouldn't recommend bringing a car to Taormina!

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“A lovely hotel but not perfect”

This was our first visit to Sicily and we booked at the last minute because we wanted some sun. We liked most aspects of the hotel but there were a couple of things that really jarred but other people might not mind them. The reception staff were particularly helpful and so were the lovely staff… more

This was our first visit to Sicily and we booked at the last minute because we wanted some sun. We liked most aspects of the hotel but there were a couple of things that really jarred but other people might not mind them. The reception staff were particularly helpful and so were the lovely staff at breakfast. Views from the dining-room were spectacular and there was a wide variety of food. It was a real treat to eat fresh peaches every day for breakfast and the glutenfree selection was very good. Our room was spacious and had a large balcony too. It also had a bath which I always enjoy. So many modern hotels only have showers. The pool area was very spacious. During our week's stay there was always plenty of choice of where to sit. However, we were disappointed that we couldn't easily have an umbrella each so that we could lie in the shade when there were so few beds in use and many umbrellas unused. When he grudgingly did give us a second umbrella, the pool attendant wanted it to look as if we weren't together. We also found it offensive that we couldn't have a drink at the pool restaurant and enjoy a view as that was reserved for people who were ordering food. While I am not blaming the staff for following orders and I can appreciate that these rules may be practical during busy times at the pool. such pettiness goes against the essence of hospitality when there are so few people eating and drinking in the restaurant as happened on several occasions this week. There is one very loud noisy waiter whose English is not very good. On the one day we did order lunch, he completely misunderstood our order. He hadn't bothered to check it carefully with us although we had had a conversation about the food wth him before deciding what to order. During the week he would also dump bottles of water in front of me and not open them so I had to go in search of him to do it for me if the caps were tight. The one lunch we ate at the pool was fine. However, the pool restaurant is the only restaurant in the hotel and closes early afternoon and after that time there is no restaurant so the website is somewhat misleading. We are older and walk a lot and live in a hilly area so we hadn't anticipated a problem with the slope that you have to climb up and down to reach the hotel. However, it was a problem when it was very hot. The temperature reached 33 degrees while we were there. If you have any kind of mobility issue, do consider this hotel carefully before booking if only from that point of view. If you don't like heights you should also check out photos of the outside lift as it is the only life taking guests to all floors. We did think that the lighting could be improved on the hotel access slope to make it easier in the dark. There is a handrail next to the slope (not the stairs which are in the middle) but it doesn't go right to the top. We also had a battle with the transfer company taking us to the airport when we left. They had been booked on our behalf by the travel agent. The driver didn't want to come down to the front door of the hotel. The hotel receptionist was very helpful in getting the matter resolved but it probably happens regularly. Eventually the driver left the car at the top of the slope, walked down and took our large cases up for us. We could not have done it ourselves. Taormina is built in the side of a mountain so wherever you go, you are climbing up and down slopes and stairs. The town was very crowded and buzzing with life. Once you are at the top of the hotel slope, the location is very good. There are dozens of restaurants and beautiful shops and although it was very crowded, the atmosphere was lovely and very vibrant. But if steps and slopes are a problem for you, consider very carefully exactly where you plan to stay in the town.

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