john183

After several false starts, we have finally pulled the trigger for a trip in late April/early May. For us, this is a very late start in the planning/research process and hotels are filling up fast so to speed things up I’m hoping for hotel recommendations in Taormina and Ortygia.

For Taormina, we want to stay for three nights and visit Mt Etna as a day trip one of the days we are there. We will have a car so I’m looking for a hotel that offers parking and has a nice view of the sea and Mt Etna but is still walkable to the main part of town. I’ve read that Taormina is somewhat comparable to Positano. In Positano, we stayed higher up to enjoy the views from our hotel room balcony but were able to walk to restaurants, which is what I’m hoping to also do in Taormina.

For Ortygia, we will be turning in our rental car so no need to deal with parking. I think we would like to stay near the center so we can walk to as many places as possible.

We are two couples in our mid 60s to early 70s and are fit enough to not be worried about reasonable walking distances or the steps up or down that we may have to take to get to restaurants/shopping/various other sites. We would like to pay somewhere close to 300€ per night but we can be flexible if necessary. As always, thanks in advance for any help you can give us.

annhig

dealing first of all with Ortygia, we stayed at the Hotel Livingstone, which is about half way down the eastern edge of the island with a lovely view out over the sea, and walkable to all parts of Ortygia.

http://www.livingstonhotel.it/en/

in Taormina, we stayed up in Castelmola at the Villa Sonia, which has great views of Etna but is a devil to drive back and forth to up that hill, so much so that we just left the car in the hotel car park and used the hotel shuttle on one day, and paid for an excursion to Etna on the other.

http://www.hotelvillasonia.com/en/

The first I would definitely recommend, the second not so much.

sundriedtopepo

We loved loved loved Villa Schuler, but you will have to deal with steps almost anywhere in Taormina. We have also stayed at Taodumus, which is street level entrance, but the rooms were much smaller.

Villa Schuler has parking for a fee, and Taodomus is very close to the paid car parking garage.

bobthenavigator

Yes for Villa Schuler !

rbciao47

Two years ago we spent a week in Taormina staying at the Villa Sara, which has a 4.5/5 rating on Tripadvisor. I realize Tripadvisor is what it is, but we were very happy with the property.

It is a 10 minute downhill walk to Corso Umberto, the main street, and a longer walk uphill to return. Our room had a balcony, which we highly, highly recommend. In the morning the view was beautiful overlooking the town, the Mediterranean, and you can clearly see Mt. Etna. At night time the view was STUNNING. The owner is an elderly lady name Elena and she is wonderful, but she doesn't speak much English. Since I speak Italian I was the translator. Her son works there and he speaks English.

Visiting mt. Etna was really a highlight of our time in Sicily. Very Interesting! There are a number of different tours you can take, including a huge wheeled bus that takes you into the main crater area.

Buon viaggio,

kja

In Ortygia, I was very pleased with L'Approdo delle Sirene:
http://www.apprododellesirene.com

Dayle

My hotel in Taormina would not fit your requirements as I also stayed at Hotel Taodomus. Good location ,but I dont know if they provide parking. No views from the rooms, but great views from the rooftop terrace where breakfast is served. I believe it is also used as a bar in the evenings. I only stayed one nt in. Std double room as a solo traveler and that room was tiny!!!!! For longer stays, you would definitely want a larger room.

I loved my three nts at La Via della Guidecca on Ortigia. I had a large room with two sets od french doors opening onto the tiny piazza in front. Really like an apt but without the kitchen. Large bathroom, separate living area, and separate bedroom. All were huge. Outstanding management. Clean ,comfortable, un stuffy. Good location for walking all around the island.

rbciao47

I forgot to mention that the Villa Sara has onsite parking for an extra fee.

Buon viaggio,

bon_voyage

In Taormina we stayed at the Villa Carlotta--about 10 minutes from the center, wonderful hospitality, fantastic breakfasts, sea views from the room, Etta views from the upstairs dining area, garden with small pool. We picked up our car at the end of our stay in Taormina so I don't know what provisions for parking the hotel may offer. On Ortygia, we stayed at the Algila Charme. I liked its location, decor, and overall feel. The rooms vary quite a bit so you have to choose carefully. I've noticed in subsequent TripAdvisor reviews that some of the wrinkles that bothered me have been addressed. More details in my trip report: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ecial-trip.cfm.

john183

Thanks for all the great suggestions. The last of the Thanksgiving holiday visitors just left so if I can muster up the energy after we clean up, I'll try to have a look at these later tonight. It's crazy how an 8 week old great grandson can consume so much of one's time and energy - but it's a good crazy!

john183

For a variety of reasons we have had a more than usual hard time nailing things down for this trip. Dates have changed, the order of places to visit has changed and transportation logistics have been difficult. And unfortunately we have not been able to take advantage of your very good suggestions.

We've finally ended up with 9 nights in Sicily, 3 in Malta, 4 in Santorini (to relax) and 3 in Athens. In hindsight we are probably crazy to try to group these places together in one trip but this is what we have. Thanks again for your recommendations - I'll try to post a trip report if I survive.

sundriedtopepo

Hope it all works out and you have a great time.

annhig

me too, john.

hope you have a wonderful time and survive to come back and tell us all about it.

freediver

While it is not a hotel, and for that matter in Siracusa not Ortygia, I must recommend Giuggiulena Bed and Breakfast. It lies across the water from Ortygia, is a local bus hop or short walk into Ortygia and is simply a gem of a place. In our 5 weeks in Sicily it was the best place we stayed. Large comfortable rooms, upper deck for relaxing, rooms have balconies over the water and are large and comfortable, and the breakfast outstanding!

annhig

sounds good, freediver.

Though we loved the Livingstone, getting there was a bit of a battle, so for someone wanting the best of Ortigia and Siracusa, that looks a good option.

5 weeks in Sicily? lucky you. Where else did you go?

HappyTrvlr

Hope you get your wish and are able to relax in Santorini, John.