Hi O,

For your Rome hotel see what you can find at www.venere.com

Also try www.slowtravel.com

For 300E/nite you should be able to find what you want.

Most hotels in Taormina have great views, because the town itself is in such a spectacular setting. Even in fairly modest hotels you can often get a view of the sea down below and Etna up above, from at least the rooms on upper floors.

I can only comment on those I've stayed in, listed as follows in what I initially estimated to be descending order of price – but I've added the current prices I've found. All are very central and have pools.

1. San Domenico Palace. 5*. In old monastery, fabulous, especially if you get a room with a terrace. Guide price €330 prpn on Venere. (On its own website it seems to be POA !)

2. Monte Tauro. 4*. Large, modern building, fairly ugly from the outside, popular with tour groups; but rooms spacious, with good big balconies & were nicely decorated when I was there. VG pool area. Standard room €175-247 on its own website.

3. Villa Belvedere. 3*. Rooms simple but pleasant. Need to ask for a room with a large balcony on upper floor – some views partially blocked by hotel next door. €118-220 on its own website.

4. Villa Riis. Room I had, on a lower floor, wasn't great; but top floor rooms supposed to be good & met people who booked them every year. Double €217. (Must have been smartened up since I stayed there ! Now claims to be a 4* but it was only 2* when I was there.)

if you're taking any driving trips outside of palermo (palermo is a must-do) i recommend lunch or dinner at antica stazione just by a little village called ficuzza. this is about 3 km from corleone. antica stazione is a hotel (at the foot of some sicilian mountains, cant remember the name) with an amazing restaurant, mainly outdoors which fills up with extremely extended families in the evenings. i stayed there last summer and was treated to some of the best sicilian food (pasta with pistachio, etc.). they use local produce from the surrounding area. the place is ridiculously romantic. for some reason there are a lot of butterflies around and the views are great.