We stayed at this hotel for a week between 28th October and 5th November. As with other guests we found the service distinctly lacking, and some staff rude (not all), but you could never trust that what you had asked for would be delivered. For example it took two days to get sunbed mats for all the guests who wanted to lie by the pool. I was told by the attendant that we weren't allowed to have them as it was the end of the season despite the fact that the hotel was almost full, and there were 15-20 guests wishing to stay by the pool. But I was told by the receptionist that we could of course have mats, and she made me feel stupid for even asking. One day, the pool attendant appeared with an armful of mats! We were amazed having resigned ourselves to enduring hard plastic sunbeds and sore behinds. Somebody had got through to him, and he received a round of applause from everyone by the pool.

Our first allocated room was run-down, dark and located above the kitchens, so noisy. The bathroom flooded everytime we had a shower, so eventually we requested a room change. The second room was much better, but stank of rancid drains. I poured boiling water down them to try to kill-off whatever bacteria was festering in there. It seemed to work, but I had to do it every night!

The famous lifts mentioned in other reviews stopped working entirely mid-week, and remained broken until we departed. Luckily we had hired a car by then so could drive up and down the steep road. I don't know how other guests managed, especially the older ones amongst them.

I truly cannot believe that the hotel Olimpo has four stars. It is quite incredible.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, don't stay at this hotel. Don't be tempted by talk of fine views, there are other hotels with views that are probably much better than this one.

Oh, one last thing, the food wasn't too bad.

In order to understand the problems with this hotel you have to know that it is perched at the top of a huge cliff, and is really three hotels : the La Terrazze, the Antares, and the Olimpo, all going up the cliff, with the 3 star Antares at the lower end and the 4 star Olimpo at the higher end of the cliff. Access from the car and bus park to the Antares is via 2 lifts, of which only one is working at any time. Each lift takes a maximum of 6 people (or 3 people of British, German or American origin). From the Antares, access to the other two hotels is via a funicular or cliff lift system, of which there are two cars, only one going to the La terrazze part of the hotel. The La Terrazze part, half way up the cliff between the Antares and the Olimpo, is only accessible via external steps or the single funicular. There is supposed to be a luggage van to take your luggage from the car park to the reception.
Admittedly we arrived, as a group, in a thunderstorm, together at the same time as a German tour group, but this does not excuse the appalling rudeness and lack of service in this hotel. There was no luggage van, and only one lift working, so we had to wait some time as the single working lift could only take 3 people with their luggage. Then we had to check in. Then we had to find our room, in the pouring rain with our luggage, via the funicular and the further lift to our floor, which was on arrival not working. The stairs to access our room were outside, in the pouring sheeting rain. There was no assistance from the hotel. The views from our room were spectacular, and the room was comfortable. The meals were very pleasant. The reception staff were universally rude and unhelpful. The funicular was often unavailable as it was full of American or Japanese tour groups, poor souls, who were fresh victims trying to either find their way out of this hell-hole of a hotel or trying to find their rooms, the full horror of their situations not yet having dawned on them. In particular, I would strongly recommend against staying at this hotel if you are incapable of managing a stiff half hour climb up a steep hill. On one occasion we came back to hotel and found a number of tours groups had arrived at the same time and were waiting for the lift. We caught a taxi, at the cost of 10 euros.

We went to Taormina for 4 days and this was the best residence that there is. The hotel is situated on a hill and there are beautiful views. It is quite difficult to reach by bus but if you are driving or taking a taxi and ask the residents of letojanni they will help you out.

There is a shuttle service till around six in the evening but the buses are quite frequent and the bus stage is right in front of the hotel!

Food was incredible and we ate only from the hotel for Eur15 per person for a buffet dinner with 3 varieties of pasta each night, different antipasto, soup of the day, a selection of main courses varying from fish, seafood, poultry and meat and exquisite desserts. Food from Taormina qas really expensive so it was worth it.

The service in itself is quite lacking but if you ask, the staff will help you out but they do not offer themselves.

I will definitely return to this hotel!

My friend and I travelled to the Antares Hotel on September 10th returning on the 17th. The views from this hotel are spectacular, we enjoyed just sitting on the balcony and watching the funicular cable car go up and down the side of the hotel, the only way to travel to the Olimpo which is above you. You can use the facilities of both hotels but the Olimpo seems far superior, the swimming pool is much bigger, though saying that ours at the Antares never had more than 12 people around it the whole time we stayed there, no trouble ever getting a sunbed, we had one for relaxing and one for putting our stuff on! The only downside was that at the Antares there was no waiter or poolside bar so you had to go back into the building and up a flight of stairs every time you wanted a drink.

The food was average not a good vegetarian choice at all, and unfortunately the food was not labelled very well or not at all so you had no idea if anything contained meat or fish. The desserts were very disappointing always a variation of the same thing, custard filled tarts in different pastries or cakes with a strange tasting artificial cream! The best option is the ice cream which came in about 6 flavours and was heavenly!

Our room was average but very clean, the Olimpo rooms which we had a look at were far superior as was the layout and design of the whole hotel.

I certainly would not recommend this resort or either hotel to the less able bodied as it is all steps and climbing, there is a lift that goes from the car park right up to the Antares this is carved into the mountain and takes about one and a half mins to take you up. The resort is very average apart from a couple of stalls selling jewellry on the sea front there is nothing open at night apart from restaurants. The Etna tour is brilliant as is the Godfather tour and worth doing both. If you are on an all inclusive deal get the hotel to pack a lunch for that day as there is only pizza and pannini to purchase at quite a price at Etna.

Both my friend and I felt that the whole island was beautiful, it was as if all the prettiest bits of all the other islands had been put on Sicily, the only thing that spoilt it for us was that the locals did not seem terribly friendly or helpful, we would always say hello with a smile when out but only ever received a curt nod in return! Also we did have trouble making ourselves understood when ordering drinks when out of the hotel so a few words before you travel of the local dialect might be useful.