We spent a week in Sicily in June 2003. We booked a package tour through a travel agency in Hungary.
The reason of booking Antares Hotel was the closeness of the picturesque town of Taormina without being overpriced as all hotels in Taormina are. This hotel is placed on a hill together with other hotels (Olympico, La Terazze).
Antares is situated at the lowest terrace of the hill, but still has wonderful views over the coastline.
We booked the package tour with half board, breakfast and dinner: the food was provided in form of a very good and varied buffet.
The room and bathroom was very spacious, clean and from our balcony we had a wonderful view over the Bay of Taormina.
Since we made all-day excursions, we spent very little time at the hotel (therefore we did not used the great services of the hotel (fitness center, swimming pool etc.).
In the vicinity there are a lot of itineraries: first of all Taormina, Castelmola (magnificent view over Taormina!!!!) Valley of Alcantara, Catania, Giardini Naxos. Among the more distant destinations do not miss Cathedral of Monreale, little town of Cefalu (fantastic fish-restaurants), Lipari Islands (boat tour among the rocks), Siracusa (the Greek theatre), Piazza Armerina (mosaics), Enna (the churches), Agrigento (greek temples) etc etc etc...
The only drawback is that you need to rent a car anyway if you do not want to stay at the hotel for the whole time of your stay (bus service is not too frequent).
My only one negative impression was at arriving: we booked a sea-view room but received a room with only partial side views. The receptionist seemed not to be willing to change our room, but we insisted and after a 20 minutes arguing we received a 'normal' sea-view room with wonderful view over Bay of Taormina. Despite this negative experience our all stay was wonderful and we would stay here again if we return to Sicily.

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!