From the outside Hotel La Ville looks nothing special and it's an unprepossing area near the train and bus station. But step inside and it's a hotel where the owners and managers clearly value their guests highly. Our twin-bedded room was very roomy with an attractive domed ceiling, along with a marble bathroom and loads of hot water. At night it was quiet until the fruit and veg man arrived outside at 0830. Breakfast was a satisfactory mixture of cold meats, cheeses, breads, yoghurts and fruit. There was also a free network computer connection in the reception area to check home e-mails and Catania's weather. This hotel rates five stars for us because of the excellent service and the proximity to public transport. We spent four full days in Catania, not in itself a particularly interesting city and pockmarked by graffiti, dereliction and broken glass. But it is a great centre for trips out by public transport. On day one we took the CircumEtnea train. At the Metro station (five minutes walk by the rail station) go to Borgo, which is the starting point for this exciting train trip. It wends it way through the foothills of Etna with great views to the volcano on one side and valleys on the other side. We alighted at Randazzo and wandered through a maze of medieval alleys. Apparently this is one town which was never overwhelmed by the volcano. Day two we caught the train to Siracusa (about an hour) and roamed across the bridge and onto the island which houses the old town. Day three was a full day out with Etna Experience. Not cheap at £59 a head, but we were picked up direct from the hotel in a 4x4 minibus seating eight and had a fascinating day exploring lava fields, caverns, gorges, craters and vineyards. Take hiking footwear and warm clothing because you do reach 7000 feet. A once-in-lifetime experience. Day four was by bus to Taormina. This is touted as a "must-see" experience in Sicily. There is a great bus ride up the hairpin bends to the town. But we found it grossly over-commercialised. The Greek theatre is worth seeing and we recommend a cable car trip down to an attractive shingly bay below, where there are some beachside bars. But, overall, you won't be missing much if you ignore this town. On the final day, before an evening flight, we enjoyed the boisterous fish market in Catania (a short walk from the cathedral).
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC