Stayed here for two nights on 8/10/09 and 9/10/09. Paid 76 Euros per room per night including breakfast. Booked through Venere website.

We found it difficult to choose somewhere suitable in Lipari and were unsure what to expect given limited information, but it turned out to be one of the best places of the holiday, both for the island and a fascinating hotel.

We had a pleasant and quite spacious room, with an attractive tiled floor. We had our own outside terrace which was very pleasant. Compared to the lengthy staircases in most Italian cities, it was a novelty to be on the ground floor here!

All the walls in the communal areas were covered with an extensive array of knickknacks. There are also extensive gardens with many plants in the middle of hotel.

Breakfast was the best of this holiday. A very extensive buffet, including much fruit and cake, with good service.

Very friendly owner. The hotel provides free transport from and to port, which we used when leaving; or it is a 10 to 15 minute walk.

Given how much we liked this hotel, we are surprised there are so few comments on TripAdvisor.

There is much to do on Lipari and the other islands, as well as relaxing in the hotel and town, so this was the one place in Sicily where we really would have like a few more days. We visited Stromboli, boat trips depart midday or early afternoon and return late evening, with or without climbing the volcano, 30 Euros at this time of year, or much more if doing the climb.

I can say only positive things about the Oriente. I start from the excellent quality/price ratio.
We were looking for a place from where to explore the islands. We didn't care about having a private beach or a sea-view room, because we expected to be back at the hotel just for sleeping. Therefore, the Oriente was perfect for us. It is located at walking distance from the harbor, the historical center of Lipari and the main street. They have a private parking, in case you go by car. The hotel is extremely quiet. Most of the rooms are immersed in a wonderful garden, with a lot of mediterranean trees and flowers. Our triple room was spacious, the air conditioning was working perfectly. We had a private patio from which one could get into the common garden. There was a drying rack, extremely useful after a day on the sea. The bathroom was small, but I appreciated very much that it had a window! Breakfast was good. The owner may look intrusive, but he speaks english and french (at least) and he was always present at breakfast time. All in all, he was very helpful, as the rest of his staff. As others said, the common areas look like a museum. The breakfast room is impressive. It was fun. I definitely would recommend this hotel, and I hope to be back there soon.

This hotel is truly unique, the owner has filled the place (particularly the public areas) with antique Italian iron tools / other antiques etc. The breakfast room is a very welcoming space, with an old fashioned bar and a collection of books in various European languages. The garden is excellent, lots of shade from trees and lots of individual tables, places to sit and relax etc..

The staff though are what make this hotel outstanding. They were genuinely interested in helping us and getting to know us, very very friendly and helpful.

The room was small but well equipped (Sky TV, fridge, safe etc). The shower was adequate. The room and bathroom were very clean. Considering the price, this hotel is very, very good value for money and has so much character.

Very much enjoyed my stay here. The public rooms are a bit like a museum of Sicilian agriculture, full of farm implements and curios pinned to the walls. Breakfast enormous (most of the other guests were going volcano trekking so they needed it - I just stuffed myself and headed for the beach up the road). Was slightly disconcerted to see what seemed to be some Greek tombs in the garden! There's a burial site the other side of the road and I assume it continues under the hotel. Very centrally located and hotel can advise you on transport links.