The hotel was attractive and the rooms were clean. Unfortunatly the air conditioning was not working and when we asked if we could have it on we were told no. After a bad nights sleep due to being too warm we then opened the balcony door and ended up being badly bitten by mosquito's, we weren't the only people to complain about no air conditioning. Even a family with a small baby was badly bitten by mosquitos. We also had a problem with the pillows being rock hard, and too hard to sleep on. But worst of all was that the meals were never HOT!!! or even WARM!! albeit the food looked good and tasted nice, but being luke warm it ruined our holiday and we had to try and find local restaurants to eat after 4 days (which was hard as most restaurants had closed for the seaon). Even having a cup of tea or coffee ended up being luke warm. For a 5 Star Italian hotel where the food is normally the highlight of any holiday we were extremely dismayed. I am afraid that with the service and food, this is definately not a 5 Star hotel. They need to sort out the heating of the Buffet meals or there will be a case of food poisoning.

We took a bit of a punt on this as it was a good deal. Little did we know that we we arrived at Trapani airport at 11pm that we would have a 3 hour transfer - fun! Anyway when we arrived the hotel seemed very nice - first impressions were good - the room was clean and a good size, with a superb beach view. A dodgy loo seat didn't even spoil the room! As for the holiday, well we had fun, but this hotel is very isolated and at this time of year there were no nearby cafe's and restaurants that were open - the taverna across the road saved our lives, but is due to shut next week until March 2011! Although it has a private beach - if somewhat gravelly (ouch!!) . This deal was HB, the food was hit and miss, and I don't wish to see scrambled eggs ever again for a decade or so The highlight was my partner finding fish bones in her chicken escalope one evening - which although met with much mirth by the hotel staff - wasn't that funny at all considering they took her half finished plate of food away to show the chef and made no attempt to reunite her with any sort of food, never mind the plate they had taken away. Oh yes, by the way, the reception staff are about as useful as a toothbrush with no bristles. If I had a pound for the number of contradictory answers you can get in one day, I'd be rich! All in all, although we enjoyed ourselves and this sounds like a whine, the only thing that let the hotel down was the service. One last thing, if you do come here, rent a car as it's the only way you'l be able to escape the confines of the hotel. There are excursions but these are pricey and unpredictable, and the reception staff were none too proactive at making the arrangements - I await their call about a trip to the Aeolian Islands that should have happened last Tuesday! Although Italian drivers are bonkers the roads are quiet and there are some amazing places to see. Bring a sat nav!

Just returned after a six night stay,they really need to up their game,lets start with the good pionts hotel reception bar and pool area is very nice,the overall service is ok however they are trying to run the hotel on minimal staff,the hotels private beach is the best part, reasons I will no go back are as follows food in resturant very bland often not even warm a bit like school dinners,carpet in bedroom stained room 303,no drinking glasses in bedroom or guest information only one TV channel in English and reception was poor,the bathroom could have done with a refurb,the hotel sits on the marina which is very large with some beautiful boats however it is run down and dirty it as if they have run out of money,you really need a car to get about and a sat nav,I really think you can do better it's not a five star I would stay 3.5 on a good day.

Before travelling to Sicily we found reviews of this hotel were very mixed and also in Italian - our fault for not learning the language! We were slightly concerned we had made a bad choice but this was not so and our week was very enjoyable. The hotel is large, light and although parts looked a little tired outside (paint work) after the summer season, inside is beautiful and is clean with very helpful hotel staff.

The rooms are a decent size with a very, very large bed! Rooms are cleaned every day and nothing was too much trouble with the reception staff. If you are on a day trip and are leaving early you can take a packed lunch to replace your breakfast provided by the restaurant. All these small things make the stay perfect and also help with the cost as Italy is expensive. Aren't all holidays?!! Most money goes on petrol. There is a lot of Sicily to see!

There was a pianist playing every night in the bar and even better the drink prices very reasonable for a large hotel. £3.00 for a glass of prosecco! The food in the restaurant (buffet style) provides you with a good choice and there is waiter service for your drinks.

All in all this hotel provided a great place to stay for the price we paid. It was quiet in October but was a blessing as there were no screaming children running around! It closes from November to March.

The only thing you definitely need is a car! But like most places in Sicily you need a car. Portorosa has a beach and the marina but that is it. So if you want to base yourself somewhere with the hustle and bustle of restaurants and shops then you need to stay in and around the big towns such as Syracuse, Taromina or Palermo.