What a wonderful place!

From the moment you step into Villa Ducale, you realise it is a special place. Whist your bags are taken to your room, the staff show you to the terrace with it's stunning views of the bay and Etna and a glass of wine appears! It was a good start and only got better.

There are lots of thoughtful touches here from the well appointed bedrooms to the evening nibbles laid on early evening.

And I haven't even got on to the breakfasts yet! They were the best breakfasts we encountered during our entire stay in Sicily, in fact, no other hotel matched up to Villa Ducale's standards.

The staff really make being friendly and helpful look effortless and create a relaxing and welcoming atmosphere. This is a hotel we hope to return to soon!

We spent four days at this delightful villa after 10 days in Rome. We were greeted with great warmth and hospitality which continued throughout our stay. The views from the patio (where breakfast is served) are breathtaking and the 536 steps up from the main part of Taormina are a wonderful way to wear off lunch!. Sevice is outstanding, friendly and efficient. We will return.
Mitchell & Lynne Gropper
Vancouver, Canada

We stayed there for 3 lovely days in May. The position is tremendous with views to Etna and the bay of Naxos, and we had a beautiful terrace (more of a mini-garden) to see them from. But the overwhelming attraction is the atmosphere which arises from the real helpfulness of the staff, and the attractive flower decked passages and rooms of the hotel. The best of very many hotels we have stayed in in Italy.

Our only problem was that it was our first hotel in a 14 night visit to Sicily, and although we stayed in some good hotels, all seemed poor in comparison. If you can, make it the last grand finale of your trip!

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the two nights that we spent at the Hotel Villa Ducali Taormina in mid May 2008. The hotel is located up on the hill halfway between Taormina and the hilltop village of Castelmola. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to walk the steep pathway from the hotel to either spot. The hotel provides a regular shuttle down into town, but the views from the walk make it well worth the time spent.

The hotel itself is a real treat. From the minute that you enter the lobby with its adjacent terrace facing Mt. Etna and offering magnificent views of the mountain, the town below and the sea beyond, you are bound to be delighted. Breakfast on the terrace is a special experience. The overall décor of the hotel includes lovely antiques, as well as some of the whimsical ceramic art traditional in this part of Sicily. The staff was charming, helpful and fluent in English.

We loved staying above Taromina, rather that struggling against the tide of tourists that swamped the town while we were there. Many of the hotel's rooms have fantastic views. We were given the spacious “attic” room at the top of the hotel with a very private balcony offering sweeping views of Mt. Etna, Taormina and the sea. We found it to be very comfortable.

Following recommendations by the hotel staff we ate dinner the first night at the Saraceno Restaurant a short walk from the hotel. The second night we again took the desk’s advice and walked up to eat at La Taverna dell’ Etna in Castelmola (which also had wonderful views of Mt. Etna). Both meals were great.