My husband and I spent five nights at the lovely Villa Ducale in June and enjoyed every minute of our stay. The charming furnishings, the fabulous views, hor d'oevres at sunset and bountiful breakfast all contributed to our experience not to mention the personal and attentive service by all their staff members who answered every question and request with a smile.

The much discussed 500+ steps and shuttle service were a non-issue as far as we are concerned and simply a matter of clock management. All restaurant (La Saracena was our hands on favorite) and tour recommendations (we did Etna and Siracusa) were excellent as well.

We loved Villa Ducale and will always hold very fond memories of Taormina because of our stay there.

We stayed at Villa Ducale for my husbands birthday. The rooms are simply beautiful. Attention to detail second to none.
Breakfast on the terrace with the most magnificent views and can I say scrumptious choice of all sorts of fruits, cheeses and magnificent Sicilian cakes. The villa is situated almost at the top of the mountain with Mount Etna flowing Lava to the left - simply inspiring. They supply a courtesy bus to the beach each day with a lovely driver who is extremely helpful. If you like you can walk down the steps into Taormina main shopping area or use local transport. In the evening the hotel supplies a free bus to town and pick up in the evening. Before visiting Taormina in the evening, you must sit on the Terrace watching the beautiful sunset and nibbling at the free snacks supplied. I would recommend this hotel to everyone as it is simply magnificent.

My family stayed at the Villa Ducale in Taormina, Sicily, on June
17-20, 2008. The hotel's amenities, food and location were great, but we especially want to comment on their truly exceptional staff. Although all of their staff were very accommodating and made us feel welcome, one staff member really stood out - Luca. When we first arrived, Luca welcomed us, gave us a drink of wine, and took care of all our immediate needs (car, room, map, shuttle, etc.). Over the next few days, he was always very friendly and offered to help. If that was not enough, even on his day off, Luca approached us at the beach and asked us how we were doing. The Villa Ducale is a charming Sicilian hotel that we highly recommend to all travelers. We can't wait to return!
Michael & Ann Viscomi
Whitefish, Montana

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!