We spent 8 days travelling around Sicily starting from Palermo & finishing in Taoromina. Taoromina & especially Villa Ducale was definately the highlight of the hoiday. It is a beautiful boutique hotel with amazing views & fantastic hospitality of the staff. On arrival, the staff all introduced themselves personally & took us to the main terrace which had the most breath taking view of Mt Etna & the sea. We were offered drinks & then one of the staff sat to explain in depth the facilities & the town. Then soon after a spread of home made sicilian appetizers were brought out & we discovered this was complimentary at 6.30pm every evening- a great touch! The overall decor of the hotel & rooms was charming, very unique with lots of colourful ceramic tiles & ornaments. Our room was great - 2 terraces with the same maginificent view as the main terrace. So romantic. The bathroom was spacious with lovely toiletries & bath/shower facilities. There was a complmentary bus into town & to the beach which made everything very simple. We spent a day at a private beach with beautiful water & again everyone was so friendly. We highly recommend this hotel & Taoromina if you are visiting Sicily.

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