I really liked this hotel, stayed 1st-8th September.
We had a room on the second floor with a good sized balcony, i can see why other reviews complained about balconies though as some looked very small.
The balcony chairs (wrought iron) were uncomfortable though, plastic ones would be better but would spoil the tasteful look.
The bed was comfortable with clean sheets, the counterpane was looking a bit tired with bobbles but was clean. Lovely large shower with good water pressure.
Food was good, really enjoyed the gala buffet nights which were 22 Euro each, very good value.
i loved the pool as it was very deep. and the pool attendant claudio was friendly and made sure there were enough towels and sun beds for everyone. Not much food choice at pool bar though, only toasties which were around 4 euro and were huge!
Lots of steps and steep incline up to hotel, but good exercise. Definitely not suitable for buggies and children, but people should do their research before booking. i would say this hotel is for mature adults, i would stay again.

My wife and i are just back after a week in taormina We stayed at the Ariston and i can highly recommend it We asked for a twin room with a sea view and balcony and we got what we booked for The room was clean and spacious but the balcony less so The bathroom was small and would not suit the oversized but entirely adequate and spotlessly clean The staff were very helpful and efficient The breakfast was wonderful a great choice of all you could eat Evening meals were a bit hit and miss but adequate Overall a very pleasant stay and can highly recommend it PS (make sure you get the room you ask for)

The Ariston Hotel is a very comfortable hotel in a good location, convenient for the Corso Umberto main street and very convenient for the bus station which is a couple of minutes walk up to the rear of the hotel. Very convenient for buses and coaches. The hotel room we had was on the top floor but we had no problem with using the lifts. There was a fridge and safe. You have to give a 50 Euro deposit for the key but this is returnable. There is a balcony but large enough only to stand on. The staff as usual were friendly and helpful. Good English speaking. Although we were here for bed and breakfast, we had a number of evening meals in the hotel out on the terrace which faced out to the sea although from the terrace, there wasn’t a clear view out. As it was open air dining with good ambience, it was very pleasant. These meals were good and competitively priced with respect to restaurants in the town. There were always many people dining here so this is a recommendation. Walking out of the rear of the hotel through the bus station, it is a 10 to 15 minute walk up the town. Not the most attractive street with a few restaurants and shops dotted along it. A good view out to the far bay though with the cable car station down to the beach located on it. Leaving from the front of the hotel, one has to go down a narrow road which leads down to a street on which the English Garden is located. This is worth looking around. One can get made to order sandwiches in a local shop along this road if one wishes to have a picnic meal in the garden. The hotel is pleasant inside and has a good swimming pool with loungers around. However it is very deep with no shallow end. The water was a very good temperature. The hotel breakfasts were good with a good selection including bacon, sausage and egg as hot dishes. Taormina is a lovely place to visit with much history and culture. It is not cheap however and I was surprised to find wine expensive. Sicily is a very large island so it takes a long time to get anywhere. Our original intention was to use public transport but eventually decided it was easier to take excursions. Local buses are easy however and local return journeys costs 2.8 Euros each. You can buy tickets beforehand but you can also pay on the bus. We took an excursion to Syracuse which is very interesting historically. It took between 2 and 2 ½ hours journey to reach here. We also did the Godfather tour which is interesting if you are familiar with the Godfather films, basically the first one. This tour also gave a view of the local landscape. We hoped to visit Palermo but found it would be about 4 hours journey each way, although on motorway, so that idea was discarded. Although we had a few rainstorms during our holiday, they didn’t last long so didn’t cause us a problem. It was hotter than I expected, just coming into September.