Superbe Villa avec piscine privée près de Taormina, Sicile

Unfortunately the house and grounds were not up to standards as shown on website.

The Sicilians do not understand what the seasoned traveler expects.

Mold all over outside structure, in showers and baths , grounds not well maintained.

While pleasant, owners were not available in reasonable time when needed especially on last night when power went. There were no emergency instructions available in villa.

Very disappointed in general cleanliness and toilet areas of local towns and major cities. My family emigrated from Italy but we were always taught pride in our selves and property regardless of how poor we were.

The Italian practice of closing down all shops and restaurants in mid day until evenings made very difficult to enjoy amenities.

We went to Italy to walk in the steps of our ancestors; now I understand why they left.

This house used to be a hotel, which shows in the well-equipped restaurant kitchen, comfortable rooms and well-sized social areas. Inside, it has a luxurious feel to it and outside, the nice private pool area with sun beds is a huge plus. (However, there were only seven sun beds although there are ten beds inside, which was a small minus). By the pool, you will also find a small house with washer and shower. The bedrooms are all equipped with air-conditioning, tv, a safe and ensuite bathrooms. There is a wifi-network that will cover your most basic needs, but because of the house's remote location, mobile coverage was uneven.

The house is located about 5 minutes by car from Francavilla di Sicilia, a small town where you will find a few stores, supermarkets, the local butcher, barber, etc. The surrounding areas are quiet hills, with grazing cows and sheep. There is some traffic outside the house as it is right by an intersection, but you will unlikely be disturbed. Also, around the pool area are high hedges that provide privacy.

The hosts, Carmelo and his wife Rosangela, are very friendly and eager to help. Carmelo works as a local guide and can help you arrange trips or give directions on nearby attractions - do take the chance and ask him for advice or questions about the local history! One night, we had a private chef at our villa, serving us typical Sicilian food - a marvelous and tasty experience.

We give this house and its hosts our warmest recommendations.

Located 3kms outside Francavilla and an hour from Catania airport it is set in a lovely area close to the foot of Mount Etna. It would appear to have previously been a boutique hotel or band b with 5 bedrooms all double or can be twin, but it is now rented out as an entire villa. All the bed rooms are Ensuite and are to a very high standard with very comfortable beds and generally the finish down to the black out curtains is very luxurious. The kitchen is a fully kitted out industrial one which is great for cooking which we did a lot of . The outside area is excellent too with a very large and lovely pool and the grounds are very well kept and there is plenty of seating too. It can comfortably accommodate 10 people but we were a smaller group of 6 . The owner was very helpful if needed and suggested local activities e.g wine tasting . This villa is an excellent choice if you are looking for a bit of luxury , space and set in the countryside .

Wonderful villa, wonderful area for drives to explore this part of Sicily! Spent everyday exploring something new; Taormina, Alacantara Gorge, Mt. Etna, villages like Castiglione de Sicilia ( visit Giuseppe's "Bar Le Chevalier"? , who is the sweetest guy and his lovely Mom who came and made us a delicious Sicilian meal, at our villa!), Cap D'Orlando, Syracusa and so much more!

Carmelo, the owner, is so nice, informative and helpful without being at all intrusive; a wonderful ambassador of his area. The villa is a restored historical building with 5 great bedrooms each with ensuites. There is an abundance of areas to sit as a group or have some quiet time. Grounds are wonderful, lovely pool, not too precious...perfect!

Ten of us...not a whiff of a complaint!

Just go!