Hotels near Lido l'Aurora Celeste, Province of Messina

We Had a wonderful holiday here at the Sant alphio hotel! The hotel is clean, beautiful and spacious. Pool area is stunning with loads of sun loungers and a poolside bar/restaurant area. AC was strong and refreshing which was just what we needed on a hot day. Breakfast was great- these comments about ‘no choice’ at breakfast are, in my opinion, completely false. It was what you would expect from a four star Italian hotel, with pastries, good coffee, fruit and meat. The dinner was superb, faultless and the service was beyond brilliant. There are also plenty restaurants nearby but the hotel meals were a lot better and good value. Our room was big, spotless and had large drawers and a wardrobe for storage. Balcony had an awesome view of mount Etna. Didn’t use the spa but it looked fantastic and offered lots of services and treatments. The hotel lobby has a bar which served a range of great drinks. We didn’t want to leave and I recommend highly to travellers!

Hotel Giardini Naxos Beach The all-inclusive package here is more limited than we’re used to, for example, cocktails are not included. Snacks are hardly offered in the afternoons and evenings, which is standard in other all-inclusive hotels we’ve visited, and there’s nothing available to buy. Room We stayed in premium room 260, and everything was fine. The air conditioning worked well, and the bed was very spacious and comfortable—the best hotel bed we’ve ever had. However, the faucets throughout the building are worn out and look unattractive, including in our room. Restaurant Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were okay, with enough variety. The dessert buffet was extensive, but the overall quality of the food was mediocre, major downside was that most vegetables were served cold every day, which wasn’t enjoyable. Keeping the food warm seems to be too much effort here. There was little variation in the menu, and no themed dinners. If you have a dairy allergy, unfortunately, this hotel doesn’t offer many options. At breakfast, there are Schär products, but during dinner, there’s no suitable dessert. Sometimes ice cream is available, but there’s no dairy-free sorbet. What really bothered us was the restaurant chairs. They are made of solid wood and become uncomfortable after a short time, making it feel like they want you to leave quickly. Entertainment The animation team was fun and spontaneous, but the evening music was always performed by the same band or artist, which became predictable after a few days. On Tuesday evenings, there was no music at all, as the performers had their day off. We enjoyed the fitness area, which was well-equipped—something you don’t often see. We used it often, although some equipment could use a fresh coat of paint. Surroundings The hotel is located right by the beach, and everything is well-maintained. There’s also a beautiful park where you can enjoy a drink. Unfortunately, many of the benches at the Olympus Bar outside are uncomfortable as they are too deep. The hotel has a shuttle bus to the stunning town of Taormina, which takes 20 minutes and costs €5 per person. Renting a car for a week costs around €350 and is recommended if you want to explore more of the island. Final Verdict Overall, we had a nice vacation, mainly due to the beautiful surroundings. However, we found the hotel overpriced for what you get in return. The all-inclusive package is a stripped-down version of what is standard elsewhere. The food was mediocre, especially having to eat cold vegetables every day. We heard many complaints from other guests. Unfortunately, there were hardly any accommodations for my dairy allergy. Our final rating is a 7. Sicily is definitely worth visiting, but we wouldn’t choose this hotel again.

Looking at the stats on Trip Advisor it would appear that 75% of nearly 2000 reviews score highly, this review is in line with those. I cannot abide negativity and its repercussions. Just spent a hugely relaxing and warm 2 weeks at Caesar Palace. It is an older hotel and it has the character and quirkiness to go with it, so much better than many modern hotels without soul. Our room was on 3rd floor overlooking pool, excellent,  aircon was not noisy, room was not drab, bed linen was fine. Room always cleaned to good standard and left smelling fresh. We found food to be very good, amazing variety of fish,  pasta and risotto dishes,carpaccio,sundried tomatoes, marinated olives, Arancini and many Sicilian vegetable dishes. In 2 weeks we never queued for food even when busy, which was normally at 8pm, we eat at 7pm. Always found something nice to eat. Staff were very attentive, wine in Restaurant was freely available and we have no complaints. As for comments about feeding at trough,  that says more about the users than the providers. To the Bar, where we were brilliantly served by, Katerina, Serafina,Paolo and Rafaelo  amazing range of top shelf world renowned Italian liqueurs, and others, plus Absolut,Gordon's,Bacardi,Ballantines. Bottled red and white wine which was available in local Supermarket at €5-6 a bottle, bit more expensive than vinegar and a better taste by far , Prosecco and of course Moretti beer. We had a great time working out different drinks, some of which were new to the staff. We made use of the Sun Deck on 3rd floor of main block, nice and private with amazing views of Etna. The courtesy transport to beach has set timings and signs showing those are in numerous locations around hotel, not too hard to find. I have never seen,or heard, any advice that says beach is only a few minutes walk, research!! Most surprising for me is reading and laughing at negative comments and their origins. Here is a tip when reading reviews, never read the negative stuff if it is well in the minority, because that is what it is ‘ Minority’ Overall a very positive stay, enjoyed at all times, would stay again without question.

Nice room next to the supermarket