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Reviews of Hotel Ariston & Palazzo Santa Caterina

4 out of 5
Hotel Ariston & Palazzo Santa Caterina
Piazza Luigi Pirandello - Bus Terminal, Taormina, ME

Reviews

8.4

Very Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 293 out of 753 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 311 out of 753 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 102 out of 753 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 27 out of 753 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 20 out of 753 reviews" "

8.4/10

Cleanliness

8.4/10

Staff & service

8.2/10

Amenities

8.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Walter Winkle

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
It was a nice place to stay. It was very hard to get to by car and to find the entrance without going into the forbidden driving zones. I was charged by Expedia and then when I gave my card for the extra tax, I was charged another full room rate. They said they would contact Expedia to refund my money. 2 weeks later, Nothing. He even admitted to me that I was charged twice but insisted that he could make the change.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

8/10 Good

Laurel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

Jennifer

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
They were way understaffed. The facility itself was gorgeous. Finding the parking lot was a bit of a nightmare. My only complaint was how understaffed they were.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

6/10 Okay

Isabelle

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Good location and amazing views of the ocean
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

8/10 Good

Camille

Traveled with group
Liked: Amenities
The property has a great location and great views. The breakfast was very plentiful and the staff were nice. However our room was a disappointment. Part of the bathroom wall (a 5 foot tall piece of wood fell off) and when I told the staff they acted like that was normal. Also our room was in annex type area with no view and felt like all the rooms there weren’t really part of the hotel or maintained like the rest of the property
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Diane, East Hanover

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
tttt
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Pierre-Yves

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Nice hotel and location. Rooms and bathrooms are a bit dated. Access was very challenging and should be explained prior to arrival
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

john

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very good overall stay
Nothing bad to say. !! Good size room. Clean. Decent mattress and pillows. Arrival gift bottle of spumanti. But didn’t fit in the mini mini bar. Staff very helpful and friendly. Minor thing to be aware of. If you are at all disabled or unable to carry your bags to reception, which is 80 yards away uphill, you will need help. There are no staff at the drop off point and no buzzer or internal phone to call reception. Only small vehicles can get to the top. It’s a lovely hotel building with lots of character but check where your room is situated or expect a long uphill climb to reception. There are lifts but they do not completely service the whole place. Food is good and plentiful at a decent price. Restaurants in town are generally very good with variety of prices. At reception the staff are very helpful but Carmella is a star performer. Nothing is too much trouble. It’s advertised as a 4 star and still needs a few upgrades to achieve it. Old baths with shower integrated was a bit precarious if you’re at all unstable. The water gets everywhere. Cleaners are very efficient. Overall I give it 3.8 out of 4 stars. Would go back again but I know what to check for. Pool area was never overcrowded and we were there at a busy time.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Sylvia

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Fantastic loctaion close to the main attractions...right next to the bus terminal without feeling like it is next to a bus terminal. Beautiful views, lots of options for breakfast. The rooms were a bit dated but clean. I was a bit underwhelmed when i saw our room. But the hotel grew on me. The location and views were excellent

10/10 Excellent

Anita

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

6/10 Okay

Farah

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
OK stay
Let’s start with the positives, the staff here were really friendly the receptionist was kind and let us check in early which we really appreciated as we had a very long journey before arrival. We have been in Italy for two weeks and this was the most expensive hotel we booked to stay in, which was a superior room with sea view. The location if you are travelling in by the bus is fantastic it’s literally outside the hotel. Moving on to the room itself was a little disappointing. As it was badges as a superior room we expected a little more from it, with the furniture in part looking scuffed/dirty, and holes in the curtains it didn’t really give that superior feeling we had experienced elsewhere. The view was a sea view as promised, we only stayed for one night i would have been staying for more I would have felt more disappointed. In terms of costs for Taormina, its still probably considered cheap. To mention breakfast was plentiful in the morning, with lots of options which was appreciated it’s just the rooms need a little TLC or don’t badge them as superior would be my recommendation
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Benny

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great Sicilian food
Stayed 9 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Carmela

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The hotel is very nice and the staff was great. A little difficult to find even with a GPS.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Placido on Aug 7, 2023
Thank youHotel Ariston

10/10 Excellent

John

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property had an incredible view of the sea, and was very close and easy walking distance to town.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023

4/10 Poor

howard

Traveled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
SKIP. Outdated rooms, lack of daily housekeeping
The only good thing about this hotel is the central location in Taormina. The rooms are in serious need of renovating and updating. The pictures posted on this website are very misleading. My first room was horrendous. The smell of mildew permeated the bathroom, my shower door did not close properly and the bathroom shelf was broken. The room itself was not cleaned properly upon my arrival. The dresser tops were dirty and the closet drawer was broken. I asked for a new room the next morning and although they accommodated my request, the room was not much of an upgrade. Daily room cleaning was an embarrassment. Every day, I returned to a room that was not serviced. Every day, upon my return, I had to go down to reception and ask for my room to be cleaned and wait in the lobby for 45 minutes until it was complete. After the third day, I asked the front desk in the morning to please have my room cleaned. Although they acknowledged my request, my return every afternoon prompted the same result.. and unattended room that I had to ask multiple times to be serviced. Once they actually attended to my room, all they did was refresh my towels and make my bed. Nothing else was cleaned. There were times where they didn't even empty the trash bin in the bathroom.
Stayed 8 nights in Jul 2023

6/10 Okay

Michael

Traveled with family
Great location and nice pool. Hotel is a bit tired though - especially bathrooms. AirCon not great in rooms.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Fred

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It was in a great location with great service.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023

2/10 Terrible

Taj

Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nothing you see in fancy photos on website
We booked 3 rooms for 7 people and rooms were Horrible nothing like pictures you see on website all rooms are tiny rooms with no proper air conditioning and shower you can barely move without hurting yourself. It’s just nasty place to stay I do not recommend.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Gilda

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Leonardo

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Ken

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Nella

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Large pool but closed way too early. Close to transport and quick walk to the center. Nice food.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2023

8/10 Good

Robert

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 14 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

virginia, Towson

Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Access to parking extremely difficult and confusing. Detailed instructions should be provided.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023

6/10 Okay

Mike

Traveled with partner
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Stayed 4 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Brenda

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Everyone was so nice and helpfully!!
Stayed 4 nights in May 2023

8/10 Good

Janet

Liked: Room comfort
The hotel is i an excellent position, close to the bus station where tours start and a short walk to the town centre. Views from the terrace and the sea view rooms are magnificent. Reception staff very helpful. The hotel is looking rather old fashioned now and would benefit from some renovation although it is comfortable and looks well maintained. A pity there is no gym or indoor pool as it was too cold for the outdoor one.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

marian

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very fancy hotel next to the interbus terminus
Very nice. Beautiful views. Lovely gardens. Enticing swimming pool. 10 minute walk to main tourist area. Staff very friendly and helpful. There is a lift from near the carpark to motel level.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023

2/10 Terrible

Michelle

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Tired, run-down & dirty. Should be 3* at most. Paid extra for a balcony - tiny and beside a rock face, so pointless! Breakfast included stale fruit & bread, machine coffee & powdered egg! The staff treat you like you're a nuisance rather than a customer & are totally incompetent. We arrived in a thunderstorm, desperate to get out of wet clothes. The guy on reception couldn't find our booking on his paper list despite having our passports with our names. A package tour bus arrived & he just tried to move on and ignore us and serve them first. I was soaking wet, so I challenged that and he looked at his list again and found us, threw a key at us - no apology, no welcome. On another occasion, I asked one of the 3 girls who do nothing all day at reception (well, actually on this occasion she was firing staples into a blank folded up piece of paper) to ensure our room got cleaned that day as the previous day, it wasn't cleaned at all despite us being out all day. She replied 'You will have to tell him' and pointed to the 1 guy on reception doing any work - dealing with another a customer and their complaints. The pool area is large but in the 3 days we stayed there, no one went in it as it's unheated/too cold. It's also a death trap for kids as it's 2 metres all the way around. Location is good - but you'd struggle to find anywhere that wasn't good in Taormina as it's a small town. Parking is a nightmare - like everywhere in Sicily. Glad we only had to stay there 3 days. AVOID!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Maria

Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2023

8/10 Good

Stephen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Clean rooms and dining. Great staff.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

MARIANA

Traveled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
There are breathtaking views from te hotel. The bus station is very close and it's a walkable distance from downtown and many options for dinning. The breakfast is amazing, lots of options, fresh fruits, fresh orange juice and a Nutella machine! Wonderful!
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel Ariston, a perfect hotel for a wonderful loc
What a lovely hotel. My wife and I have just got back and the only downside is that we wish we stayed longer. The hotel is perfectly located with beautiful sea views and a short walk to the shops and restaurants of Taormina. The rooms were comfortable and a decent size. We were pleasantly surprised to have a bottle of champagne waiting for us to enjoy. The breakfast was vey tasty and with good choice. The reception staff were very polite and helpful and always offered good advice regarding things to do and see. We will certainly return as it was a fantastic holiday all round.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2023

8/10 Good

Sin Ki

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2022

4/10 Poor

harold

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Not a 4star hotel
Not 4 star hotel, 3 star at best. Room cleaning was poor. Reported a bathroom leak when we checked in and nobody came to fix it. Dinner service was slow and they forgot to serve dessert at one sitting. However the buffet dinner event was fabulous.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Chloe

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I had a fantastic stay at this hotel! The gentleman who checked me in was extremely kind and helpful - thank you! My room was lovely… the sea view is one of the highlights of my trip! The sunrise is truly wonderful! Thank you so much.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Julia, Richmond Hill

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location. Excellent breakfast buffet
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Lawrence

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We loved our stay here
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022

8/10 Good

caroline

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Wonderful location and views- less impressed by the buffet breakfast The pool during high season really isn’t quite spacious enough in terms of deck chairs Service very friendly though
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Filomena

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved this hotel. Beautiful views, great staff and overall nice looking property.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Sean, new Milford

Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

8/10 Good

Christina

Traveled with group
Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
short stay in Taormina.
This hotel is conveniently located right by the bus terminal, and about 10 mins walk (very hilly!) to Taormina city center, so it was perfect for us. We arrived at Catania airport and took the direct bus from the airport here. The hotel has great view, however, we are not sure if it really is a 4 star hotel. The room we stayed at was quite basic. And we asked for a twin room (with two beds) specifically, turned out it was a king bed plus a sofa bed. We also stayed at the annex of the hotel that is a little further away from the main building of the hotel, which is not as convenient.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022

8/10 Good

Eramo

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed there four years ago and returned to enjoy with another couple
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Cheryl

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Three night stay in May
Lovely stay here for a few nights during our tour of Sicily. Hotel is well placed, an easy walk into the main town with lots of decent restaurants. Staff were friendly and helpful, room was clean and comfortable. Parking was available at a car park nearby the hotel at a cost of €20 per day.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Tammy Brian

Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Views
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Charlotte

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location in Taormina, staff were lovely and friendly too. It was off-season so a little less available in the way of shuttle-to-beach and vegan options.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Gustavo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Katherine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2022

8/10 Good

Mark

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Pleasant stay
Very pleasant hotel with kind staff. Unfortunately the furniture and amenities are getting dated and it is quite a walk uphill to the centre. If you don't mind the ealk then definetly a place to stay.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2022