Hotel Victoria - Taormina, Italy     

Really enjoyed our stay at the Victoria. We had a street facing room on the top floor and with the exception of Saturday night the sound from the street was no problem - I am a heavy sleeper so this might not be the same for everybody. The room was spacious and clean, well decorated with a 6 foot double bed. The breakfast was adequate but ordinary but once we had discovered Granita and Brioche for elevenses this was no problem. The staff were very friendly and spoke English. Taormina itself is a beautiful town with scores of resaurants. The views of the mediterranean and Mount Etna are stunning. I would suggest The Bacinale for a low cost meal and if you want to spend a bit more money try the Le Naumachie (near Mama Rosas). On the Saturday night they had a degustation fish menu with recommended glasses of wine with the four course meal. It was fabulous food, beautifully presented and at 55 euros excellent value for the quality of the food and wine. We travelled to Taormina from Catania airport by bus and this was cheap (5.3 euros each way) and easy. We had to wait for a bus since we arrived on Sunday when they are not so frequent so it took a bit longer than we would have hoped but compared to a taxi ride of 80 euro each way we were happy to save the cash.

The traditional looking hotel couldn't have been better placed right in the middle of everything. We had a room at the back with a balcony overlooking an alleyway - but that's OK, Italy has such interesting alleyways. It was a little oasis of calm amongst all the busyness of the Corsa Umberto. It was a lovely base to come back to after all the walking and sightseeing. The hotel was spotless, the staff were charming and could not have been more helpful. The bathroom was spacious with everything it needed and the shower was good too. The breakfast was continental but plenty to eat so you didn't go hungry. I have stayed in hotels with more stars that have not been as good. This is good value for money accommodation, if you're on a budget just go for it - and if you get the choice, Room 131 is a very nice twin. Taormnina is a beautiful place with fabulous shops and lovely eating places and bars - but soooo expensive. I would say that its more expensive than here. It doesn't help that the euro is so strong at the moment. All in all, a magical place that I could thoroughly recommend.