Sirius - Taormina, Italy 

The Hotel Sirius is located about 10 - 15 minutes walk from the Corso Umberto, 5 minute stroll from the cable car down to the beach. The only problem was the steep short slope down to the hotel from the main road, so not so suitable for people with difficulties walking. The rooms are quite small but very comfortable and cleaned daily, air conditioning was a lifesaver as the temperature was 40 degrees. Ladies, do take your own hair dryer as the hotel one is rubbish. A few people complained about the food, but we found it very appetising with a good choice. The bar only serves bottled beer (6 euros) but there is a good selection of wines. A gin and tonic will cost you 8 euros! The views from the terrace at Sirius are amazing and there are lots of hidden viewing places where you sit and sip your drink in the peace and quiet with the beautiful scent of jasmine wafting in the air. For honeymooners and older couples who want a relaxing break this is the place to come. Staff were all very helpful especially Fabiana on reception - nicknamed FAB - by most of the chaps!!!!

The hotel is clean and smart with attractive decor. The staff were friendly and helpful – the town map they provided was infinitely better than the one available from the Information bureau in town. The hotel is indeed within a short walk of the centre of Taormina and, better still, very close to the bus terminus. It is also equidistant between the cable car and the steps to the shore below. Virtually all rooms have showers only, not baths. Few rooms are the same in terms of size or view so it is worth asking about alternatives if you’re not satisfied. We were there early in the season so had a good choice of rooms, albeit at a price. Breakfast in the dining room is complemented by panoramic views towards the mainland in the morning sun. The lack of dining facilities for lunch and dinner in mid March was fine as we preferred to sample the many excellent restaurants in town. We experienced only two minor irritations: – Citalia had offered a free meal as part of their package but only told us about the restaurant being closed and thus it not being available, after we had completed payment online – there wasn’t even an apology when I pointed it out to them (in case other buyers set more store by the offer). The other irritation was to do with what was otherwise a perfectly reasonable breakfast. It seemed quite extraordinary to be in the heart of a citrus fruit region and be offered only highly diluted watery concentrate juices. But these are minor issues with a hotel that we’d certainly recommend. Others will have written about Taormina and the surrounding sights. I would only add that it is worth using buses where you can as the taxis are not cheap, and not always as straight as you are led to believe. The airport, the hotel and another driver all told us the taxi from Catania airport to Taormina should cost ?80 – our taxi driver managed to log ?150 on his meter by the time he dropped us off. The bus only costs ?5.30 per person for the same trip over the same time!