Hotel Villa Sonia

Location fabulous and when they say an Etna view they really mean an amazing Etna view. It’s very quiet and not much to do on an evening but the bar literally up the hill towards castlemola which is called the bar lounge under the stars has comfy sofas, views and a very relaxed cafe del mar music theme. Rooms are large remember to ask for safe keys, kettle and pool towels at reception
The fridge is a decent size for milk drinks and snacks. The chairs on the balcony are uncomfortable so use your beach towel if the chairs were comfy or a sofa I would rate the hotel as excellent but the balcony chairs and pool beds are not comfy. Apparently there is access to a private beach you need to ask at reception I walked to the beach but was very busy
The walk down to Taormina is steep but achievable for a little bit takes about wouldn’t 35 mins and certainly works your legs you’ll feel it the next day. Go along steps all the way down meaning you don’t have to walk on the road
Walking back up is for the fit
The staff are very friendly and helpful
Parking is €10 per day in a very small car park or the car park immediately across the road is €15 per day.
But to Taormina is about €3.80 one way and runs every 30 mins or so depending on times but I would suggest that rather than driving
Castlemola is a short walk very pretty with amazing views with a pharmacy and plenty of restaurants
The steak at the hotel is fantastic

Please but comfy seats on the balcony, padded cushions in the pool side loungers and more evening entertainment then this would be an all round brilliant hotel

Hyggeligt hotel.

Back for our second visit and was not disappointed. This hotel is family run & all of the staff go over & above to help with anything you need 🤩
When Etna erupted our flight was cancelled and the hotel immediately sent a taxi to collect us from the airport and as they knew this was stressful for my elderly parents they upgraded us all to their top rooms which are stunning and have views of Etna which you never tire of looking at!
For a peaceful holiday with spectacular views, friendly staff & immaculate cleanliness this hotel provides it all - we will be back!

So to start with the view was amazing … the hotel was very controlled, you couldn’t use the bar in the hotel until 7pm. Lots of doors were locked up like the restaurant doors for example and you couldn’t sit on the terrace until after 7pm when the bar was open but I never saw bar staff actually standing to serve. They put 3 euros on per person for service at the pool snack bar and again if you sat on the sofa after your meal for a drink it was immediately charged at 3 euros on your bill person.
There was no coffee or tea in the room no kettle and the rude grey haired man on reception told me to wait until my breakfast to get a coffee! Food was very average with mainly pizza and pasta nothing special and all puddings bought in not home made. Very much 3 star at most. Oh yes pool shuts at 6.30pm amd you’re literally told to pack up !

Everything the view of mount Etna the staff the food the peace

Great holiday, hotel was in a good location with amazing views of Etna. Good choice of restaurants and you can also go into Taormina there is a shuttle from the hotel or regular bus service outside the hotel.

Enjoyable stay in a “grand old” hotel. The furnishings and decor were ultra traditional, but the hotel leans into this well with quirky antiques throughout. The pool and adjoining deck and pool bar were very relaxing and spacious, and the terrace for dining was a massive plus. Our room had a great view over Mount Etna, which we enjoyed both nights (as it was erupting!).

Staff routinely kind throughout our stay. Catering was adequate and relatively expensive, but given the surroundings not inappropriately priced. Room a bit tired but, again, part of the “classic” hotel feel - aircon not very efficient, but honestly sufficient for the cooler mountain air. Shuttle bus from Taormina passes twice per hour and plenty of space to eat or drink at the top to Castelmola - just steps away.

I have a soft spot for these older hotels, when they are still correctly maintained, and this is certainly a great example. Would happily stay again.

The hotel did not meet the expectations of a 4‑star property. Breakfast was repetitive and low quality, with the same scrambled eggs, sausage, and cold cuts every day, and the coffee was poor. The room did not have a coffee machine, so I had to wait until 7:30 each morning to get coffee. The air conditioning did not work properly, and I struggled to sleep every night because the room was too warm.

The location was very noisy. The street is near a club, so weekends were loud with music, and weekdays were also noisy. The hotel is far from Taormina, and you must have a car. The shuttle only runs three times a day (10:00, 15:00, 16:00), so I often had to rent a car because the road is too steep to walk safely. The swimming pool was small, and the sunbeds were placed very close together.

Enjoyable stay in a “grand old” hotel. The furnishings and decor were ultra traditional, but the hotel leans into this well with quirky antiques throughout. The pool and adjoining deck and pool bar were very relaxing and spacious, and the terrace for dining was a massive plus. Our room had a great view over Mount Etna, which we enjoyed both nights (as it was erupting!). Staff routinely kind throughout our stay. Shuttle bus from Taormina passes twice per hour and plenty of space to eat or drink at the top to Castelmola – just steps away.

Villa Sonia is a lovely traditional Italian hotel. The staff were extremely helpful n welcoming. The location is spectacular, looming over Taormina, n facing Mt Etna. Excellent breakfast. The free shuttle service to Taormina was great. Great pool n deck for relaxing.

This is a quirky but charming hotel. The location is amazing high above Taormina with stunning views of Mount Etna. Castelmola itself is very picturesque and only a short, uphill, walk away. We were half-board and the dinners in the Parco Reale restaurant were excellent. The breakfast was ok but the cooked items were often poor. The fresh fruit however was excellent and plentiful. The hotel staff are all lovely and so hard working particularly Lucretia and Massimo who couldn’t do enough for us.
The pool area is lovely with plentiful loungers and a very good pool bar/restaurant.
We really enjoyed our two weeks here but there were a couple of things that could have been better.
Our room (512) was a reasonable size with a lovely sunny balcony but it was totally lacking in any drawer space so after utilising the few available hangers in the wardrobe we had to leave everything else in suitcases ( not ideal for a two week stay). We requested a change of room but as the hotel was full this was not possible. In addition there was only one usb charging point in the room and the only available socket was in the bathroom.
Overall though our experience was a very positive one and we will almost certainly return.

Location, facilities

View of Mt Etna at dawn from our hotel room.

Staff were excellent . Particularly Carmen. Beautiful location. Great pool

I would say this hotel is more of a 3-star than a 4-star.

Firstly, the staff are friendly, the views are beautiful, and although the hotel is situated quite high up in a village, it is in a lovely area with buses running every half hour down to Taormina.

However, both the rooms and the hotel itself feel very dated. The bathrooms are old, the rugs appeared dirty, there are not enough plug sockets, and there is no kettle in the room. Guests also have to request both the safe key and lock, which feels inconvenient. While I understand the hotel is trying to maintain a traditional style, certain aspects really need updating to meet the standards expected of a 4-star hotel.

The pool area was nice, but the sun loungers were very dirty and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, the breakfast was also very poor and is not something I would recommend.

Overall, I believe this hotel has great potential due to its location, views, and friendly staff, but it is in need of a significant refurbishment before it can truly be considered a 4-star hotel.

Everything was great: the location is amazing! We had an amazing view on Etna. Hotel provides the shuttle to Taormina and back, which resolves the question with transportation. Loved the tranquility of Castelmola on a contrast with buzzing Taormina. Staff was also very nice and helpful. Will definitely come back