Name: Best Western Hotel Santa Caterina
Address: Via Santa Caterina, 42/B, 42/b, Acireale, 95024, IT

4/10

Poor

22 Jul 2026

David

If you’re not renting a car, I’d strongly recommend choosing somewhere else. The hotel is far from the train station, taxis are difficult to get (especially in the evenings), and I ended up spending so much on taxis that I could have afforded a nicer hotel in Taormina or Ortigia. There are also no convenient beaches nearby.

The rooms were clean, but housekeeping starts around 8 a.m. and the doors have very poor soundproofing, so I was woken every morning by noise in the corridor.

Breakfast was disappointing because if you arrive around 9:30 a.m., much of the food has already run out and isn’t replenished, despite breakfast continuing until 10:00. On one morning I had to wait to boil my own egg because there was very little left. By the time I sat down with just a boiled egg and some toast, it was around 10:10. The waitress became visibly annoyed, loudly clearing dishes around me and speaking to me in an aggressive manner when I was simply finishing my breakfast. It was an unpleasant experience and not how I’d expect to be treated as a paying guest.

Finally, the pool was rarely relaxing. The loungers were often reserved with towels for long periods and the area was very busy with families and children, so I hardly used it.

The reception staff were lovely throughout my stay, but because of the location, noise and restaurant experience, I wouldn’t recommend this hotel unless you have your own car.

Self

8/10

Excellent

19 Jul 2026

Matthew

Outside the city, but a cute town. Limited dinning options. Shady pool. Average breakfast.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jun 2026

Elena

Great place, amazing view, nice staff!

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

24 Feb 2026

Ruijia

Best hotel i ever stayed at. It was hard to find but once found, you dont need car anymore as everything is nearby. Room was big and spacious. The key weighed a ton.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Nov 2025

Trevor

Excellent option for a great rate in November. The view is amazing and the restaurant was a bit pricy, but very good. The staff were wonderful and spoke excellent English. A real gem!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Sep 2025

Erika

Everything was wonderful ! Staff was very helpful and all was great ! Loved the restaurant, service and food was amazing ! Loved it !

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Jul 2025

teddy

Had a nice time.
The room was a little small , was not given a chance to upgrade .
Food was great and location was close to airport and very clean with nice views.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

31 May 2025

Johannes

Was fine for stopover. The pizza’s we had in the restaurant were great, breakfast was also very good!

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

29 Mar 2025

CLAUDIA

Nothing did stand out for good, or bad. Definitely wouldn't recommend it as a stay for the location, makes no sense, it's far from everything, unless you're visiting Acireale, then of course. But still, was absolutely average, not worth the value, unless again you want to explore Acireale.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

12 Dec 2024

Edward

This a wonderful boutique property walking distance from town and quiet neighborhoods. The people are extraordinary nice, accommodating and helpful. The restaurant is also excellent. My only issue is it's on the highway and the highway noise is noticeable.

Business Self

6/10

Pleasant

19 Sep 2024

David

Hotel waa difficult to find becaiae of the location. Beautiful room and hotel but staff were rude.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

14 Sep 2024

Verified traveler

Really Dissappinting

Understaffed and lots of petty things spoilt a really beautiful hotel. Charges for pool towels and water in the room. Refusing an extra coffee at breakfast and some unfriendly staff members (some Lovely too). Wonderful pool area short work to the beautiful town. My friend had paid in advance and the hotel tried to take an extra deposit before arrival then again tried to take full payment on check out. Such a shame as so many good points to the hotel and would be very easy to make it feel more luxury and not be spoilt by petty things and irritated staff. Aware English people are generally annoying to the rest of Europe and maybe this was an issue which I can understand

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

19 May 2024

Louise Elizabeth

Views at the property were amazing, staff were generally pretty friendly with the exception of a couple. In terms of cleanliness everywhere was spotless. We would have liked a bigger pool and the food at the restaurant for breakfast and dinner was just ok. Bed was super comfy

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

01 May 2024

Florin

The most expensive and the worst (by far) hotel we stayed in Sicily. Arrived late after a long day on the road. Got probably one of their worst rooms, in an almost empty hotel, in a dark corner with a claustrophobic feel. Woke up super congested, it turns out the bathroom has a strong mold smell. There is no step to the shower cabin, and all the water leaking on the floor did it’s damage over time. We were moved to an equal size room with a properly designed shower cabin, without the mold problem and with more open views. While an almost empty hotel in off-season would put their guests in the worst rooms defies logic, especially given their VIP, free upgrades protocols. Breakfast was also the worst we experienced in Sicily, stale Costc-llike muffins. In all the other places we stayed in Sicily there was a cornucopia of delicious crostadas, eggs etc. The freshly squeezed orange juice was nice but we had that everywhere. Had to work for part of the day and chose a hotel with presumably a good internet connection. The problem is that it requires to reconnect your devices each time after they went dormant which can cause problems with uploads and downloads.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

18 Feb 2024

Kwong

The staff is super nice, and it’s a good place to stay and access the town. Would have liked to have access to a heated pool! Rooms are pretty small but comfy bed, and liked the outdoor patio

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Oct 2023

John

A bit hard to find but oh what a find! Lovely room, helpful staff, excellent food, perfect view. And very very reasonable.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jun 2023

Mark

Lovely property. Well appointed.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2023

Jimmy

Nice hotel with a really good restaurant! The room was clean and had a beautiful view of the ocean.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

29 Oct 2022

Santiago

Great hotel with amazingly large rooms and bathrooms. Really nice breakfast available and restaurant. The town center is walking distance and the area is safe. I highly recommend this property :-)

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jun 2022

Amanda

LOVED IT!

Everyone was SOOO nice! breakfast is GREAt staff are amazing restaurant for dinner was world class views and pool outstanding just loved this stay.

They lent me a phone charger and let me check in early, they are just so nice.

The bottled water in the fridge isnt free tho and I didnt realize so just be aware :)

I did go buy a fluffy pillow as they are all flat and hard and I get migraines so am ridiculously picky, not their fault but if anyone else suffers as I do, bring something to soften the head.

Self

8/10

Excellent

14 Sep 2021

CHARLES

Very nice hotel

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

11 Oct 2019

Verified traveler

Very enjoyable stay. Staff was so helpful on w. Food was good at the restaurant, rooms very clean

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

03 Oct 2019

Rebecca

Great stay!

The staff was exceptionally kind and helpful. The beds were a bit hard; but, otherwise the rooms were comfortable and clean. We quickly discovered Catania was not the trip for us (too big, too much traffic, too many people). The staff was quick to advise a wonderful drive to Mt. Etna. It was a fabulous experience overall!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

First class restaurant with excellent food and knowledgeable staff, excellent service provided by Rita at the front desk, starting with the welcome we received. Rooms are well designed with plenty of charging stations, which is a must for travel these days.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 Sep 2019

Kimberly

A room with a view

The room was nice we over looked the Mediterranean Sea. The food was good and the staff was very helpful.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

This is a lovely small hotel in an interesting area. Clean and well organised. The staff are friendly and helpful without being pushy. It has a lovely pool area and a good restaurant. Acireale is about 15 minutes slow stroll away, uphill there and downhill back to the hotel. The town is authentically Sicilian and most of the holidaymakers there are Italian. We had a lovely week there in August.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 Jun 2019

Verified traveler

Claimed to have beach access but wasn’t yet open for the season. They gave us a 30% discount for one of our 3 nights as compensation.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 May 2019

Verified traveler

We stayed 14 days and took day trips by car from Acireale. The hotel staff was friendly and helpful recommending places and restaurants to visit. It was a slight uphill walk into the center of Acireale but after two weeks of evaluating, we would stay there again rather than in the center. Acireale is a great place to visit. Everyone there was super friendly and helpful.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

Comfortable and convenient with friendly, helpful staff.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2019

Verified traveler

Lovely stay

Very nice stay. Excellent restaurant, beautiful view of the ocean from our balcony and the restaurant.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Oct 2018

Trevor

Lovely hotel 10 mins walk from historic centre

Lovely room with 2 balconies and sea view, breakfast and evening food in restaurant both excellent

Partner

8/10

Excellent

11 Oct 2018

Ann

Easy to find and convenient for visiting Mt Etna and Taormina

8/10

Excellent

27 Sep 2018

Verified traveler

Nice hotel

good restaurant

10/10

Exceptional

09 Aug 2018

Verified traveler

Well located for town centre with a good popular restaurant. We had a family room which was clean of reasonable size and well equipped.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

02 Jul 2018

gabrielle

Hotel with nice restaurant

The staff were pleasant.
View from room over shabby car park and flats (sea view limited) was a bit disappointing but we were only there for one night so not important.
The loung area was attractive with views over the sea.
The dining room was pleasant with sea views. The waiter brought out the fish to show us what we were considering ordering. The whole meal was delicious. It seemed popular with Sicilian people.
The swimming pool was well maintained.
The entrance to the hotel was in need of better signs and directions to Reception. Broken venetian blinds in Reception gave the hotel a slightly run down look.

10/10

Exceptional

14 May 2018

Verified traveler

A bit hard to find, but overall very nice

8/10

Excellent

15 Mar 2018

Verified traveler

Med View for Etna Excursion

We wanted an easy-access, quiet hotel with a med view for our planned day-trip to Etna, and that is exactly what we found here. The staff were friendly and capable and welcomed speaking to us in English. The restaurant was comfortable and the service was efficient and friendly. The menu was a real challenge to a vegetarian and gluten-free diet, but you could choose from almost every kind of meat you can think of.

10/10

Exceptional

15 Oct 2017

Jacquie

A very comfortable and welcoming overnight stay.

Perfect location for us, just close enough to the main town area. Excellent room with view of ocean very clean and comfortable. Staff were charming. Food was good. Able to park car and the pool looked most inviting.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Sep 2017

Robyn

Relaxing

Lovely hotel with a good central location to travel up and fown coast

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Sep 2017

David

Excellent stay. Good food, helpful staff, clean tidy room with good sea views.And a great pool.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

07 Aug 2017

Buzzy

A very pleasing peaceful Gem of an hotel

If you want a quite relaxing holiday then this is a gem, set in tranquil surroundings and a great base to explore the local town of Acireale and the region. Blessed with friendly accommodating staff, lovely clean rooms, and great food. The walk into the town can be a bit challenging especially for those less able to walk however, Sicily is full of hills anyway and taxi`s are available at little cost.

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jul 2017

Rachel

A wonderful hotel in a good location for exploring

We spent 4 days in Sicily and were based at the Hotel Santa Caterina. The hotel was perfect - the rooms are lovely, the swimming pool was a nice way to cool down in the heat, the restaurant was excellent and the staff were very friendly. Aceriale itself has a few good bars and restaurants but is not as pretty as some of the other Sicilian towns. However it is a good base if you want to explore the Eastern side of the island and Mount Etna. Walking to Santa Maria la Scala is well worth the hike, take a swimming costume though so that you can sunbathe on the rocks and swim in the sea.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

28 Jun 2017

Andre

Nice hotel with good restaurant and pool

Very nice staff. Really enjoyed our stay of 4 nights. Hotel rooms need to be maintained a little bit more. Pool is nice and well maintained. Breakfast is superb. Restaurant is very good with good views.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Nov 2016

Sue

Friendly Hotel

Stayed here for 4 nights with friends. Drove past the entrance on arrival and had to take a detour to get back to it but once we arrived what a lovely surprise. The hotel staff are lovely. Our rooms both had French doors that led out onto the garden which was a nice place to gather and have a drink in the evening. The hotel is situated next to a busy road and railway line but we did not notice any excessive noise. We ate in the restaurant a couple nights and would also recommend this. The breakfast buffet was more than adequate although the boiled egg cooker took some getting used to! Swimming pool area was nice and the pool although not heated was nice a the end of a day sightseeing.

10/10

Exceptional

31 Oct 2016

Nicoletta

The restuarant in the hotel was FAB!!!

We loved the Santa Caterina hotel, and would highly recommend it to anyone, families, couples, singles. It is in a great location to visit many of the beautiful towns surrounding it, Etna, and Catania. Acireale is Baroque as is much of this part of Italy and very close to the Isole Ciclope of Odyssey fame. Fabulous area, great food, local life.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 Sep 2016

Erik

We enjoy staying at this hotel and are repeat visitors. Comfortable room, good breakfast, friendly staff.

Family

8/10

Excellent

18 Jul 2016

Verified traveler

Pleasant hotel with character

Generally a good standard hotel though not 4 star...lovely pool and decent sized room. Reception greeting lacks information unless you ask all the usual questions. Wifi, breakfast times, facilities and the safer way of leaving the hotel for the town.(ask them to open back gate). Good breakfast choice.
Shower in our room clean but the edges need a good deep clean between frame and glass. Small table on grass outside rooms lovely.
steep walk down and up to the Nature Reserve which also has a cafe with sun bathing area. Nature Reserve possibly a broad term in the sense of what you may see... Well placed for the town (10/15 mins) with some excellent fish restaurants. We would return to this hotel.

8/10

Excellent

03 Jan 2016

AJOHN

Nice hotel with a wonderful view

We stayed in Hotel Santa Caterina for 6 nights on our maiden trip to Sicily. The hotel is a little difficult to access by car and the GPS directions takes you through the one way Santa Caterina street. But once you reach the hotel, the views of the sea are breathtaking. The rooms are nicely decorated with basic amenities, and we found the mattress very comfortable for a good night's sleep. Each room has access to a terrace overlooking the sea. The staff at the hotel are very helpful and extremely pleasant to converse with. They do speak English and are well versed with tourist attractions that the area has to offer. The restaurant at the hotel seems to be very popular with the local residents and tends to be busy. Their pizzas and main dishes were delicious and quantities very generous. Would recommend making a reservation to get good tables. Overall, we had a great experience staying at the hotel.

10/10

Exceptional

04 Nov 2015

Verified traveler

Nice hotel, nice rooms, friendly staff
Great restaurant, excellent breakfast
A bit far from Catania but worth the drive

8/10

Excellent

26 Oct 2015

Bill

In the Sun

Pleasant Staff, enjoyed both the breakfasts and dinners.

4/10

Poor

20 Oct 2015

Verified traveler

not a good location

the dinning room staff was great all meals......the hotel is in a bad location to get to and from.....my refrigerator was broke for the three days i was in the hotel and the front desk would not get me a new one

8/10

Excellent

19 Oct 2015

Bill

Pleasurable stay

Staff extremely helpful, location hard to get to. Restaurant worth checking out, prices reasonable service excellent (ask for Marcello), he chocolate cake is to die for.

6/10

Pleasant

17 Oct 2015

Verified traveler

sicily trip

it was nice but hard to get to hotel in car...........the staff was great

8/10

Excellent

04 Oct 2015

Alana

First of all yes, this hotel is hard to find if your gps has taken you via the old centre. Once you get there parking is available but can fill up. Two staff were great (restaurant manager and his blonde side kick) but the rest were cold and short. The food is of good quality in the restaurant and priced in the mid range. Drinks are expensive and the laundry prices are ridiculous. We were unable to locate a self service one in the area so make sure you clean your clothes before you arrive. The rooms are comfortable and clean although there are some obvious signs of age. The bathroom was good and toiletries were nice. Breakfast was quite average for the star rating. It is fine as a base but there are probably better value options available.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Sep 2015

Liz

This was such a charming little hotel, the rooms were comfortable and we had our own little terrace that overlooked the sea. The pool was a great place to relax and very clean, the staff were very helpful and a great resource for information on good local restaurants, the reception will even call and reserve a table for you if you don't speak great Italian. The restaurant in the hotel is not bad either, a little more pricey than the local ones but the quality is just as good and it's pack with locals almost every night- always a good sign. I would most definitely stay again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Aug 2015

Verified traveler

Our experience at Santa Hotel Hotel was great. The staff was very pleasant and helpful. The buffet breakfast was awesome and the restaurant by the hotel was terrific! We had great sea food there!
I would definitely recommend this hotel.

4/10

Poor

08 Aug 2015

Andrej

only for one night stay

The hotel is clean, stuff in very helpfull. Location and aroundings is not so nice as you can see on website pictures. The breakfast is very poor and at the breakfast they serve drinks in plastic coups. For four stars hotel unbelievable.
Definitely not for o long stay hotel.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jul 2015

william

give yourself a treat

attentive, friendly staff. food, fresh and plentiful. room, ample and very clean. pool perfect for our needs. Town delightful and not too touristy.

all in all a very enjoyable time and would highly recommend this hotel

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2015

Verified traveler

Very Tradiitonal Italian hotel with great food

Had a great time staying here. Great food, helpful staff and nice pool area. Great location very close to lots of key places to visit via car.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

02 Jul 2015

cheamo

A car would have helped

This is a nice hotel, where reception staff are friendly and do generally speak good English. Rooms are clean and very comfortable. Outside much is made in some reviews about the railway and the main road, there are a maximum of 4 trains an hour passing the hotel and you soon get used to it, the road is below the level of the hotel and again causes little issue save the fact that the table and chairs outside most rooms have the road in your eyeline when looking out to sea.
Dining at the hotel is an okay experience, breakfast offers you a good choice from a buffet set up and in the evening food is fine although the staff seem pretty disorganised, and if like me your Italian is limited discussing food is a challenge, but I have to accept we are visiting their country.
Acireale is not the most picturess town on the island but seems a fair location to explore the east coast of the island, you can get to some of the coastal towns by train using the railway, the station is around 15 minutes walk away, but as I said trains are infrequent, one an hour in each direction through the middle of the day

8/10

Excellent

24 Jun 2015

Ray

Nice hotel, nice staff and great restaurant

Stayed two nights and ate at the hotel restaurant both nights. It was packed each time - by locals. So booking is an absolute necessity. Our rooms was on the ground floor and opened onto a nice garden area. There is also a small pool, but it is strictly for lolling around in, nothing else. The restaurant was outstanding - best (slow cooked) pizza I have ever had. And the staff were great. Highly recommended.

8/10

Excellent

12 Jun 2015

William

Nice stay

Hotel was great, and the food was excellent. Having a free and bountiful breakfast is a plus. The evening meal at the facility was outstanding. The only drawback is the location near the road. There was a lot of traffic noise

Family

8/10

Excellent

26 Apr 2015

Claude

The least bad hotel choice near the Etna ?

A fine restaurant and excellent breakfast buffet... but quite noisy and small rooms (a railway track on one side of the hotel, a much frequented highway on the other). Bathrooms need repairs. WIFI almost virtual (in our room at least).

2/10

Poor

22 Mar 2015

Catherine

no refund for medical emergency

They refused to refund me when I had a medical emergency, telling me I shouldn't have used the non-refundable rate because I was pregnant. They also don't have any affordable rates for airport transfers (90 euros each way).

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2015

Verified traveler

Fantastic value for money!

Comfortable room with French doors opening onto shared grass terrace overlooking the sea. Breakfast fab, juicing machines, pastries, eggs, cereals, coffee, cheese, sliced meats and more. Staff very welcoming and friendly. A great value hotel convenient for Etna, Catania, Taormina etc. Acireale pleasant enough too, shops a very close walk, 5-10mins. Main road (ss114?) is easily accessed North and South for those who are driving (we did), and the trainline although running very close by was on the opposite side of the hotel to the bedrooms, very quiet! The restaurant was busy, pizzas looked great, portions generous. Really great little hotel and excellent value, would definitely return. Worth a try if you want clean, quiet and affordable with a decent breakfast!

8/10

Excellent

23 Nov 2014

Peter and Laura

Well worth the initial trek to find!

Tricky to find but well worth the trek. The staff were always more than happy to help with queries about the area/transport. The hotel overall was very clean, comfortable and welcoming. Our room was spacious, had a heating/air-conditioning system that was easy enough to use and was kept clean by someone coming in everyday while we were out. We had a balcony with a great view and stairs that led straight up to the pool (which was stunning).

The restaurant was brilliant at times but rather underwhelming at some points. As vegetarians we were incredibly limited as to what we could have so ended up ordering pizzas on both nights that we ate there. On the second night we opted to have a vegetable starter on arrival it was burnt and vaguely resembled the description on the menu. The breakfast was good but at times poorly organised, on one day they ran out of bread very early on (but the view over Acireale and the sea somewhat made up for it).

We stayed mid October so it was very peaceful. Overall our experience of Santa Caterina was a positive one and definitely somewhere we would recommend to others.

8/10

Excellent

06 Oct 2014

P&K

Train Line didn't disturb us!

Saw reviews that commented about the road, the train line and lack of sun beds and bar staff. We are pretty experienced and discerning travellers... the trains were infrequent and took seconds to pass, the road is way below the hotel and quiet at night. We were out of season perhaps and so had no troubles with sun bed availability and had no problem getting a drink... the room was comfortable... if only it had a kettle, the balcony was tight and had only one chair... Finding the hotel is a challenge...SS114 from Catalina turn off after the Ibis Hotel and before the Alora Hotel... The car parking can be 'challenging'.

The restaurant was excellent - really good.

The walk into a scruffy Acireale is up a steep hill and other than a couple of bars (Cafe Cipriai for example) is probably not worth it. There is an excellent restaurant 800 metres away in Santa Caterena itself (next to the church). And the challenging walk to La Scalar down the steep staircase is definitely worth it. But also drive south to the next two harbour towns for great fish

6/10

Pleasant

01 Oct 2014

Kevin

Santa caterina

We booked late so got poor room, nice restaurant, breakfast ok but coffee not good. Nice pool, friendly staff.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2014

Keith

Great Hotel for couples and families

Myself, wife and baby girl traveled to the Santa Caterina Hotel for a weeks family holiday. The hotel is very clean, the staff are very friendly and the location in the town of Acireale is quite central for traveling to other touristy sites providing you have a rental car. Would stay here again and would recommend to family and friends.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Sep 2014

Laura

Wonderful hotel overlooking the Mediterranean

Sta. Caterina is a lovely little hotel in Aceriale. The staff is friendly and helpful, the rooms clean, comfortable and attractive. The restaurant provides excellent Sicilian cuisine.

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jul 2014

LUIGI

best around

great hotel with very clean bedrooms and very quiet and staff very helpful especially during the morning breakfast which is great.
Restaurant is a favourite in the area with the locals with good menu and wine selection and tv room with balcony and view is magnificent and the area with pool and outdoor eating exquisite apart from the noisy trains that pass but only about six to eight times a day and pass very quickly,apart from that its a great place but you do need a car as taxis are expensive.

8/10

Excellent

07 Jun 2014

Verified traveler

Elegant hotel.

Excellent breakfast, helpful staff, lovely room.
Parking limited.
Location average but easy to find.

4/10

Poor

29 May 2014

sam

NOT WHAT WE EXPECTED VERY DISAPPOINTED

This hotel was not what we expected. We had asked for waterfront and did not get that. They put us in a wheelchair accessible room. The shower was large but water was all over the place. We asked the front desk to have someone come in to clean it up, they came and put some towels on the bed and left the water on the floor. The bed was very uncomfortable. The man at the front desk was not very helpful at all. DEFINITELY WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS HOTEL

4/10

Poor

05 May 2014

Verified traveler

No internet

No Internet. They didn't know how it works or how to fix it and they didn't care.

10/10

Exceptional

15 Apr 2014

Verified traveler

Stay at Santa Caterina

This was an excellent hotel, the staff were very friendly and helpfull, the hotel reasonably quiet, clean and comfortable, we would recommend this hotel to anybody who wished to stay in this area, the included breakfast was very good and we ate in the hotel restaurant every evening which was good value and portions. One of the best hotels we have stayed in and would not hesitate to return.

6/10

Pleasant

14 Apr 2014

Sebby

Nice Hotel but....

The Hotel is located in a nice area with a great view over the beach but it's located near a busy road. There is a nice restaurant recommended in the Michelin guide but seems that the restaurant is more important than the hotel. On Saturday, the bar is closed and there is no space for a nice drink. The option is to to near the swimming pool are in town.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Oct 2013

Verified traveler

Good relaxing hotel

If you travel a lot around the east coast of Sicily then this is the hotel you want to stay in. It has a very comfortable room, a great bathroom and a nice swimmingpool (outdoor). You can feel the cosiness after a morning walk through the city of Acireale and return to your hotel and enjoy a great breakfast. After you return with your car in the late afternoon you can nicely relax in the \"living room\" right next to the reception and enjoy the sea view from the balcony. In case you have not eaten anywhere else by then the hotel accomodates an outstanding restaurant with great dishes.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

26 Aug 2013

Marc

Lovely hotel if you can find it...

Very clean and friendly 4 star hotel that my wife and I stayed at while driving to Mt. Etna. The on site restaurant was very well run and had tasty food. Only major problem was trying to find this place and the absolute lack of parking, also nowhere near the town center and a good hour drive to Mt. Etna, but overall worth the money.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2013

Verified traveler

Close to all the fun in Acireale

After a very difficult time to get to Sicily, Santa Caterina Hotel was the beginning of a very good time in Sicily for us. It started with the front desk staff who were fluent in English. They tracked down our lougage for us (it hadn't arrived on the flight), booked us a car to rent, provided toiletries, maps, and interpretation services always with the most pleasant professional attitude. Everything was perfect once we got to Santa Caterina Hotel. The area is not known for tourism but this hotel is a gem in the very friendly town of Acireale.

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jun 2013

Jen61

Great hotel in lovely Acireale

We stayed for nine nights in June 2013. The service and facilities were great, and it has the best restaurant in Acireale - lots of locals in each evening as well as hotel guests. The food is superb, and reasonably priced. There is a lovely pool with plenty of shade and sun and the rooms have effective and quiet air conditioning. Our room had a fridge and safe. We chose to stay here rather than Taormina (for price and because it was a quieter location) and did not regret our decision. Acireale is a hidden gem, and surprisingly untouristy. The slight compromise is that the hotel is sandwiched between the railway line and a road. Neither are overly noisy or busy and if you live in a city you will barely notice them. We do, and didn't feel that our enjoyment was encroached upon at all. The town centre is 5-10 mins stroll away and the hotel towards the bottom of the hill. The incline is relatively gentle, apart from one short section, which is quite steep and would be difficult for anyone with mobility problems. All in all, highly recommended.

8/10

Excellent

04 Jun 2013

Silver fox

Comfortable hotel

Some rooms open out on to a very nice garden terrace with sea views but ours did not. The decor of our room was quite dark but OK however the bathroom, although spacious was in need of a makeover. The bathroom fittings were designed for the disabled but were ugly, the toilet very high and a shower seat very dirty because it is difficult to clean. The shower enclosure did not seal properly and the floor flooded as a result.
The restaurant had lovely views over the sea. Food was very good and the servings very generous - order one between two!! Breakfast was also very good with plenty of choice. Staff were very helpful and friendly. Receptionist recommended a Mt Etna 4x4 tour which was very good.
No problem with parking and quiet location.

10/10

Exceptional

19 May 2013

Sar

Great atmosphere for holidaymakers

The hotel location is a good base to explore Sicily although a hire car is recommended but this would be the case wherever you choose to stay. The hotel is in a lovely position overlooking the sea and the dining area is stunning. The rooms are spacious, stylish and very clean. We had a very pleasant patio area for ourselves. The breakfasts are very good with a good selection of fruits, breads yoghurts, pastries etc and if you choose to stay for evening meals the food and wine is excellent. The hotel staff are extremely pleasant and helpful. We had a couple of issues with our hire car while we were there and they assisted us in any way they could. The pool area is also in a great position and is very clean and attractive. I would recommend this hotel to anyone wanting to stay in the area; in fact I would say this is one of the best hotels I have stayed in.

8/10

Excellent

07 Feb 2013

Renee'

Comfort with Scenery

I stayed 3 nights in November 2012 & enjoyed it very much. The view from my room of the sea with (luckily) a full moon over it was enchanting! It was an easy walk to the sites & shopping in Acireale & not a bad walk to the train station (I was backpacking). The lights above the mirror in my bathroom didn't work & they couldn't get them working so they brought me a standing lamp that showed me WAY too much!! I thought that was pretty funny! The staff were awesome in the hotel & in the restaurant. I would have preferred more food options in the restaurant though. Overall, I had a very enjoyable stay at Santa Caterina!

10/10

Exceptional

02 Feb 2013

David&Anat

Lovely and Friendly hotel

We had stayed in the hotel for 6 nights, We have enjoyed our stay very much.
The hotel is located on superb location for tourists who are visiting east Sicily.
The town is very quite and pleasant, and it is very easy to reach everywhere.
There is a good staff, very helpful and friendly, It has free internet access.
Breakfast is very good, and the dinner in the restaurant is very good.
Highly recommended in any aspect.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 Sep 2012

Carole

Very nice hotel. Only problem was the location as no other restaurants within walking distance which meant eating at hotel restaurant. Food was very good but a more varied menu would have been welcome.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

03 Oct 2011

Vladimir

Nice hotel in a quite inconvenient place

This is quite a nice establishment, with nice rooms, decent sea views, and a reasonably usable outdoor pool. Also, the semi-independent restaurant is highly praised for their pizzas even by the locals (but have to say ours were oversalted - might have been a fluke).

The main problem is that hotel is literally sandwiched between a busy road connecting coastal towns, and a semi-busy railway line. Both are only yards from the hotel itself, the sea facing rooms being only meters from the road, albeit also several meters higher. Still, the road can be heard throughout the day - and the night. A lot. A problem if it's summer and you want to leave the balcony doors open. Railways is less of a problem as there's no rooms directly facing it.

Also, even if the map will show sea is very close, it is also way lower and almost impossible to reach by foot. So, if you're after a beach holiday consider one of the adjacent towns.

Overall, rooms are nice, with all the things you'd expect, including free wireless internet (do note it's unencrypted and it seems all the hotel shares the web login information). Pay-per view is provided by Sky Italy. Some rooms seem to suffer from a bit clogged shower drains, but if you're insistent enough and there are rooms available staff will happily move you to a new room.

Main complaint we had was that most of the reception staff has rather poor (to almost non-existent) command of English so communication was problem at times.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Oct 2011

Eley

Sicily break

We travelled over to Sicily from our home in Malta with our friends from the UK. The Hotel was perfect for our needs and we would particularly commend the restaurant staff. We would have no hesitation in recommending the Hotel

8/10

Excellent

25 Sep 2011

Jesus

Honeymoon part 2

Nice hotel but not close to the sea. You have a great view of the sea but really no access to it. Staff is freindly and helpful. Taxis are expensive. The restraunt is OK. The breakfast is light so do not expect a traditional breakfast. Very clean hotel. Internet is free....

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jul 2011

Heather

Santa Caterina Hotel

My husband and I really enjoyed our stay at the Santa Caterina. Our room overlooked the water and everything was gorgeous. The staff was very accomodating and we felt well taken care of. The hotel is right outside of Acireale, so it was fine for us with a car, but could be a bit of a walk. Other than that, everything was perfect!

8/10

Excellent

04 May 2011

Colin

Good Hotel in quiet resort

The Santa Caterina is a lovely hotel but there is not a lot going on in Acireale. Use it as a base if you hire a car. There are virtually no trains or bus services and taxis are expensive.

Acireale has no restaurants of note that we found so you'll be eating in the hotel most nights. Not a bad thing as the food was good. Service was a little erratic. We ate in the restaurant 4 times, twice we were served bread with our meal, twice they clean forgot. And when you ask for a glass of wine and a Sprite, you expect the latter to be served in a glass, not handed the can! When we asked for a glass and some ice, the waiter reached over to another table, took a glass from there, then fetched some ice from the bar which was brought to us in a bowl. We only needed a few ices cubes in a glass, not half a freezers worth!!

Our stay was marred slightly on the last day. We were due to fly out of Sicily in the evening, so asked if we could use a room later in the day to freshen up i.e. spend the afternoon by the pool and then use a room for 30 minutes before we got a taxi to the airport, They refused our request stating the hotel was full, when quite clearly it wasn't. You could see 3 rows of keys lined up behind reception and no one checked into the room we had used. We had to take a cold shower by the pool and use the toilet to get changed. Simply not good service if you're claiming to be a 4 star hotel. You should not treat guests in that way for such a simple request.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Apr 2011

Roger

great start and end to trip to Sicily

Once the receptionist explained that state road 114 is the way to get to and from the autostrade, this became a hotel that's easy to get to and from (this avoids the complex streets in the city of Acireale).
Staff are very friendly & helpful, food in restaurant is good and reasonably priced, comfortable and quiet rooms, supermarket (Ipersimply) is close (5 minute drive).
Santa Caterina is about 45 minutes from the Catania airport, and the location is good for a starting or ending point.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

27 Feb 2011

Neal

Great hotel - but rather limited location

This is a very nice smallish hotel with comfortable rooms and great food. Large numbers of locals eat there most nights...which is always a good sign! Try the swordfish involtini!!
Hotel is sandwiched between coastal road and railway and town centre quite a walk away. As it was February, pool area too cold to use and not much in the way of facilities in the hotel - bar hardly ever open...but probably different in summer.
We didnt find the surrounding area very attractive but it is a good base for exploring Etna and coast.

Partner

4/10

Poor

21 Jun 2009

Barbara

Clean but out of the way

I would only stay at this hotel if I was driving to or from Catania or Taormina and found myself in Aceriale. There is nothing really wrong with it, but it isn't near to anything. You'll want to stay near the beaches in Catania, or further north near Taormina.

There is a nice view of the water from the hotel, but you can't get down to the water because it is down a long winding road and then a rocky cliff. There is a nice restaurant at this hotel but that is really the only thing to recommend it. The pool is pretty small and by American standards, this is more of a 2.5 than a 3.

10/10

Exceptional

01 Aug 2026

Antonino

Personale molto gentile, una bella piscina. Camere pulite. Un bel soggiorno

8/10

Excellent

27 Jul 2026

Bjarne

Pænt hotel og en dejlig by Acireale. God ide med en bil da det ligger et stykke fra stationen (tog) ingen busforbindelse. Personalet var utroligt hjælpsom mht at ringe efter taxa mv.
Poolen burde have være renset både på bund og siderne ??? En lille ting men dog en relevant ting da rigtigt mange brugte poolen. Vi bestilte et hotel med pool og blev skuffet over rengøringen af poolen som burde gøres dagligt når der er gæster midt i hæjsæsonen ???
Selve byen har rigtig or mange dejlige restauranter

8/10

Excellent

01 Mar 2026

Claudeci

Bom café da manhã, muito limpo

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Feb 2026

antonio

Tutto bene

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

16 Sep 2025

Paolo

Locali raffiniati in ottimo abbinamento alla vista che si può godere dalla terrazza dell'albergo e vista balconata del ristorante. Il personale si è dimostrato solidale e propositivo alle nostre richieste.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jul 2025

Laurent

Tres bonne expérience

Très bon séjour ,belle chambre ,super restaurant ,personnels vraiment charmant

Partner

8/10

Excellent

23 Jun 2025

Andreas

Gutes Hotel, keine gute Gegend, trotz schönem Ausblick aufs Meer.