Excelsior Palace Hotel

We stayed at the Excelsior Palace hotel in August for two weeks. The hotel is located just off the main street (Corso Umberto) but is not affected by too much noise. The views of Mt Etna are superb as are the views of the surrounding coastline. The pool is a bit of a trek but well worth the walk as it is located at the top of a cliff with a beautiful landscape and the sea to overlook. The pool restaurant is quite expensive to eat in and the choice doesn't vary widely from day to day but then again there are so much choice of restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel that this wasn't a major problem and we ate lunches outside of the hotel most of the time. A problem though was the cost of drinks from the pool bar which were quite expensive even for water and soft drinks. The restaurant in the hotel was located downstairs in a bit of a drab dining room. However the food served was excellent and more than made up for it. There was a change in menu every night and the staff here were quite friendly. Once a week a buffet is served at the pool area in the evening with a huge choice of food with some music. Breakfast included a wide selection of food (breads, fruits, pastries). On the minus side however we experienced problems with accomodation and after reading other reviews they seem quite common. We had booked a balcony with a sea view however when we arrived we were told that they didn't have any such rooms available for three days. When we did move we had a view of Mt Etna with only a little part of the sea to be seen. The rooms were of good size though. While most of the staff in the hotel were fairly friendly, the reception staff were not. When we did have questions they were abrupt and far from helpful and rarely smiled. Overall we were quite happy with the hotel, location excellent but we would not go back as they have a lot to improve upon in basic courtesy.

Booked a side sea view/Etna view room, but on arrival found that most of the rooms in this category had terrific views of the multi-storey cap park. We asked Reception staff to change room and were told that this would be impossible. They then ensured that it would be impossible to change the room during the two weeks by ignoring subsequent requests. Food was o.k.but served in a fairly dingy Dining Room. Pool area was excellent but again staff were not really bothered about the guests. The comment in the Visitors Book at Reception summed up the hotel beautifully- "An excellent ship spoiled for a ha'pporth of tar!". It could be a really good hotel if someone came in and gave the whole place a good shke-up and got rid of the " Dead Wood"

Hotel accommodation was great. We were promised an upgrade to a balcony with sea view and got one, no problem. Room was very spacious and comfortable and contrary to other reports, the air con was on all night. Staff were very friendly and helpful, especially since Italy won the world cup during our stay. Restaurant staff and food were also excellent. The swimming pool was down a number of steps from the hotel but it proved good exercise for working off the excess of good food. The pool location and quality were ideal. In short, nothing to complain about, it was great and they even arranged for Mount Etna to erupt for us. What more could one ask?

Upon arrival we were told that the room we booked (Etna & Sea View with balcony) was not available for one day and so we were put in one of the lower grade rooms for the first night. Looking at other peoples reviews it seems that problems with room bookings look quite common. Having been in both types of room however I would say that the lower grade rooms are not worth the 4 star rating that this hotel has. The sea / Etna view rooms with balcony are larger with much improved bathroom and are just about worth the 4 star rating. The pool area is good and the location of the hotel is excellent. Staff were friendly at all times. The restaurants in Taormina are great and you can choose a budget - we ate at a couple that cost 250 Euros for dinner and wine for two people (a couple of bottles!) and ate at others that were 50 Euros - so take your pick. In summary, go for the better room (and hope that you get it upon arrival!) and its worth the money - Taormina was great and Etna was errupting which was a major bonus.

We stayed that the Excelsior Palace for a week at the end of May and had a fantastic time The hote is in a great location, at the gate way of the town and the Corso Umberto. We felt that the hotel was at the best end of the Corso Umberto as those at the other end were close to the cable car station and the more "touristy" shops. The hotel is tradtional in design as most Italian hotels are. It was spotlessly clean, the room was spacious and we had a lovely balcony looking out to Mount Etna. Having said that, the weather was fairly mixed while we were there and so on some days we couldn't see Etna for the cloud!! The swimming pool area was fabulous although not ideal for those with walking difficulties as there are many steps to navigate! The pool has stunning views across the bay and a lovely restaurant in which to enjoy lunch and a bottle of wine - bliss! The staff were very polite and helpful. I know that other reviews have said that the staff weren't friendly and I don't suppose they were overly friendly. But, we don't expect the staff to be our best friends and we were more than happy with the service We stayed on a bed and breakfast basis and were glad that we did. There are lots and lots of fantastic restaurants in Taormina and after eating in a different restaurant each night, I can honestly say that we didn't have a bad meal Taormina is a fantastic place. It does get a bit crowded in the day time when the tourists from the cruise ships that dock in the bay come to visit. But, they are gone by late afternoon and so pose no issue when going out in the evening. If you are a Godfather fan, we would recommend the tour! Even if you aren't, the mountain villages that you visit are beautiful and give a real feeling for Sicily.

We stayed at the Excelsior for three nights in May, 2006. The hotel is located at the gate just as you enter Taormina from the autostrada. It's a good location, close to the Corso Umberto, the main drag, and therefore, within walking distance of most of the main attractions. Our room had a great view of Mt. Etna. There is a beautiful pool and garden area for relaxing after a day of sightseeing. The rooms are adequate but nothing to write home about. The front desk staff were extremely helpful with recommendations for restaurants, tours, shopping, etc., The breakfast was very good. If you can't afford or can't get into the Grand Hotel Timeo, the Excelsior is solid alternative.

Just spent a week in Excelsior Palace Hotel. [ Beware] I booked a seaview room with balconey. I was told when i arrived by the rudest receptionest i have ever come across. That i hadent and was given a tiny room with an very small window.When i complained and told her i had paid a supplement for a balcony and seaview she got more agressive. Reception staff were dreadful. In my oppinion they have a selection process i.e. favourite clients. [ I NEW PEOPLE STAYING IN THE HOTEL HAD BALCONY ROOMS THEY HADENT EVEN BOOKED OR PAID FOR] We ware not the only people to complain about this. It looks a beautiful hotel from outside.Thats about it. THE STAFF IN THE RESTAURANT WERE AS BAD. Two staff stood out a mile a very helpful porter and the very kind gentleman who runs the bar. I would not recomend this hotel to anyone.

We really enjoyed our honeymoon at the Excelsior Palace. Our room was impressive; it was very spacious and had wonderful views out to sea. The location was perfect, very close to the town centre but without all of the noise, and the hotel had fantastic views of Etna – especially from the pool area. The pool is fantastic, I know that some people have complained about the distance from the hotel to the pool but those people are just plain lazy. It must be a 3 minute journey tops through the hotel's lush garden - it is a very plesant walk! we was impressed with both the breakfast and evening meals, we didn’t know what to expect having never stayed half board before but we were amazed by the many different dishes available at each evening meal. The breakfast was pretty much the same every day but nonetheless delicious, fresh pastries, yoghurt’s meats, cheeses….. I could go on. We would defo stay here again.

We have just returned from a week at the Excelsior Palace Hotel. The hotel is in a fantastic location with great views of the sea and Mount Etna. We booked via a Tour Operator and paid extra for a sea view room with a balcony (€400). When we got to our room we realised that there was no balcony. We contacted reception and were told that we did not book a balcony and that our Tour Operator were never allocated balcony rooms. Staff were very rude and unhelpful and would not make any effort to allocate us another room. We called the Tour Operator Rep who arrived 2 hours later at the hotel. The Rep tried to convince us that we had not paid the extra €400 and that we had not booked a balcony. She did not make any effort to try and reslove the situation. The Rooms in this hotel are quite small and are in need of refurbishment. Breakfast was very basic but was ok. We were fortunate that we were on a B & B Package as we heard terrible complaints from other guests regarding dinner. Also, the hotel bar does not open until 4pm. As a result, if you want a bottle of water or a cup of coffee you have to walk down over 90 steps. Not the standard you would expect from a supposedely 4 star hotel!!!! If you are thinking of staying here I would advise not paying extra for balcony rooms as the chances are you will not receive one (We were not the only guests this happened to). This hotel is over priced and is more of a 3 star standard.

My husband and I have just returned from a holiday in Sicily. We spent five nights in Taormina at the Excelsior Palace Hotel. It's a lovely hotel with a fantastic location and good service. It's perched at the edge of a promontory from where you get lovely views of the sea and of Mount Etna. Also, Taormina's bustling main street, Corso Umberto, is just a stone's throw away. However, given that the Excelsior Palace is a four star and that the rates we were paying were not exactly cheap, I felt that the breakfast they offered was very mediocre and that our standard double room was quite small and had no view to speak of. We've stayed in quite a few four stars all over Europe and usually the breakfast is pretty lavish. Also, every night the airconditioning was switched off from about 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. I spoke to the people at the front desk thinking that it was a problem confined to our room but I was told that it's a hotel policy!! While it was not the peak of summer, the nights were not cool enough to sleep without airconditioning. While I would definitely recommend the hotel for its location and service, I would suggest that you pay the extra for a superior room with a view and definitely find out about the airconditioning before you make a booking.