Grand Hotel Miramare

Would go along with the general consensus of other reviews of this hotel which is that it is a really nice hotel. The hotel is very near the town centre and ideally placed. Our room was very nice and I would advise that you book a sea view room preferably with a balcony as the views are spectacular. My only small gripe is that I thought the bar area could do with a bit of livening up as it is a bit too quiet which is a bit unfortunate given that the terrace/views/bar furniture etc are all really nice and the service is good also. The stairs down and up from the pool were not a problem for us and definitely made us fitter ! We visited Mount Etna and Castelmola which are well worth visiting but I thought the best sight was the Greek Theatre in Taormina itself. In terms of restaurants I would recommend La Tavernetta which is at the foot of a picturesque walkway the top of which is just along from the entrance to the Greek Theatre.

July 15-22 2006 Just returned from brilliant trip to Taormina.This old hill town is a gem and the Grand Hotel Miramare makes an excellent base from which to explore. Situated across the road from the small bus terminal, we had no problem in locating the hotel when arriving on the public bus from the airport and it was very convenient for taking tours to Etna and the Aolian Islands(journey from airport cost only 5 E each and very easy).Accomodation was clean and air conditioned, and the staff very helpful and friendly.Breakfast buffet was same every day but had lots to choose from including cold meats &cheese, breads,preserves honey, yoghurt and bacon and egg .With so many restaurants in town we didn't eat in at night so can't comment on this. Do book a room with front sea view and balcony .You can see mainland Italy when its clear and can ignore the slight blot of the public indoor pool as it is below the hotel.The hotel pool is large, clean and well serviced by the lifeguard /attendant who finds you a lounger and clean towels as you arrive.The pool bar serves snacks and icecreams as well as drinks. Two minor gripes... the hotel pool is a long steep climb down the hill and this is the only place to get a drink including tea or coffee during the day ...quicker to walk up to town 10 mins away...so take a travel kettle with you and use minibar for milk and personal supplies of gin(whole bottle 5E in the supermarket rather than 5E for a single in the bar!).The hotel is 5 mins from the cable car to the shingle beaches.I recommend you use the beach in front of the cable car not the one by Bella Isola which has large cobbles so is very difficult to enter the sea.My husband cut his leg on rocks here and was on antibiotics for the week.The hotel phoned the doctor for him and he was seen in 10 mins at the hotel.The hotel provides transport to a lido on the beach further along the coast if that's your thing but we didn't try this after the injury, however we still had a fantastic time as there is so much to do on the island especially if you love volcanoes....fabulous ,and Etna was erupting... wild!

Northern Ireland: Grand Miramare Hotel, Taormina, Sicily What a beautiful hotel. Stunning views, good breafast, lovely pool area, and all areas immaculately clean. The presence of a pool attendant helped do away with the annoying habit some people have with "booking the best sunbeds" only to then disappear for half or more of the day. We spent a really enjoyable week at this delightful hotel. Would recommend sea view/balcony/terrace. Bed/breakfast option allowed us the freedom in the evenings to eat in the excellent restaurants in Taormina. It would be fair to say I am quite hard to please. No problem recommending this very well run hotel.

We love Italian food . We spent 7 days at the Grand Hotel Miramare and were offered roast beef and Wiener Schnitzel on two of the days as part of the half board package. The fresh fish option is extortionate. The food is mediocre and uninteresting even the pasta course is basic. Breakfast is average. We ate this standard of food on holidays 40 years ago . Eating out in town is expensive and very hit or miss. Hotel location is excellent . Ideal for stroll in the evening and two minutes away from the local bus station. Beware though the pool is down the mountain and the only access is by path/steps. OK going down but you need to be reasonably fit to get back up again. Rooms basic , could do with some TLC , not as pretty as the web site shows. Do book the sea view as the other rooms overlook the car park and there will be road noise. Staff polite and helpful.

We have just returned and would thoroughly recomend this hotel. The staff were unfailingly charming. The views were stunning. Our bedroom was more than adequate-we were "upgraded" and whilst our balcony was something of a joke, it was still a pleasant surprise! We ate in on several occasions- the food was excellent value, and whilst occasionally bland, there was certainly plenty of it. I suspect that a lot of the unfavourable criticisms come from people who expect too much and are unable to appreciate the unassuming, understated charm of the hotel.

Not very good food and we were stuck with all-inclusive. Chef had lack of imagination which made tomatosoup taste like powder+water. Tough meat, synthetic pasta. Room was worn out. etc. Noise fram AC. Hard bed.

We spent a wonderful week here. The views are incredible, the food in the restaurant (at every meal) is fantastic, and the clerks at the desk are always wonderful and kind. On that note, the maids get picky if you don't leave for a day so they can clean, and the guy who comes and refills the fridge comes, rings the doorbell and immediately opens the door without giving you a chance to get to it. Bad news if you are in bed. Then, if you turn him away for the day, he comes back at 1030 in the night. It's very very disconcerting. But, it was a great trip.

We spent a wonderful week in the Miramare. The hotel is lovely and the staff very friendly and helpful. The swimming pool is quite a journey though - there are a lot of steep steps down to it, but once you get there it's really great. Lots of loungers, fresh towels, space and a great pool guy, the restaurant here is great for snacks and lunch - there is also a fabulous view from the pool area. Breakfast was great in a lovely dining room with lots of choice and again with wonderful views. The hotel is located just at the edge of Taormina so it's very central to shops, bars and restaurants. I would recommend paying a bit extra for a room with a view, which unfortunately we did not - so our room overlooked the car park which was a bit disappointing. I would highly recommend this hotel, you will have a great holiday here. Some parts of the hotel feel a bit dated but this added to the charm of the place I felt - it gave a bit of history to the place. Taormina itself is a great town, really lively with lots to do and see, a wonderful place to people watch.

We (husband, 9 year old son and self) have just returned from a fantastic fortnight at the Miramare. We were very impressed with the hotel. We had a room with a balcony overlooking the sea. The room was well equipped and clean and the view was glorious. The staff were, without exception, friendly and helpful. We opted for half-board and were certainly not disappointed. We enjoyed every single meal. The hotel has a lovely pool which is well looked after. The pool attendant provides towels and loungers, of which there are plenty, so no-one felt they needed to "reserve" them at the crack of dawn!! The location of the hotel is perfect - a short stroll into town and also easily accesible for the bus and cable car station. If you fancy a pleasant walk, it is possible to walk down to Mazzarro (the beach area) from steps near the hotel and then return by cable car. Taormina is a lovely town - plenty to look at and lots of cafes, bars and restaurants. If we were nit-picking, we would mention two very small negatives. Firstly, the hotel could do with a more atmospheric bar. It is, as mentioned in an earlier review, a bit like someone's lounge! Also, some of the decor is now getting to the point where it needs updating. These are very minor points though and definitely did not detract from a wonderful holiday.

My husband & I had a June 2 week holiday and stayed ay the Grand Hotel Miramare, Taormina. I would recommend going in June as it is not as crowded or as hot as July & August. The Hotel has a perfect location for visiting the various sites of the town & as a base for going on trips. Especially if you want to use the local buses, as the station is a 1 minute walk from the hotel. The hotel has beautiful sea views and Italy can be seen in the distance. If you want a view of the town then don't stay here. The rooms are clean, tidy & comfortable. The staff were helpful & courteous and the pool staff were excellent. The Hotel breakfast was basic but filling. We went B&B so could not comment on the evening meals, although other guests said that the food was good. To be honest, you don't go on holiday to have your meals in your hotel! The town centre is a 5 minute walk from the hotel. Whilst walking into town you get a marvellous view of the beautiful cliff top town of Castelmolla. We recommend going up to Castelmolla as it has wonderful views & the pace is much more relaxed up there. Best to go up in the morning and come back on the last bus before seista time, or you'll have to wait until 3pm for the next bus. You can get the Cable Car down to the beaches of Taormina Mare, the Cable Station is just a 3 minute walk from the hotel. The beaches were a disappointment; Taormina looks and feels far superior. We were planning to spend the day down there but came back up to Taormina by early afternoon. We used the cheap & frequent local busus to visit the town of Gardini Naxos, that can be seen from Taormina Town. One word to sum up Naxos .... Awful... That's all I can really say about the town. The only good thing about Naxos was that I got a great photo of Taormina with the ocean in the foreground. The Public Gardens are only a 5 minutes walk away from the Hotel, which were lovely. It is a great place for getting shade when the weather was a little too hot, also it was very intersting and peaceful. There are absolutely loads of restaurants and bars for most budgets. Not once did we feel that we were being ripped off by any restaurants (as one reviewer wrote). We had a 2 week stay in Taormina and the only time that we had awful food was when we went to Taormina Mare & Gardini Naxos. If you are planning to go on a trip to Mount Etna, then we would recommend that you pay an additional 10 euros each & book a Jeep Trip instead of the SAT coach. There are only 8 people max to the jeep, the trip is much more comfortable, the guide has much more time to answer your questions & you can hear what they say easily as you are walking around the various sights of interest on the trip. I would sum up the Hotel as I would the town of Taormina - Full of character, charm, warmth and faded Grandeur. A lovely place to stay & we highly recommend the hotel. Taormina is not a cheap place but in my opinion you definately get what you pay for.