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Catania: San Giovanni La Punta: Hotel Villa Paradiso dell'Etna

Via per Viagrande, 37, Phone: 095.751.2409
www.paradisoetna.it

Reviewed by: ginda from Italy, review #1347

When: February 2006

A retreat into the countryside at the foot of Mt. Etna. {4 star}

My husband and I discovered this wonderful hotel on the outskirts of Catania, very aptly named Villa Paradiso dell’Etna, a beautiful retreat in the countryside at the foot of Mt. Etna.

The hospitality is warm and genuine, what one comes to expect in Sicily. Each bedroom is charmingly unique and breakfast is served on its rooftop terrace, glass-enclosed and cheerful, with a stunning view of Mt. Etna. Its renowned restaurant, named “La Pigna” offers a creative cuisine based on traditional recipes.

It is about thirty minutes from Catania center, but we chose it knowing that we would enjoy a break from the cities and we were not disappointed. It makes a good base to explore the slopes of Mt. Etna, day trip to Catania or Taormina, or just to relax in the villa’s lovely gardens.

Reviewed by: Jo from NJ, review #241

When: July 2001

What a great hotel in a small town outside of Catania. 30 minutes to Taormina.

This hotel has wonderfully large rooms. They are beautiful and very comfortable. We had a junior suite as we were 4. The sitting area when you first walk in was transformed into a bedroom for our children with 2 twin beds. There was a large armoire in this room as well with a small fridge. Our bedroom was large with antique dressers and the bathroom was very large with double sinks, a jacuzzi tub, we had robes in the rooms.

Both from the sitting room and the bedroom there standing room balconies with shutter doors so that you can keep the glass part open and the shutters closed to let in the fresh air. The room was air conditioned too.

Other family members had a double and a single room and both were also very large.

The pool was very nice and the kids enjoyed it, be warned though as it's not heated.

We ate dinner at the hotel every night and what a feast it was. Outdoor or indoor seating. This hotel restaurant is very popular with locals and business people. We never had a bad meal and the price was very reasonable. Plenty of wine selections from all over Italy but you don't have to go past the Etna region wines in the vicinity of the hotel.

Breakfast was on the rooftop and was very complete and delicious.

Would stay here again in a heartbeat.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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Catania: San Giovanni La Punta: Hotel Villa Paradiso dell'Etna

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