LOVELY BOUTIQUE HOTEL! I am a profoundly deaf traveller and I was staying at the problem-free family run boutique 4 star Hotel Villa Ducale for 7 nights recently. On the first day I arrived there, friendly Antonio made me feel very welcome, and he wrote down lots of information on Taormina and the tours, etc. for me! He showed me around Room 10 – “WOW” – it was a lovely room with the Sicilian character interiors and the 2 balconies!! I got a lovely bunch of flowers and a bottle of wine from the hotel management and staff! Great for my belated 50th birthday presents!! I loved that room number 10!! Lovely Alessia also made me feel special! I guess she looked after my room i.e. making my bed ready for sleeping in, cleaning the cups and saucers, etc. during some evenings on her shifts! If she did – big thanks to her! She also helped me with booking the Sunset Mount Etna Tour by telephone for me with many thanks! I really enjoyed that tour – it was awesome and great fun!! Friendly Paolo was also very helpful to me – I was grateful to him! I also met the hotel owners Andrea and his wife Rosaria Quartucci – it was good to meet them! I was surprised when Andrea used some sign language in gesture! He always asked me how I was, every time I saw him! Lovely Francesca the hotel breakfast waitress looked after me so well by making sure my breakfast was OK! The other hotel staff gave me the friendly atmosphere, as well! I feel all of them are deaf aware, and they were so generous! That hotel is really beautiful with lots of flowers around and great location with the view of Taormina, Mount Etna and the sea!! Much better than many big hotel chains worldwide! That hotel has 2 bus stops nearby where we can get the buses down to Taormina, or up to Castelmola (beautiful village!!) also they do provide the free shuttle to, and from Taormina town and the beaches! Nearly every evening, I walked to the nearest Ristorante Al Saraceno – I loved it, because it has an outdoor restaurant with the splendid view of Castelmola, Mount Etna, Taormina and the sea from the sunset to night!! Very romantic!! I really had fantastic holidays there! I am looking forward to staying at Villa Ducale and seeing my old friends (hotel staff) again in November! I feel sure you would love that hotel!
Deborah Young
2009
|
CHARMING BOUTIQUE HOTEL WITH GREAT VIEWS! I am a profoundly deaf solo traveller and stayed at the lovely family run boutique 4 star Hotel Villa Ducale AGAIN this year for 4 nights recently! When I arrived the first evening, I was welcomed with open arms by Antonio, Alessia and Santina, who provided me with a glass of Sicilian wine, and treated me like a member of their family in a home away from home! Afterwards, Antonio took me to a ‘honeymoon’ type suite deluxe with ornate interiors in Room 4 – I felt like a Royal Highness and I enjoyed my experience in that suite! I went to bed very late about 1.40am, because I was so excited! It has the homely lounge, large bedroom, a spacious en-suite and a balcony with a view of the lovely bay. The next day, it was lovely to meet Francesca the hotel breakfast waitress again and she always looked after me and the other guests first class by making sure our breakfasts were OK! I enjoyed my breakfast on the terrace with the breathtaking views of Mount Etna, Taormina, Giardini Naxos Bay, Mediterranean Sea and sky again! Best view number one in Taormina from Villa Ducale, especially at sunset from the cocktail bar! That hotel is really beautiful with lots of pretty flowers around and in a peaceful location for those who want to get away from the crowd! It provides the free frequent shuttle to, and from Taormina town and the beaches, also it has 2 bus stops nearby where we can get the buses down to Taormina, or up to the ‘fairy tale’ mountain village of Castelmola! OR you would be able to walk down from that hotel to Taormina town via the public pathway where you would enjoy the panoramic views on foot like I did. It should take you about 10 to 15 minutes if you wa! lk straight down. There is some seating and the lampposts for the dark hours. Later on, it was great to meet the hotel owner Andrea again! Later, they moved me to another room due to the fully booked, as I had already agreed with them before. I would advise you to book your hotel room well in advance – Villa Ducale is a very popular hotel in Taormina!! Room 15 is a standard room with the elegant Sicilian character interiors and has a good size en-suite with a white bathroom set – spotlessly cleaned by the regular friendly cleaner! It is much better than any boring plain rooms at the many big hotel chains worldwide! In the evening I met Luca for the first time and we had some nice chats! He and Santina were very good at entertaining everyone with their sense of humour, including myself, as well as they were serving us the meals at that hotel’s restaurant! All the attentive multi-tasking staff were able to do the reception job, porter job, cooking and serving the meals, etc. during their shifts!! They were so amazing keeping smiling when they were busy! And the day before my departure day, Antonio offered to book any transport to take me back to the airport. I told him that I chose the bus for going back there. He suggested that he could book me for a free shuttle where the driver could take me to Taormina Bus Terminal beyond the usual drop off point where I would be able to get a bus to the airport from there! I must say that Alessia and Antonio looked after me so well during my stay – big thanks to them! During my last evening, I enjoyed Villa Ducale's delicious home-made sarde Beccafica (Anchovies style). I really had a fantastic time there, as well as visiting Taormina, picturesque Isola Bella beach and Giardini Naxos beach! I feel sure you would want to go back to that hotel after your first stay! I would love to go back there from time to time! Hotel Villa Ducale just won the Conde Nast Award for the most romantic hotel in Europe 2010! I am really pleased about this, because Andrea, Rosaria and all the attentive staff deserved it!!
Deborah Young
2009
|
