Eurostars Monte Tauro

"I’ve been pondering about what rating to give this hotel based on our experience. Following another trip, I have to say that this is just an average stay and didn’t quite feel worth the money we paid. The cons from our visit started with not having a room. We were told we were due tomorrow. In fairness, this was rectified and we were given free drinks (although this did take 2 hours and we had to check if the room was ready.) We weren’t given a reason, much of an apology or help with the bags. The balcony is the real downside. The pigeon poo is horrid. And if you want to enjoy some crisps out there, be prepared to have said pigeons trying to share! There also isn’t much privacy between you and next door, just a couple of planters. The cleanliness of the room wasn’t great too. There was quite a bit of dust and the floors didn’t appear to have been swept since we arrived as our feet constantly needed brushing. The other irritation was the shower. The bath isn’t wide enough to stand comfortably as the tap is in the way. We were also left without any shower gel for 24 hours. Location-wise, it’s excellent for Taormina but upon reflection, I would have stayed in Catania. The crowds were relentless and this was only early May. Speaking to a local, White Lotus has created an influx of fans. The plus sides of the hotel were the pool area which has plenty of sun loungers. Shout out to Antonio who was super friendly and looked after us - we always had a little chat when we saw him. Breakfast was nice. Availability of fresh mugs would have been helpful, but otherwise there was a great selection of food and a local stand. You get great views too. Other than the points above, the room was comfy and quiet."

"We have just returned home from a week stay at this hotel, the staff were lovely and all round it was a pleasant experience. The hotel is a perfect location for exploring Taormina. The hotel could do with some updating and it is slightly run down in some places. A mattress was left in the corridor leading to our bedroom for the duration of the stay which did take away from the experience. I would stay at this hotel again but If returning to Taormina I will likely see what else is available first."

"I don’t like writing generally negative reviews, but it’s important to understand that there are several great things about this hotel but also many things that we did not like at all. On the plus side, the location is solid, the view spectacular, the included breakfast one of the best we’ve experienced in Europe. The pool area is great, the room size and room amenities adequate. On the negative side with the exception of the seventh floor (breakfast area) and the eighth floor (the lobby) the windows are dirty and with the exception of the pool area the outside is extremely unkempt and dirty. And the patio of our room was filthy with bird crap everywhere (be sure to see the photos) and our awning was disgustingly covered with bird crap (see photos). Also on the negative side there’s only one elevator for a nine story property and a steep and long road that you have to navigate to get in and out of the hotel. We stayed six nights with the first two on our own ahead of a tour. We paid $1000 for a “premier Seaview“ and when I made the reservation, I told them that if possible, we didn’t want to change rooms on the day we transitioned and became part of our tour group. On check-in I reminded them of my email and this request and could that they told us that it could “be a problem“ but “will work on it“ and later they gave us room 211 with a filthy balcony and a disgusting canopy (see photos) - the patio was so bad my wife wouldn’t use the outside patio area. And on this lower floor our “premium seaview”was partially obstructed. And one of the three window panels had moisture on the inside so you couldn’t see out of it. The first morning after checking in I went to the front desk and asked him to please clean the patio. When we returned to the hotel several hours later, there was no evidence that they had with the same disgusting pigeon crap on the patio wall and floors. And by the way, the patio furniture has seen better days! My wife said to mention that she thought the rooms needed some tender, loving care. I feel like Eurostar, the hotel owners, should shut this place down for a month and bring in some crews to do a major deep clean of the outside. I think the photos I will share capture the reason we were so terribly disappointed in this property. As I said there are amazing views, the pool area very nice and the included breakfast excellent but the rest of the hotel was a pretty sad sack situation. I did respond to the hotels request for a survey by asking for some consideration on the rate they charged us in view of the lower level floor (not to mention the general condition of the patio area). And we certainly did not get a “premium Seaview“. Still haven’t heard back from them. Check out the photos."