Sant'Alphio Garden Hotel & Spa

"This hotel is geared up for large package holiday groups. We were there with Riviera Travel for 5 nights. Room tired with no USB points or tea/coffee making facilities. Shower enclosure very small. No blackout curtains instead it had outside noisey, roll down, slatted metal shutters. If adjoining rooms wake early so do you when the shutters are pulled up. Sound insulation very poor between rooms. You can hear what is said including in the bathroom. Food not good and sometimes slow to serve. It is brought out in volume and put onto plates. They use the same serving utensils whether meat, fish, vegetables. Major problem if you have even minor allergies and have not told them. Surly waiting Staff. After initial experience we ate out at good, nearby restaurants. At breakfast only hot option was scrambled egg. Bar and ‘lounge’ area soulless and insufficient seating."

"I stayed at this hotel with Riviera Travel from 22 -- 26 th October. There were a number of issues: The room smelt strongly of smoke , it clung to our clothes and curtains. I had to wash everything on return. The cleaner gave me a spray and denied it was smoke odour. The shower was fixed and dated. There was no kettle until I asked for one and no cups supplied. The food was poor. I have dietary issues which the waiting staff helped me with but the quality was reminiscent of poor school dinners. We were served tinned fruit salad at breakfast and the same pudding every night with minimal variation. There was no cheese, little fresh fruit and I had the impression it was done cheaply. About third of our group ate somewhere else by thenlast night when we had already paid for meals at the hotel. That shows how poor it was. The location is next to a dirty beach and a long way from Taormina which would be a nice location. It had a nice pool and spa but i was not able to take advantage of this."

"Nice room with balcony overlooking dirt ground used for some parking of cars. Shower cubicle had fixed overhead shower but no hand held, shower door didn't close but mended after reporting it to reception. Bathroom badly designed with toilet in corner behind bidet so if you were tall you would have to sit on toilet and have legs hanging over the bidet. TV had sky and CNN news channels. There was a good selection at breakfast only disappointment was tinned fruit, not fresh. Evening meal was well cooked, service was good however the staff were not friendly and never smiled. Two supermarkets nearby."