We traveled to Taormina from Palermo by bus. My husband Ross had our passports, wallet, flight information etc., in his man bag which was placed in the overhead. We were so excited to reach the hotel we exited the bus, collected our luggage and started walking the few feet to the hotel when Ross said "Oh *******, my bag"! As he said this we heard the bus going further up the narrow street and around a corner. Without thinking Ross jumped in front of a small car occupied by a young woman on her cell phone. He was yelling, "my passports, my wallet"! This poor girl looked scared to death especially when Ross opened her passenger door and jumped in her car and started yelling "GO, GO, GO - busa busa busa". That car was not moving and I can say I don't blame this girl. She probably thought he was some kind of nut. Ross then ran into the hotel and seconds later a man (Ahjit) runs out with a helmet and Ross and they jump on a scooter and off they go up the hill. They caught the bus and the bag was retrieved. Well, Ahjit didn't waste any time when Ross ran into the hotel. He quickly called for Ricardo to cover the desk so he could literally save the day for us. We were traveling with 5 of my husband's cousins and there was a collective sigh of relief when we saw them return with the bag. That was the start of our 5 day, 4 night stay at the Villa Carlotta. Once inside, Ahjit escorted us to the 3rd floor terrace that overlooks the Mediterranean where he opened a bottle of proseco and made us a snack of grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. The Villa Carlotta couldn't have been lovlier and offers breathtaking views. We visited with the owners, met their lovely children and friends from the States. Make sure you try the hotel restaurant. It was fabulous! Our favorite place in Sicily.

The Hotel Villa Carlotta is an amazing property in Taormina, Sicily. The staff was like family and very attentive to our every need. Four months after our stay there and I am still daydreaming about the breakfast buffet and the view from the rooftop restaurant. The hotel is within walking distance to all of Taormina's main attractions. We can't wait to return, it was a dream vacation! Thank you Andrea, Simone and the rest of the wonderful staff!

We visited Taormina, staying at Villa Carlotta this November. We were welcomed like family and felt we had found the perfect place to reside for 5 days while we toured the area. We received help in planning our day trips, had all our questioned answered promptly, and enjoyed the well appointed rooms. We stayed in a lovely double room which was very spacious, provided a great view and had elegantly designed furniture. Breakfast was incomparable with its many selections. The hotel is in an ideal location, close to the center, while providing a quiet and restful place to lay our heads. We met Andrea, the owner, who introduced us to the property, it's fascinating history and provided us with useful information about Taormina. The last night we had dinner in the roof-top restaurant and loved it! And, it surprised us by not being very expensive. We are already making plans to return next year with our family. They will enjoy the pool and garden area as we will be coming back in the summer :-)

This hotel deserves recognition as one of the best boutique hotels in Europe. The service is over the top from check in, to bar and restaurant, to car service. The rooms are well appointed with spectacular views. In addition, the owner is ever present with a kind word and smiling face. We travel extensively and this is one of our best experiences.