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About
4.5
#1 of 9 B&Bs in Gioiosa Marea
Location
4.4
Cleanliness
4.6
Service
4.6
Value
4.6
The 4-star Borgo San Francesco is a newly restored charming residence with a cluster of little villas (once farm houses) and private patios and gardens that have an exclusive feel to them. There is also a pool conveniently situated where the sun always shines and a charming restaurant with floor to ceiling windows that greatly enhance the eating experience during the summer. Our restaurant is committed to making sure you experience the full plethora of Sicilian foods and wine, serving above all, country- style local dishes. We specialize in the essence of traditional, local cuisine using only the freshest products sometimes grown only a few km from the Borgo. While being immersed in this enveloping atmosphere, one is also in close proximity to the charming seaside town of Gioiosa Marea (only 4 km away, of mostly straight roads) and can conveniently visit other areas of Sicily while using our Borgo as a base for planning trips, as well as a calm, serene place to return to. There is also a common room with a fireplace, a reading area with many books and maps on the area and the island on whole and internet point.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Great View
Languages Spoken
English, French, Italian
Location
Contrada San Francesco 102 - GIOIOSA MAREA, 98063, Gioiosa Marea, Sicily Italy
Our first time in Sicily and we wanted it be an authentic and immersive experience. The Borgo San Francesco is the place to go if you want that experience. Located high in the hills above Gioiosa Marea the hotel has amazing views in all directions, our room was fantastic with a living / kitchen area (with big fridge) and separate, roomy bedroom. We had a patio at the front to enjoy breakfast and the sunrise and a balcony off the bedroom where we could enjoy a lemoncello and watch the sunset - just perfect. The restaurant was excellent and it was so easy after a busy day site seeing to come back to a lovely meal cooked by Chef Francesco - Grazzi! Michela and all his staff are amazing and do a wonderful job. In particular, Francesca and Ariana were the highlight of our stay. Francesca was outstanding, made us feel so welcome and helped us out with everything from directions, beach recommendations and even car parts! She worked so hard EVERY DAY but nothing was too much trouble and we will never forget your friendship and wonderfully wicked sense of humour. Ariana, you made us smile and laugh every day! Thank you for looking after us at breakfast and dinner. Your gorgeous smile, heart warming personality and lovely spirit made our time in the restaurant the best ever. Grazzi mille. We had a great time in Sicily staying at the Borgo San Francesco but we will miss new Sicilian friends more.
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Date of stay: May 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Borgo San Francesco, Proprietario at Borgo San Francesco
Responded Jun 29, 2023
R2693FRcolinmThank you so much for being our guests, thank you for being nice, kind, super fun and some of the best people one can ever hope to meet in life. We all enjoyed our time with you and we really miss you much. Wishing you the best we send very warm hugs!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I stayed with my family 10 days at Borgo San Francesco in August 2023. We had a wonderful time and I highly recommended it! The hotel's view is stunning, the room was really comfortable and clean; breakfast was really tasty and the staff was so helpful and lovely. KLM lost our baggage and Francesca went beyond and above her duties calling the airline, the airport, the delivery company even bought a swimming costume for my 9 year old son. Thank you Borgo San Francesco. Hopefully we will be back. Fallon Family
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Rent a car!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We visited Borgo San Francesco for dinner and fell in love with the whole place! The restaurant is lovely and has stunning views. Staff was polite and quick to take orders. Our food was fresh, delicious, and well presented. The all place look very nice and has beautiful accommodation if you like to stay. I definitely recommend this place for holiday stay and dining!
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The perfect respite after a fun and hectic day in Taormina. A warm greeting at reception followed by a nice dip in the pool and topped off by a fantastic dinner in the restaurant with excellent service all 'round. No wonder it's a Travelers Choice!
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:KEEP GOING on the narrow, twisty road until you find it!!!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I've been lucky to be able to travel often and stay at some great places, and The Borgo San Francesco is one of them! From the initial and prompt contact via email, to the fab room and the incredible food, the staff are there to serve you. Sandra, who speaks several languages, is a great hostess and a fab conversationalist!!
The town of Gioiosa Marea which is located on the coast, is only 5 minutes away from BSF. The road to BSF is off of a main road from the town centre and is very well sign posted all of the way. Once you're off of the main road, the single lane road to the property needs to be taken slowly as it's quite narrow with a few blind curves, but once you've driven it, it's no problem after that.
We had a one bedroom apartment that was very modern. A nice kitchen, which we only used to open our beer and wine, a great bathroom with a big enough shower and lots of hot water, a large bedroom and two small but useable balconys off of the kitchen/dining area and one off of the bedroom. The views were great looking down the valley and perfect for sunset watching. There was also a small flatscreen TV with many channels.
The swimming pool is big enough to do laps, or to just laze in after a day of sightseeing.
And then there's the food! OMG!! It was the best food of our 10 day trip! A local "Italian Mama Chef" spends the day preparing what she cooks best with the best local ingredients. When we were there, the restaurant was only open Friday and Saturday evenings and we ate there both nights! The anti pasti (Starters) were incredible and never ending. The pasta was to die for and it's made from scratch on premises. And then the Carne Mista (Mixed meats) was so good as well! Veal, Steak, Sausage, it was all so tasty. We also enjoyed a great bottle of Cusumano Benuara each night and we couldn't believe the price for everything, per night it was less then 70 Euros total for 3 people!
Breakfast is also served in the restuarant, but we didn't partake as we were out and about early each morning. I highly recommend catching a ferry from Molazzo to Vulcano. Climb the vulcano, enjoy the mud baths and lie on the beach. It's a great day trip. Also a visit to Tyndaris to see the church and the Roman ruins.
We would highly recommend the Borgo San Francesco and we all agreed that the highlight is the food, the accomodation and the pool. Incredible! If I went back to Sicily tomorrow, I would plan to once again stay here!!
The Canadian, The Brit and The South African!
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Date of stay: July 2011
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:Look at the photos online. Each room is unique.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were in Sicily in July as part of two couples traveling together. Borgo San Francesco was our first stop of the trip, but ended up being our favorite. In restrospect, we wish we had stayed here a bit longer. The setting is gorgeous -- our apartment had a lovely terrace overlooking the valley, with a smaller upstairs balcony off of the bedroom. The grounds are covered with olive trees and herbs. The pool is clean, large, sunny and modern. The apartment itself was clean and comfortable (nice kitchen and bathroom). The air conditioning worked well, which was a must for us in the Sicilian summer heat. We thought the apartment (bedroom upstairs, fold-out couch downstairs) worked perfectly well for two couples.
And then there were the additional touches that made this place so memorable. First, we got a bit lost on our way to the Borgo on our first night, and the hotel staff drove to meet us at a residence about a mile away when we were lost in the dark (we were barely able to communicate well enough with the neighbor to explain where we were staying, but they understood us, called the Borgo and explained where we were!). The kitchen was kept open late for us that first night, and we were served a delicious and memorable multi-course meal. We also really enjoyed chatting poolside with one of the owners, and she gave us good tips on the best places to stop in town. Finally, we accidentally left our passports in our room at the Borgo, and the owners went above and beyond in returning them to us.
Our typical day here consisted of lounging by the pool, taking day trips to the beach, grocery shopping in town and cooking dinner in our apartment to eat with a few bottles of wine on our private terrace as the sun sets over the valley. If that sounds like your speed, you will love the Borgo San Francesco.
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Date of stay: July 2011
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at Borgo San Francesco with our two young children (5 years old and 20 months) in April; 2011. The owners Sandra and Toninio helped make both our booking and stay exceptionally stress free. Sandra, who has English as a first language and who is also fluent in Italian and French, made sure that we had a cot and a high chair in the apartment before we arrived. She met us on arrival and spent some time making suggestions for places where we might eat out that would be child friendly and where we might take day trips. Nothing was too much trouble and her recommendations were first rate. The apartment we stayed in was clean and well appointed. The beds were comfortable; we booked one of the larger apartments which had a large double bed, a single for our son, and a cot for our daughter all in the main bedroom. For adults not wanting to sleep in the same room as their children then the sofa downstairs also converts to a double bed. The apartment also had air conditioning but in April we did not need to use it, however it would be essential in Summer. The Borgo San Francesco complex is quiet and in a rural location on the hillside up above the coast. Gioiosa Maria is the nearest town - just 5 mins by car down a steep decent - and has a pebbly beach with fantastic rock pools. Perfect for our 5 years old son to catch crabs and mud skippers. The town has a number of restaurants and good take aways. There are also two supermarkets, we preferred Conad which had lots of high quality fresh produce. The personal touch afforded by Sandra and Toninio was also extended from the other staff and family. Salvatore (Toninio's father) took my son and I on a spontaneous sightseeing walk around the grounds through an olive grove and along a small local stream in search of lizards, before talking us on a small drive in his car to see some of the local highlights. We stopped at a local wine merchant where Salvatore bought some wine that was decanted from a large stainless steel vat into a plastic bottle. It was the type of place that you would not find by yourself but is typically Sicilian. For days out the best were Etna - simply stunning, the boat trip by Catamaran and then hydrofoil from Millazo to Lipari and then to il Volcano and then back. Cefalu is the most beautiful town we visited and has a wonderful sandy beach. All in all I would wholeheartedly recommend Borgo San Francesco for the simple reason that the owners and staff clearly take pride in looking after their guests. Sicily is a delight and this is a great place to explore from.
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Date of stay: April 2011
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:simply great people
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed two nights here and found it a very relaxing location. Nestled up in the hills with picturesque views, it's an ideal option for those wishing to get away from the hustle and bustle of typical Sicilian life. The nearby village is a ten minute drive away and offers a few keenly priced cafes and restaurants.
As far as the resort goes, it's very laid back and the layout of little villas scattered over different levels is unusual. There is a nice pool area with great scenery. But it definitely has a certain rustic element, where the neighbouring farmhouse of barking dogs and rabid cats tends to spoil the atmosphere. The rooms are spacious but as another reviewer mentioned, the self catering equipment leaves a lot to be desired. Perhaps one for the hippies out there.
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Date of stay: June 2014Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Interesting place, would I recommend it? Possibly. Certainly not a 'paradise'. The best thing? The pool - good size few people using it but only 1 umbrella and the loungers were really uncomfortable. Given this is supposed to be self catering the equipment was pathetic: 1 blunt knife 1 saucepan a knackered frying pan and no wine glasses. It certainly is not quiet with barking dogs and the shape of the valley means that one can hear every car on the road. Was it a great outlook? Not really - electricity pylons and cables strung across the valley. Bed was like sleeping on the floor and the broadband was hopeless. Plus skanky scabby wild cats all over the place. Didn't do it for me.
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Date of stay: July 2014
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from borgosanfrancesco, Direttore at Borgo San Francesco
Responded Aug 16, 2014
Anche i cani abbaiano. Ringraziamo i clienti per la recensione perchè questa risposta ci permette di fare una semplice considerazione. Chi sceglie strutture in ambienti rurali, come il Borgo, deve avere amore e passione per certe atmosfere e per un certo tipo di territorio. Certi clienti dovrebbero scegliere con maggiore attenzione i luoghi per le loro vacanze. Sicuramente questi clienti sono più adatti per soggiorni in strutture più formali che garantiscono standard globali tipici di certe strutture alberghiere.
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My husband and I wanted to get away for a few days to just relax and enjoy some family time together with our 11 month old son and Borgo San Francesco was great for this. We booked a one-bedroom apartment and following our request to have no stairs inside so our son could crawl around safely we were given a wheelchair friendly place. It was also closest to the reception, restaurant and car park which was great when you need to carry all the stuff you need with a baby! If need be we could also have left our son sleeping in his room and gone down to the restaurant with our baby monitor in hand as we checked the distance - but instead we opted for ordering the food and eating it in our room (which the owners where happy to accommodate).
The apartment was very nice and clean with a comfortable bed and a nice terrace and balcony (although not that much of a view in my opinion other than trees/mountains from our apartment...for some reason I was expecting to see the sea!). Unfortunately it was cold and raining when we went so we didn't get to enjoy them - neither the lovely pool. We ordered a cot for our son and found a travel cot - it was missing the foam over the locks which were just covered with pieces of cloth - I wasn't too happy about this but thankfully there were no accidents and our son slept very well in it.
There was a very small tv with sky satellite in the living room - which to watch you would need to sit on the dining chairs as there is no sofa. Ours didn't seem to have sound but we didn't hassle about it as we never watched it anyway.
Hot water was readily available but limited - we had to have short quick showers so as to make sure both of us could shower after each other.
The owner was very warm and welcoming and always ready to help us with anything we needed, including directions, booking of tours, etc. The place was very well kept all over and there were also 2 swings below the play area, table tennis, steam room and a pony you could go and pet. The pool was a good size and very well kept with a nice sunbathing area with deck chairs.
Food at the restaurant was limited but good and it opens every day for dinner and on Sunday for lunch (if I remember correctly!). Breakfast was simple with a serving a warm bread and croissants, some ham/salami and cheese, cereal, yoghurts, some fruit (kiwi or apples), jams, nutella, water, juices, coffee and nesquik. It was enough to keep us going for the day. (Highchair was also available for our son).
The kitchennette in the apartment was also adequate and on the first night we went to buy some pasta from a supermarket close by and cooked a quick meal since we were tired from our journey getting there and didn't feel like eating out. There is a small fridge but no freezer.
Overall it was a pleasant stay although I would recommend going at a time when it is warm enough to swim so you can enjoy both the pool as well as the beaches close by.
The views of the coast of Gioiosa Marea are amazing but there isn't that much to do in town. It's not a place I would recommend taking teenagers to for sure as they will probably get bored!
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Date of stay: June 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:We stayed in Arancia - it's the closest to reception, car park and restaurant - so has the...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Le camere sono abbastanza silenziose si sente il gallo che canta, gli uccellini ed in lontananza qualche auto particolarmente rumorosa. I rumori sono principalmente di giorno.
"We stayed at Melograno room, which was suitable for a grown up couple who does not care for large tv screens but likes own terrasse and great atmosphere. Air con is very quiet and everything is modern and good quality. We did not take pictures of the room but is is nice clean and similar to other hotel rooms."
"We stayed in Arancia - it's the closest to reception, car park and restaurant - so has the least stairs. However, in the evenings you might hear some voices outside as there are benches for people to sit close by - but there is a quiet time policy in the hotel so they won't be loud till late."
There are more places to choose from in the Gioiosa Marea area.
PRICE RANGE
$70 - $115 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
ItalySicilyProvince of MessinaGioiosa Marea
NUMBER OF ROOMS
10
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