My wife and 11-year old daughter stayed here for 2 nights in June. 2-nights wasn’t enough! It’s a beautiful property on the slope of Mt Etna. Food and wine was great—either by the pool, on the hillside for breakfast, or at the main dining area. There is so much to do in the area, that we didn’t have enough time to just sit back and enjoy the property.
We stayed here for 4 days in November. The location, rooms and staff are lovely. The breakfast venue is fabulous too. We had a bad experience with the restaurant and had to send the food back two days running. It was bland and over-cooked (inc. a pasta dish). We ended up eating in the bar - which is also very nice but limited menu - for the rest of our stay. If they could fix the restaurant we would give it 4 stars. The commitment to the slow food ethos shouldn't be an excuse for poor cooking at such a prestigious hotel. (The only other negative for us were the treatments which were very expensive).
Great team overall from reception to house keeping, breakfast and bar. Beautiful location; perfect for a relaxing few days. We had dinner at the restaurant two nights and were not particularly impressed with food preparation including a pasta dish that we sent back. Wine selection is excellent.
From the moment we arrived, the hotel was wonderful! We took a cooking class and had a lovely wine tasting (both free) and you must meet Marco the sommelier! I went to the chicken coop to collect eggs and visited the vegetable garden every day! The food was so lovely and we spent a few hours chatting with the lovely owners Federica and Guido. I felt so welcomed! This will be our first stop when we come back!!
We had a glorious three nights at Monaci! The entire staff went above and beyond to create a welcoming vibe. We met and talked with the owners one evening and learned even more about the hope, history and vision for the property. Views and walking paths are extraordinary--rows or herbs, fruit trees, grapes and native vegetation. I cannot stop thinking about the delicious breakfast and those funky barstools! We hope to return for sure.
This resort billed as a Relais & Chateau property is beautifully situated in a hilly vineyard and olive grove with rooms spread apart and reachable by golf cart. The restaurant is located in a 19th century building and is the standout of this property. Excellent food and, of course, wine locally produced. But how unfortunate that the service is amateurish and careless. Young poorly trained staff are the rule here. And we stayed in a so called "classic"room which was small, poorly furnished, with a tiny bathroom with no room for even our toothbrush and cosmetics. And would it be too much to supply tissues to guests? The beautifully designed pool holds a surprise: Freezing cold water Yes, it is a resort committed to bio and environment consciousness but, unfortunately here at the cost of guest comfort.…
We were greeted warmly by Fabio and the team and had a well appointed room nearby. Some of the rooms need a golf cart. The menu was a bit limited as we didn’t want to do the full Tasting menu but all the ingredients were very fresh and Marco took great trouble to find me a wine I like. They even changed my food when I didn’t like my choice. Breakfast on the terraces was lovely. The only downside was the pool was cold and there were lots of biting insects so take plenty of repellent if you plan to sit by the pool.
Firstly, the location is stunning with Etna above and views of the coastline below. Prior to arriving, I arranged a surprise upgrade for my partner and was so appreciative of the assistance offered by the Monaci team in making this happen. Upon arrival, we were greeted with a welcome drink and sat in the stunning garden while we enjoyed our drink. We were then driven to our suite. The Monaci Pool Villa (Monaci had surprised me with a further upgrade). This Villa was perfect - stunning views, private pool, private garden with table and day beds, a beautiful sitting room, comfortable bed and a beautiful bathroom. The villa also paid homage to the region with plenty of natural light and an incorporated lava rock feature in the room. Breakfast was fantastic serving everything you would expect, with a focus on local produce. We made an effort to explore the property and try all of the facilities and amenities available. From using the extensive grounds for exercise, there are plenty of routes available for a walk or run. The main pool area and the pool itself is a beautiful spot to relax, have a drink and soak up the sun. Our dining experience was amazing and again in such a beautiful location! We loved the slow food and enjoyed the recommendations made by the sommelier. The bar is also stunning and has a great range of beverages and bar food, we were fortunate enough to be staying on a night there was live music playing so we sat in the garden enjoyed our beverages and the live music. We also tried a cooking class (pasta making) which was fun. Monaci has everything, it is the perfect place to relax and unwind for a few days. One minor suggestion - I would suggest revising the price of the Wine Tasting experiences. This was one experience we would have liked to try. A sincere thank you for making our stay in Etna extra special.…
We stayed 3 nights while on honeymoon and had a fabulous time. Nuwan greeted us straight out of our private transfer from Taormina. We were explained the layout, ethos and history of the site and walked to the pool bar for some complementary wine from Rosario. We received a triple upgrade to room 7 - a delightfully rustic, stone wine press converted into a gorgeous and well-appointed boutique suite with stunning views and a private pool. Every member of staff greeted us warmly in such a way that we really noticed and they all somehow knew who we were to congratulate us on our marriage. Marco, the sommelier, is mentioned in many reviews here for good reason. Generous, knowledgeable and personable, he greatly enhanced our stay. As did Luisa, with whom we had a superb pasta making session that even included a guided walk through the herb garden and vegetable plots with the head groundsman, picking fresh produce as we went. In contrast to other reviews, we enjoyed the breakfast and found there to be sufficient variety of grains, cakes, fresh fruit, homemade yoghurts, jams, local honey, bread, salads and eggs however you like. There was even nut butter and alternative milks available. The restaurant in the evening had a good menu that caters for vegetarians and meat/fish eaters, though is pricey. Delicious cocktails in the bar, take advantage of happy hour if you can. The tranquility of the estate and general ecologically sensitive ethos of Monaci - with a focus on slow food - chimed with us and enhanced our stay, especially after the madness of touristy Taormina. The negatives? It's expensive, probably overpriced even for the lovely stay we had, especially if you eat every meal on-site. That said, at least for us we felt appreciated and had a lovely stay.…
We stayed here for 2 nights and it was the low point of a wonderful trip to Sicily. I give this review 2 stars because the restaurant was a good experience - breakfast on the terrace, the staff, and in particular the sommelier. But the hotel... terrible welcome where after a long journey we could not get water or see our rooms but were constantly offered wine. The air conditioning was not working and no-one could fix. We were there to visit Mount Etna and again the hotel were useless unless you want a helicopter trip or expensive private guide they can't help. This is all style, obsequiousness and no substance - such a disappointment - don't go.
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