Sant Alphio Garden Hotel & Spa

As part of a small group, we stayed at this hotel. We were given the worst rooms at the back of the hotel which were overlooked by the path to the beach and in desperate need of refurbishment. No curtains, only nets and a shutter that noisily pulled up and down. We are seasoned travellers, but THE BEDS IN THIS PLACE WERE THE HARDEST AND MOST UNCOMFORTABLE WE HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED. I stripped off the bottom sheet and covered the matress with the douvet after the first night, which helped a little, but my partner and I both had aching backs after three nights on these beds. The shower room was miniscule and there was mould round the bottom of the shower and the door was broken. The waiters were rude. The bar staff were bad tempered and curt. The drinks at dinner were overpriced as we were the drinks at the bar.

As you arrive at the hotel, it has a definite “wow” factor. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a “ Style over substance” scenario. As part of a touring group, we seemed to have been given as assortment of rooms that were well due for refurbishment. Our room had a small patio which was to the side of a main pathway to the beach. Consequently, people passing could see straight into our room unless we had the shutters down. The bathroom was dark with one strip light over the basin and no light in the shower. The shower leaked all over the floor making it very slippery and dangerous. It was also old and a tad grubby. The beds were rock hard and lumpy. One could feel every ridge. The pillows were as bad, one of them was just like lumps in a bag, absolutely dreadful. The hotel caters for large groups and the food offering tends to be reminiscent of school dinners although the buffet breakfast is very good. All in all, we were glad to say goodbye to this hotel.

Our group of 24 arrived after a long journey from the Amalfi coast. Although the check in staff could see I was using two sticks and struggling to walk, they allocated me room 509, some considerable way from the reception, bar and restaurant. I could not open the door to my room, and neither could three of my neighbours, so I had to walk back to reception. I asked if I could have a room which wasn’t so far away but was told no. One of the staff managed to open my door and said next time I couldn’t unlock it, call reception. How I could do so was not explained, as the telephone was inside the room. I said that getting up the many stairs to reception would prove difficult and she told me to go through the garden next time. This was unhelpful- especially as we had torrential rain the following day. She said I should pack my case and see her the following morning, when she would try to get my room changed. This didn’t happen, as her colleague at reception the following morning told me she had been wrong and he knew the room availability situation better than her. No room was free. He also asked why he wasn’t told of my disability (and his manner could have been friendlier). But I usually manage in other hotels, and had not anticipated either a sudden bout of sciatica or a journey to my room involving two flights of stairs and such a trek. Room 509 has no view and is below the level of a path which runs past the window. People stopped and looked into the room, so I had to lower the shutters. The noise at night was awful: shouting outside, toilets flushing, snoring from another room. The shower was not clean. They offered me a change of room for my final night but by then I did not trust them to deliver and couldn’t face the upheaval. The food was good and restaurant staff efficient, but the barman didn’t seem to notice women waiting to be served. The hotel has some lovely features, and I’m sure my experience was not typical, but for me it was a disappointing end to a wonderful holiday and a little more empathy from the reception staff would have been welcomed.

A lovely hotel, clean and comfortable. But most of all it was the impeccable service and great food and wine at mealtimes that I can easily give this a score of 5. We were part of a tour group. Special mention to Guiseppe who was on hand to explian menu choices and alternatives if required. I spoke to him later to thank him personally but he just said it was his job. Everyone was full of praise and the overflowing tip basket on the final evening reflected the fantastic service we had received.

A really great hotel, very clean and well appointed in a pretty part of Sicily. We had a double room on the top floor, which was spacious and comfortable, and with views of the sea and Etna from the balcony. The staff were very helpful, and the breakfast was typical Mediterranean and with plenty of choice. I am gluten and milk intolerant and was given plenty of options every day. The pool is very nice, nothing flashy but perfectly adequate and well maintained. We didn’t use the spa, but looked in there and it was beautiful. We definitely didn’t have the negative experience of some reviewers, but I do wonder if there might be differences when the hotel is very busy.

A lovely hotel with super staff. The facilities and the rooms were good. My only reservation relates to the food. Breakfast was good. The hotel caters for multi National touring parties and perhaps the evening set menus reflected that. However, the Italian dishes were the best parts of the menu. When I visit Italy I love Italian food and missed it here. The main courses were bland. Nonetheless the staff always tried to help those who had special needs and Giuseppe was particularly helpful, regularly recognising individual needs in what was a large dining area. There are two pools at the hotel. A word of warning for less confident swimmers, or those with children, the outdoor pool is deep.