Wave Hotel

The ants were the worst part of our July stay, and the hotel’s response made it worse. On the first night they were all over the bathroom. We reported it, but reception just handed us insect spray. We had to spray them and wipe up the dead insects ourselves while the receptionist waited outside. No apology or offer to move rooms. I complained again about changing rooms, and only then did we get another one. So far, so good, but on the second night ants were crawling over MY ARM while I slept. They were coming out of the walls again, spreading across the walls and curtains beside the bed and even climbing onto it. The pictures show it. We went back to reception and said having the same problem in a second room was unacceptable. An annoyed receptionist eventually got the cleaning maid to spray and wipe down the room. Again, there was no apology. We raised the hygiene and hospitality issues with our travel company, which contacted the hotel manager. He came to the room shortly afterward and immediately tried to say the ants were our OWN FAULT. We had some fruit on the table across the room, nowhere near the bed or bathroom, and he blamed that. He didn’t explain why ants were coming out of the wooden walls or the bathroom doorframes. He said he’d apparently never had this problem before, which has to be a lie because other reviews mention insects in rooms. He said he couldn’t do anything except offer us a 3rd room. Our stay was 5 days, and we’d had enough of changing rooms every day. After many hours on the phone, our travel agency found us a new, sweet little hotel near Naxos for the same price. We had no problems there and a much better stay. There were other issues too. Breakfast was in a stuffy, sticky room that didn’t look very hygienic, and it was almost all sweet food. The Wave Hotel location also isn’t good if you don’t have a car or don’t want to drive 1-2 hours a day. The bay is much too dirty for swimming, and the next *real* beach is about 30mins away. There aren’t many restaurants in the bay, and the streets are uncleaned and full of trash, which you can smell everywhere. Locals harass you if you’re a woman. I wouldn’t recommend it at all. For a clean city, nice people and restaurants, and a clean beach, I’d go in the direction of Giardini-Naxos.

Our flight was canceled, so we ended up staying here. The hotel is quite run-down, and the rooms are average. Check-in was awkward: just one staff member was working at reception, although two colleagues were standing beside him.

The hotel’s view left me in awe, and the interior design made for a comfortable, inviting atmosphere. Reception staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating, even making late-night check-in easy. Breakfast was delicious, with options for different preferences. The food in the restaurant was good, but the service felt rushed and impatient. We arrived to eat almost 20 minutes before breakfast closed, which was mostly the reason. Getting to places worth visiting meant taking a cab because they were quite far away, adding time and cost. Walking access wasn’t great. Still, there were good restaurants nearby, which made dining convenient and enjoyable and helped balance out the location. Despite those downsides, I had a positive experience.

We weren’t especially pleased with the location as first-time visitors, since getting to Acireale’s main square meant taking a taxi. Still, it was a quiet and comfortable spot, so I didn’t mind too much. The rooms were spacious and nicely decorated, and the TV and clean bathroom were great. Housekeeping cleaned quickly and did a quality job. I only wish the balconies had a table and chairs so we could enjoy the breathtaking view. The receptionist was incredibly helpful, friendly, and polite, and really made us feel at home. The bar and restaurant staff felt a little unwelcoming, but the good food and the clean, relaxing pool made up for it. I’d definitely recommend the place.