Villa Nina Apartments

We left without staying, and despite asking for a refund, we didn’t get one. They charge upfront, then refused to return the money and sent us disrespectful messages. We’d decided to find somewhere else after seeing the apartment: ours was dark, with its only way outside opening onto the complex entrance, an area they called a terrace. There were two vending machines right beside it, so there was no privacy and the noise was unbearable. The cleaning had been rushed. The toilet and shower were dirty, there was a plate of tomatoes in the fridge left by previous guests, and the soap bottle in the bidet had hairs in it. The man who showed us the apartment even took the tomatoes out of the fridge. He made a gesture as if he’d look for another place for us, but nothing came of it. Some apartments may be decent, as Booking.com reviews seem to suggest, but ours wasn’t. There are good views of Taormina, but the place is isolated on a mountaintop, far from services. Access is difficult, and you need a car for everything because the road is narrow and unlit. There are lots of tiger mosquitoes, so bring repellent. Giardino Naxos might be another option. We weren’t able to post this review on Booking.com, even though we attached photos explaining what happened. They knew about the situation and received emails apologizing to them. They’ll probably reply saying it isn’t true, that we arrived late, or that it’s a different hotel, as you can see from their responses to reviews. Leaving was the right decision for us, even without a refund, because of the poor service and apartment.

The equipment is modern and well maintained, and there’s a small pool. It’s up in the mountains, a little way from the sea, with lovely views over the hills and water.