BB Aida

They even picked me up from the airport, and the service was really good. The people there are very nice. The hotel is close to Catania's central areas, with lovely, comfortable rooms that even have cooking and dining facilities. Breakfast was excellent, and I thought the quality for the price was very good. Highly recommend it.

Aida is in a great spot, less than ten minutes from the main square and fairly near the train station, handy for trips to Syracusa or Taormina. For what I paid, I'd absolutely give it five stars and recommend it. I stayed four nights alone in a spacious double room with a large separate bathroom and a balcony. The furnishings were in good condition and nicely done, and both the room and bathroom were clean and made up daily. There was air conditioning, though I didn't use it even in the heat because I don't like it. A small fridge had assorted drinks at modest prices. Breakfast was Italian style, served in a separate upstairs room. There's a little terrace where you can have coffee and brioche outside. The views from the rooms aren't anything special, but seeing Etna smoking over coffee was pretty cool. The two ladies who run the place are real gems: courteous, friendly, and helpful throughout. They arranged an airport pickup without me asking and also booked an Etna trip for me. The stairs other reviews mention didn't bother me, and an average person should manage them, though they could be harder with physical problems. The one annoyance was a high-pitched noise, probably from a pump, going off every other minute. Maybe you'd stop noticing if you got used to it, but I hadn't; earplugs solved it at night.

The Bellini Theatre, historic centre, bars and restaurants are all close by, so the location worked really well. The place is lovely, and the ladies running it are lovely too.

It's a nice old building with a friendly owner, fair prices, and an easy walk to the city centre. The stairs might be a drawback for some people.