Sant Alphio Garden Hotel & Spa

The lobby and entrance have been modernized, and the whole area is clearly well cared for. Our room was very spacious, with a lovely view, and the hotel felt romantic and peaceful. There was a lemon scent everywhere, and the staff were kind, helpful, and chatty. Housekeeping was kind too, with the room cleaned and towels changed each day. We could always find a free sunbed by the pool. We slept well, though the mattresses were quite firm, and noise came through the thin walls, especially in the mornings. Breakfast got repetitive, with lots of pastries, just one vegetable, tomato, and three kinds of ham. For a 4-star hotel I'd have expected more variety. Coffee came only from a machine, and the scrambled eggs were sometimes made from powder. We were still happy with the stay. The place looks stunning.

The entrance hall looks beautiful and the pool area is pleasant, but the rooms feel very dated and need investment. The showers are very old, both in the rooms and around the pool. Dinner is served in a classy dining room, though the menu doesn't feel gourmet as the website describes it. Breakfast has a limited selection too. I've stayed in many 4-star hotels, and this one didn't meet my expectations. For me, the price and quality don't line up.

The hotel has plenty going for it, but the weaker parts let it down. It presents itself as upmarket, yet seems to cut corners on things that matter. We found it average and wouldn't return. The room was attractive and large, and the location was reasonable. The pool was really nice and the beach was okay, though paying 15 Euro per day for beach sunbeds bothered me. My main room complaint was the bathroom: the bidet was separate, while the toilet was wedged between the wall and bath, which made using it awkward. My family complained about that too. Breakfast was poor and much the same every day. There was only an instant coffee machine, with proper espresso or Cappuccino available for a charge at the bars after breakfast. Many items were low quality, the juice was awful syrup with no fresh option, and the only hot choice was scrambled egg, which wasn't great. The Granita and brioche were nice, at least.

The location was one of the biggest problems for us. This isn't in the beautiful part of Taormina, but in a run-down area with empty lots and surroundings that felt sketchy. The public beach looked polluted, smelled bad, and didn't feel safe. We drove 30 minutes each day to get to a decent beach in Taormina proper. We paid a lot for our rooms, and could have booked much better hotels in the city for the same rate. Calling Sant Alphio Garden Hotel & Spa a spa resort felt misleading. There was no proper spa or resort experience, and even basic things like conditioner and body lotion were missing from the rooms. The smell through the hotel was unbearable, like cheap, toxic-smelling detergent, and made the halls unpleasant. The lobby looked decent, but elsewhere the hotel felt stuffy, outdated, and poorly designed. There was no mini-market or convenience store, and when we needed painkillers they had none and made no effort to help us find any. The staff were cold and unfriendly. On the rare occasion someone smiled, it seemed so forced it was uncomfortable. When we asked for help with the broken room safe, they responded with hostility and nearly yelled at us. This was one of our most misleading and disappointing hotel stays. Poor service, bad smells, a rough neighborhood, and no real spa experience. We absolutely do NOT recommend staying here.