Etna Paradise Casa Vacanze

A peaceful, gated place with a nice view and good value for the money.

Lovely place, spotless, and a great host. We’ll come back!

We were four, two adults and two kids, and found the rooms very clean and tidy. The host was exceptionally kind and courteous, and the view was beautiful. Inside, there’s a compact, comfortable kitchen with a little fridge on the left, and a larger area on the right with a double bed and an open sofa bed. The bathroom is small but comfortable. Heating kept the room warm, and the towel warmer was useful in the cold. A good choice for a peaceful, relaxing short break, or as a base before heading up to the Sapienza refuge, as we did.

The location is in a very quiet, peaceful area, and the directions were clear enough for our late arrival and self check-in, which we’d requested. We stayed two nights with another family, eight of us in total, split between the main apartment and the studio. Both families ran into the same problems, even though the studio building and furnishings seemed newer. In the larger apartment where I stayed, the lights kept flickering on and off annoyingly. The towels didn’t dry us at all, and they didn’t even have a consistent scent. The shower swung between too hot and too cold, which was difficult with children. The private parking area has no lighting, so a motion sensor light would help. Better bulbs and towels would help too. We’d hoped to use the available barbecues, but the grills were in terrible shape. The garden wasn’t well maintained, and neither was the area presented as a children’s playground. It’s a shame, because with a little more attention, this could be a real piece of paradise.