Villa Fanusa

We had a very enjoyable week here and plan to return. The large, clean pool had plenty of room for sunbathing and moving around, and the room was clean and a decent size. The double bed was just two small single mattresses pushed together, though, and the WiFi didn't work at all during our stay. Breakfast also left a lot to be desired. The location was great for our trip to Ortigia and Siracusa, about a 15-minute drive away, and the lido and beaches were a 10-minute walk.

We ended up here by mistake and were pleasantly surprised. The old villa is beautifully renovated and decorated, with olive trees all around the lovely garden and a huge, amazing pool. It's 15 minutes from Siracusa. Breakfast was delicious and the service attentive. We also had an amazing pizza and the best tiramisu ever at the restaurant behind the villa, overlooking the pool.

We had a terrible experience and would strongly advise staying away if you can. All four of us got food poisoning from the capricciosia pizza and spent about half a day in pain. The white wine arrived warm; after we complained and they shouted back, they agreed to chill it, but half an hour later we had to remind them. They brought one glass instead of three, and only after more complaints agreed to bring all three. Later, the music got so loud we couldn't hear each other. We complained three times, but they shouted at us and refused to lower it. We moved to the other side of the restaurant and could still barely hear one another.

We liked our room, and the staff and pool were great. Breakfast was okay. You'll need a car to get around, though a bus leaves from outside the hotel, with service that works the Italian way :). Music from the restaurant can be loud on weekends, but it didn't bother us.