Grand Hotel Miramare

The real standout was the pool and poolside bar: plenty of space, not crowded, a huge pool, and lots of sun loungers. The bar nearby served cold drinks and tasty lunches. The views from the rooms were terrific, especially from the breakfast restaurant terrace. The rooms have a typically old Italian style. We had a great week there this September. The hotel is well placed for getting into town, taking the gondola down to the beach, or catching the bus for trips out. Worth a look if you're after a reasonably priced hotel in a great location.

We made a last-minute booking and stayed three nights in September 2023. For the price, the location is hard to beat: Taormina is a 5-10-minute stroll, and you can walk down to the beaches or take the cable car. The hotel sits on a hill with lovely views. Breakfast was included and had a decent range, and the breakfast staff were great. The rooms are small and basic, but have what you need and were looked after each day. There's a nice pool area with a bar, reached by quite a lot of steps, though it wasn't too bad. The sun reached the pool in the morning, then the area was shaded in the afternoon. I recommend it for the value and location.

The staff were very nice and attentive. We got upgraded from a parking view to a sea-view room after a mistake with the twin beds, and appreciated that. We paid 128€ a night through a third-party app, and I wouldn't say it was worth more. For that price, the stay was pleasant. The lobby looks beautiful and freshly renovated, and the recently redone pool and cozy bar area look nice too. But the pool bottom was dirty, with leaves, dirt, and sand, and some umbrellas were torn. It's only open from 10 to 18, so there's no early dip or swim after a long day of sightseeing. The garden around it was messy and neglected, and the tennis court had turned into a dump and parking lot. You can get down from the pool to isola Bella quite easily, saving time and a lot of steps, even on the way back up. The room felt dated, like going back to the 80s. The large bed was two beds pushed together, hard and noisy. There was lots of mould in the bathroom and some rough, dirty repair work. The air conditioning made noise even when switched off, and we couldn't really control the temperature. It was too cold, so we had to turn it off at night. Breakfast was included, but the continental selection was basic: some cheese, omelette, mini sausages, bacon, yogurt, Cornflakes, and not very well-chosen fruit. The quality was industrial, with just average taste, and the fruit juices were awful. Taormina itself is nice, but I wouldn't recommend staying there. It's too crowded and expensive compared with the rest of Sicily, and feels like a tourist trap.

The location suited me perfectly, close enough to Taormina but away from the busy center. The terrace was fantastic, and the pool and food there were nice. Lots of stairs, and our room was almost in a basement. I was disappointed when I first saw the rooms. They were dated, though clean. The staff were great apart from one man at reception, and breakfast had a good continental selection. They didn't replace the tea, coffee, sugar, or milk unless we asked, which was a pain. I might stay again because the location worked so well for me.