Villa Conrad by Hotel Metropole Taormina

The apartment is only a short three minute walk from the Metropole, where we checked in on Taormina’s main street. Service was top notch, especially from the Venezuelan Italian lady whose name I didn’t catch and Giuseppe in the dining area. The room was very spacious, comfortable, and in great condition. I could spend all day on the sofa, and the TV had plenty to watch. Two small drawbacks: water collects in the shower, and the bar opposite stays open until 3 am. The soundproofing was fairly good, though we could still hear it, not enough to disrupt our sleep.

An electrical outage in the building meant I never got to stay at the property. I understand things happen, but at 10 pm the night before, they told us and booked me and my parents into different hotels, 15 minutes from one another and 15 minutes from our original location. We had seven bags for our several weeks of travel in Italy, and had been looking forward to a luxury villa. Instead, the hotel they booked needed updating ten years ago. We paid double what those bookings cost, and I had to find a separate Airbnb for my parents and me, closer to where we’d originally booked. When I asked for a refund, I got nothing and an argumentative supervisor. I called hoping to speak to someone else and was told, “I can’t do anything.” I raised all these concerns again and got the same response. They expected us to accept the replacement without question, even though the electrical problem was outside both our control. Their compensation was a free drink at their five star hotel. I didn’t want a drink, I wanted a refund. Given their association with the five star Hotel Metropole, they could afford to refund two bookings. This was handled incorrectly. I’m frustrated and would warn anyone considering this villa to reconsider and spend their money elsewhere. Do better.

We arrived to find the hotel closed because of a “very recent” incident, and they hadn’t told me beforehand. What a disappointment, and such a letdown. After a couple of hours of back and forth, they did put us in the room we’d booked and we stayed at the hotel after all. The staff were 100% amazing, but the damage had been done right at the start.

We’re an Irish family and stayed here while visiting Taormina for a friend’s wedding. Everyone loved the place, and it made the trip even more memorable.