Altafiumara Resort & Spa

We couldn't get a room at the Altafiumara because it was fully booked, but we tried the restaurant and were invited to spend the rest of the afternoon by the pool. My wife and I had spotted the place from the beach and went up to see if the view across the straight of Messina lived up to its promise. It absolutely did, just amazing. Chef Battaglia made us a gorgeous tasting menu of local dishes, mostly fish, and the food was delicious. Best meal we had in Italy. We'd come back in a heartbeat.

We had a lovely stay and left with a very warm impression. The property is green, spacious, and well kept, though quite hilly. Staff will help with luggage by golf cart, which was handy. Our room was in the same building as the restaurant, clean and spacious, with tasteful decor and a large walk-in shower. Everything was ready and welcoming when we arrived. A bathrobe would have made it perfect. From the window we could see the restaurant, pool, and sea. Since it's in a bay, the opposite shore looks especially magical at night. Our room faced the leisure area, so there was some evening noise from live music, but it suited the feel of a summer seaside break and added to the charm. Room service was the most expensive I've seen, with a €15 delivery fee, though it was quick: dinner took 20 minutes and breakfast 10. Dinner was amazing, especially the fusion-style sushi, with a different sauce for each kind of nigiri, like passion fruit. Creative and delicious. There was a small communication problem, possibly due to poor phone signal in the room, which may have kept messages from reaching staff. One breakfast item was missing, and when I called reception in the morning for luggage help because we were rushing to catch a ferry, the manager said someone would come right away. After waiting 20 minutes, I had to call again. It wasn't a major problem, but it did affect the final impression a little. We'll definitely return.

The views over to Sicily are gorgeous, and the sunsets are fantastic. The restaurant is excellent, currently serving Japanese fusion dishes at dinner. Rates are very reasonable. Strongly recommend it.

Prices felt far too high for what we got, including the rooms. COVID tax, inflation, and the value of the EURO may be part of it. The resort seems to be coasting on its former glory and its reputation as an event venue. Unless you're willing to pay extra for the very minor privileges of the resort section, it doesn't really feel like a resort. Even the outdoor gym area was extremely small and inadequate for a hotel or resort, so calling it a gym or exercise area felt misleading. The wifi was horrible to connect to on personal devices, and the in-room TV connection was bad too.