Etna Hotel

Let me start by saying we loved Sicily and the people there. The reception and dining room staff were very helpful throughout our holiday. The Hotel itself had its charm, you wouldn’t guess from the owner’s pictures the rooms were so dated, or maybe that was just our room. They must have used pictures from when the hotel was first opened. The hotel grounds and swimming pool were lovely and the view of Mount Etna on a clear day was amazing. Food was not allowed to be brought to the hotel and as the hotel had no lunch facilities, you were basically forced to go out for food. Breakfast was nice at first, then became boring as it was the same selection every morning. Dinners were nice but overpriced (compared to good restaurants in Catania). Oh, and make sure to check if the food is frozen. States on first page of menu that if fresh food is not available may be frozen. On that note, be sure to try the Scirocco Sicilian Fish Lab if you are in Catania. Disappointed with the area where the hotel was - far from restaurants and we wouldn’t walk around in the evenings. You have to be extremely careful as the hotel leads onto a busy road with no footpaths and car drivers give no quarter. Driving in Italy can only be described as being like the real life version of the Grand Theft Auto game. Be careful with the sun-beds - my wife's flipped over and she hurt her back - very thin and not stable. Another hotel guest said they had a similar issue. Now the explanation for our review title! From the start of our holiday to the end, our room was dirty and unclean from top to bottom, as you will see from the attached photos. Our room had limited storage areas A small, dirty cupboard in the wall and a tiny (Ikea) wardrobe with only 4 coat hangers - not enough for a couple. Doors weren't even on straight (see Pics) With walls so thin, with no soundproofing - you could hear neighbours talking. The Blackout curtains were nothing of the kind and you can see from the pictures that the sun shone right through them, so at night were not making the room dark enough. The toilet after flushing water kept noisy for 20 minutes- very annoying at night Supposedly cleaned Every Day, our room(Room 110) had: Dirt and cobwebs under the bed. Mould, dirt and layers of dust everywhere. The shower unit door was broken, was almost impossible to close and kept falling off. Unpainted plaster repairs Dirty light fittings Floor wasn’t swept or if it was, then not properly as I could see same bits lying every day on it Bed wasn’t changed even once in a week Mould, not just in the bathroom, but around the old metal framed windows where puddles of condensation would form. We would not recommend and we won’t be back here! It’s not even 3 star hotel never mind 4 stars given by easyJet holidays !!