Tenuta San Michele | Other in Santa Venerina

Amazing place to relax a couple of days. Great wine, food and propety. Pool area was great and they served also light lunch. We ate at the restaurant a few times and the food is great, but all the meals were huge. We were travelling without a car. Unfortunately the hotel didn't provide a pick up service, but you can ask the taxi from Giarre-Riposto railwaystation's Bar.

The location is amazing. The property has great views over the vineyards in both directions towards Mt. Etna to the North and the Ionian sea and across to the Italian mainland to the South. The pool area is nice but could get a little busy and difficult to snag a sunbed. Our room was ok. It is a 3 star hotel but even so it was a little more rustic and functional rather than luxurious but it was clean and quiet, and the air-con worked well… unfortunately the same could not be said for the in-room wifi and when we mentioned this it was dismissed by reception as something “that happens” and was never fixed. We didn’t feel like driving at night and so ate at the restaurant both nights of our stay. The food was good but we made the mistake of over-ordering on the first night as we didn’t quite understand the “set menu”. It has to be said that the second night was like a different restaurant, same good food but it was much friendlier and there were more staff working who were far more interactive with us as guests. We were touring Sicily for 2 weeks and chose to stay here as it’s a winery and who wouldn’t want to stay at a vineyard on Mount Etna? In terms of setting it delivers on that romantic ideal but we really felt that it was lacking in terms of hospitality. Unlike everywhere else we stayed in Sicily this hotel was not particularly welcoming and we felt mostly like we were an inconvenience to the staff rather than paying guests.

Wonderful property, fantastic views, poolside was a great experience.

This is an AgriTourismo establishment built around a working vineyard. The accommodation is sited uphill from the main establishment (500m above sea level) and has in front of it a lap pool ranging from ankle-deep to 2m, there is a ramp enabling less able clients to access the pool easily. There is also a jacuzzi pool. Adjacent to these is an open-air bar where breakfast is served as well as drinks during the day/evening. The main section houses a covered bar/restaurant. Meals can be ordered a la carte or a buffet-style option together with a wine-tasting option with on-site produced wines. Both options are on the expensive side but well worth it at least a few times. Access to the whole site is above Santa Venerina - trips to Catania and Syracuse are feasible, but for a quiet vacation by the pool this is perfect. The accommodation is clean and reasonably appointed - it is functional rather than luxurious with a small covered porch area overlooking the pool and fabulous view to the sea (7 kms away). The elevation change from the main restaurant to the apartments is quite steep - driving from one to the other is an option - visitors with mobility concerns should bear this in mind. Is it worth a re-visit? Yes.

Good food, wine and great views. Comfortable.

Excellent facility but we were there at the very beginning of the season and the pool and hot tub were not yet open so we can’t comment on those. The outdoor furniture also needed a little freshening up for the season. The location was beautiful, quiet and calming with spectacular views of Mount Etna. There were shared kitchen and laundry facilities which were very handy. We enjoyed a wine tasting with our dinner in the restaurant on our first night which was very informative and fun. San Michele is conveniently located for accessing Mount Etna and the small towns nearby (which have some good restaurants) and has easy access to the highway to visit nearby cultural sites like Taormina, Catania and Syracusa. The staff was very friendly and efficient and many spoke some English. Our room was very comfortable with everything we needed. We very much enjoyed our stay and would highly recommend San Michele to others.

Staying here was lovely! Location: Though not in a town centre, we really liked the location as it pitted us between things to do and itself provided enough character for us to lounge about. The view by the pool, or of the volcano at sunset is just stellar! Room: The room was nice, nothing life-altering. That said, it was wonderfully quiet, yet there was still enough of a vibe at the restaurant in the evenings if you wanted to do the daily free wine tasting (yum!) and hang about to chat or play cards etc. Breakfast: Breakfast was decently nice and changed a bit every day. Staff: Check-in and some logistics were not as easy as they could have been. It felt like we were one of many passing through their door (due to the fact that they do daily vineyard tours and have groups come through) and we had distractedly kind service. That said, Luna from the Housekeeping staff was the BEST! Second to none, frankly, the woman needs a raise!

Really authentic experience. Country vineyard with good meals and wine tasting.

Fabulous location for seeing the area and visiting Mt Etna. The food was excellent and the wine delicious. Beautiful pool and surroundings.

Difficult to find but the owner made every attempt to help.