Hotel Avalon Sikanì in Gioiosa Marea

This was genuinely the worst hotel experience I have ever had.

My boyfriend booked Hotel Avalon Sikani as part of a birthday trip through Sicily. We were only staying in this city for one night, and we specifically chose this hotel because of the infinity pool and panoramic views. The views are absolutely beautiful, but unfortunately that is where the positives end.

When we checked in, nobody informed us that the pool was closed until WE specifically asked about it. The pool was the main reason we booked this hotel and paid a higher price than other nearby options. Had we known the pool was unavailable, we would have booked somewhere else for significantly less money.

What followed was shocking.

The receptionist was dismissive, rude, and showed absolutely no concern whatsoever. We politely asked to speak with the manager and were repeatedly told the manager was “not there” and unavailable. We then asked for contact information for management and were told it was “private,” which is unbelievable for a hotel.

After continuing to ask for management, we were eventually told to wait because the manager would come speak with us. Instead, the shuttle driver appeared and claimed HE was the manager, offering us nothing except a ride to the beach so we could “swim there instead.” Later, other staff confirmed he was not actually the manager.

Things escalated even further later in the evening when we went back to reception to address additional problems with our room and stay. We ended up in a full argument with THREE adult staff members, including two different people both claiming to be “the manager.” They lied directly to our faces, contradicted themselves repeatedly, became aggressive and defensive, and treated us with an unbelievable level of disrespect instead of trying to solve the issues professionally.

The room itself was unacceptable:
- ⁠Hair from previous guests was all over the room, including the floor, sheets, and bathroom.
- ⁠The bathtub literally had visible dirt inside it.
- The shower pressure was so aggressive that showering was physically uncomfortable.
- The room phone did not work at all, meaning we could not contact reception.
- There was almost no cell service in the room and the WiFi barely worked, which became a serious safety concern because there was effectively no reliable way to contact staff if an emergency happened.
- The outdoor corridor leading to the rooms had NO LIGHTING whatsoever at night. We had to use our phone flashlights to walk through a completely dark hallway to reach our room.
- The room also lacked any additional interior safety lock, meaning anyone with a key could enter.

These are not small inconveniences. These are basic cleanliness, safety, and operational failures.

The restaurant was another terrible experience. Since the hotel is isolated and far from most restaurants, eating there was basically the only realistic option. We paid €25 per person for the buffet and it was honestly some of the worst hotel food I have ever tasted. I tried multiple dishes and could barely eat any of them. I ended up eating only bread and dessert.

What makes this entire experience truly unacceptable is not just the poor conditions, but the behavior of the staff. Every single concern was met with arguments, dishonesty, defensiveness, or indifference. Nobody took accountability. Nobody genuinely tried to help. Nobody handled the situation professionally.

This hotel has beautiful views, but beautiful views do not excuse terrible management, rude staff, poor cleanliness, false representation of amenities, and serious communication and safety issues.

I strongly recommend future guests confirm every amenity beforehand and think carefully before staying here.

The hotel is located in a beautiful area, but the quality of service leaves a lot to be desired.

On several occasions, food ran out at dinner, and there was no meat available at all. The coffee is an awful instant powder coffee and simply unacceptable. However, the biggest issue is that the hotel promises a shuttle bus to the beach every 15 minutes, but they do not keep this promise. Their service is misleading and unprofessional.

The hotel itself is also in serious need of renovation.

We do not recommend this hotel.

Our stay at hotel avalon sikani begins with an overwhelming disappointment. Firstly considering the location of said hotel I wouldn't suggest anyone with a heart problem or arthritis to book this hotel as there was no taxi service to assist our way up mount Everest. After our pleasant assent to the peak, we were greeted by a male receptionist with an unwelcoming and rude attitude that made me and my partner extremely upset and scared for the excursion ahead along side a 90 Euro tourist tax and daily fee for use of the outdoor pool and shuttle bus that escorts clientele to a 'private' beach which wasnt private in the slightest. This was not stated in our package that we booked through love holidays, however with all the dark the light of the situation layed in our room. The bed was extremely comfortable and the room over all was very spacious. Majority of the staff were rude. Overall wouldn't suggest staying at this place, would come back for the culture but not to this hotel.

I was not satisfied with our stay at GH Avalon Sikani Resort.

Firstly, the reception was unfriendly when we arrived. On the first day, they only pointed to our room on a picture instead of taking us there. Later, there was a power outage, which scared my child. The parking is very small, there is little lighting at night, and the hotel surroundings are not very clean.

Breakfast was the same every day, and both lunch and dinner were tasteless. The hotel staff did not explain that there is a shuttle bus to the beach or that each guest has an assigned table in the restaurant. Most of the hotel staff speak very poor English, which made communication difficult. The evening entertainment was only in Italian, so we couldn’t understand what was happening.

The only thing my child enjoyed was the kids’ dance, where he happily participated. The hotel manager did apologize for the unexpected inconveniences and promised my child an ice cream as a gesture, but nothing was done in the end.

Overall, I was disappointed with the service and would not recommend this hotel.

When we got to the room we were surprised to see a bunk bed that was on its last legs. Cracks all over, we were scared to sleep on it. The ladder was barely attached to the bed and one wrong move and you would fall off. The mattresses were so uncomfortable. The curtains wouldn't close so the sun woke everyone up at 5 in the morning.
The housekeeping staff were lovely though, the rooms were very tidy and kept well.

We only got breakfast, thankfully because if I were to have every meal here I don't know what I would do, it was horrendous. Everything was bad. Even the lettuce and tomatoes, I mean how do you mess that up? Eggs were horrible, my sister ate the scrambled eggs and felt ill for the rest of the day. We dreaded breakfast everyday.

When we first checked in we had everything paid off beforehand but when we got to reception we were informed that there is a mandatory fee of 280euros (for towels, shuttle bus, and umbrellas at the beach). I wouldn't mind paying the money but it should have stated somewhere on booking.com that we will have to pay this or include it in the 2 000euro cost.

The scenery and location made up for it at least. The views are stunning and it was lovely looking out at the beach while brushing my teeth each morning. Just to keep in mind that there is a LOT of walking up and down stairs/hills. I got my steps in everyday though so I didn't mind.
Elevators were slow and unreliable so it was honestly faster to walk up stairs. They also felt very unsafe, the doors almost closed on my a handful of times and it almost jumps when you get to a floor.
The walkways between buildings also seemed unsafe and rickety, with uneven flooring. And to note, always a weird smell in between the buildings.

Parking was very stressful, going uphill on these narrow pathways was a challenge. We opted to stay down and just walk up.

Pool was lovely, it was very big and very clean. Just very limited seating for the huge hotel. You'd think that there would be more than maybe 100 seats and umbrellas for so many people.

The entertainment was a bit poor, but it was mostly aimed for children so if you have kids, I would recommend. Animation/entertainment staff were lovely. But it all seemed very improvised and as if nothing was actually planned or organised. For adults the entertainment was nonexistent.

All in all I wouldn't really recommend the hotel to anyone, my biggest issue was the food. I don't know how the food was for lunch and dinner but I know that breakfast was horrible. Everything else I can kind of put past. But there are a lot of negatives.

A pleasant but very quiet location where there's nothing to do. It's okay for a relaxing time, that is until the music from the bar keeps you awake past midnight at the weekend. The room was clean but, sadly, I was bitten to death by bedbugs. The view from the room was amazing and the balconies are large. Breakfast was terrible. Couldn't find a bowl or a spoon, and no butter for the bread. Coffee machines broken. Therefore, I didn't dare to try the dinner! Parking can be tricky unless you park down the hill. I checked out 2 days early. Staff were pleasent but offered no refund for the days I didn't stay.

Very bad location, no taxis, shops ,buildings on hill , worse holiday ever we had. Rare people can speak English hard to communicate,sound come from outside at night, so many hidden charges,if you miss hotel shuttle you have to walk 40 minutes on hill . Nightmare