Hotel Panorama di Sicilia in Castelmola

We stayed at this hotel in Castelmola, and I must say — the location is absolutely magical. From almost every room you can see Mount Etna rising in the distance, and the view over Taormina is simply breathtaking. The hotel is situated in a charming little town with a wonderful, genuine local atmosphere that immediately wins you over.

What truly makes this place special, though, is not the view — it’s the people. The hotel has been run by the same family for generations, and the owner’s kindness, genuine warmth and quiet sense of hospitality create an atmosphere that’s hard to find anywhere else. It’s one of those places where you stop chasing luxury and start appreciating human connection — politeness, calm, and the feeling of being truly welcomed.

There are no televisions in the rooms, no unnecessary distractions — just peace, time for yourself, and the kind of silence that feels like a gift. The hotel itself has a nostalgic charm of the 70s or 80s, with all its simplicity and soul. Of course, it’s not without its small imperfections: in our case, the water was only lukewarm, which made a difference given that it’s already October. It’s a detail that definitely deserves attention — but it doesn’t change the fact that our stay was fantastic.

All in all, this is a place for those who value authenticity over luxury, views over marble floors, and warmth over formality. We left with gratitude — and the wish to return.

Magical location with unbeatable views of Mount Etna and the coastline. Authentic charm of Castelmola and its genuine local atmosphere. Family-run hotel with warm, kind, and genuinely hospitable owners. Peaceful environment with no unnecessary distractions (no televisions). Nostalgic 70s-80s charm with simplicity and character. Emphasis on authenticity, calm, and human connection over luxury. Overall fantastic, memorable stay that inspired gratitude and a wish to return.

Stayed in a wonderful double room with breakfast served on the terrace.
The views of Mt Etna and the coastline is simply superb!
Enjoyed very reasonably priced local Sicilian wines to soak up the terrace views.
Service was superb, reception even assisting us with parking in the narrow Castelmola streets.
Superbly located to explore the wonderful Castelmola with busses providing access to Toarmina. There is a walking path from Castelmola to Taormina, Sentiero dei Saraceni, which was much less taxing than we thought it would be.
Highly recommend this accommodation.

I loved everything about this property. The shuttle to town is very frequent and very easy. I ate at the restaurant twice when staying there and it was excellent as well. Everything tou need is in this town and easy to get into Taormina. Ciao

The view from this property is absolutely spectacular. The family who owns the hotel is lovely and accommodating. It’s a very basic room, but the views more than make up for it. Would highly recommend!

The first and only thing you need to know is that this hotel is fabulous. Yes, it’s 2-3* depending on where you look, why? Because hotels are rated on their amenities. Kettle, nope, but ask for hot water at the bar. Hair dryer, nope, but you get offered one on check in. No tv in the room, why do you need it, breathe in the mountain view and air. This isn’t your Hilton or your Four Seasons, but it’s very much worth it. Almost every room has a spectacular view of Mount Etna, uninterrupted, direct from your balcony. Its phenomenal. There are no trees, no buildings, not even a telegraph pole to obscure your view which is certainly the main selling point. The hotel itself is family run, the son, papa and mama are all truly wonderful and hardworking friendly people. Always there with a friendly greeting or ready at the concierge. Its run like a b&b instead of a hotel, going out? Give your key back at the desk, but also run like a hotel with a stocked bar and daily housekeeping. Certainly there could be improvements, another pillow on the bed, perhaps a chair and table on the balcony. Breakfast is basic in terms of a delicious brioche roll(s), juice and a tea/coffee, but a great starter to the day before you find a snack later in one of the nearby establishments. You have to understand the balance between them offering a full breakfast service with staff/food/wastage costs and this. This seems to be a good medium ground that we were more than happy with over our stay. The rooms are comfortable, clean, suitable for use (i.e plugs by the bed, that even modern hotels sometimes don’t have! Sun shutters and air con! A huge plus during the summer months. It’s basic, but it works. Plus its quiet, being able to push the bedroom door to, to separate the entryway/hallway to the bedroom really helps block out any extras noise from other residents who might be up early. Yes it is 2-3*, but the service, friendliness and value for money has some 5* beat all day long. We really enjoyed our time here. Igor and Marcello were fantastic hosts. Things we’d love to see: Update the Trip Advisor wording! It still says (no air con) but there is definitely air con! Increase the price by 5EUR per night and put 2 bottles of water in the room. The convenience of having water in the room especially over the warmer months, refreshed daily via housekeeping, more than covers the extra price point! Add a full length mirror into the entryway, and a smaller one above the desk space where women can do their make up/hair. Replace the terrace furniture with something a bit more upmarket and modern. Reuse the plastic furniture on room balconies. Extra towel hook in the bathroom. The beds are a touch hard, a mattress topped would be perfect to make these more comfortable without replacing every mattress. These little touches would add that extra bit of convenience and really make the hotel an even more incredible place to stay.

I was unsure about what to expect from this hotel, but it exceeded my expectations by far! We were only there for a few days and out exploring mostly. The room was spacious and clean with enough needed for a comfortable stay at this hotel, good water pressure and air conditioning. The views from the room and restaurant balcony were absolutely stunning. Waking up to Etna everyday was a treat. Yes, the breakfast was basic, but the brioche was delicious accompanied by spreads,fresh juices and hot drinks. We also enjoyed digestifs there after dinner, enjoying the far reaching views and peace. What made our stay was being looked after by Igor and his dad Marcello! We felt so well looked after and they made us feel like family and anything we asked for wasn’t a problem. Thank you, we had a wonderful stay. If you’re staying in Castelmola and want a no frills but comfortable homely stay, please consider this hotel.

Basic but great B&B, with amazing views of the Etna and coast from the terrace. Nice and helpful staff, big rooms with AC (essential in summer!). The town is charming and this is only 20 min from Taormina by car. Note that access is via two flights of stairs. It's closed from 23:00 but we were given the key to the main door. You can also park in front upon request to staff, you'll need a sign they provide for your car (else, only residents can park in town).

The owner and his family go out of their way to make your stay comfortable and memorable. The view from the terrace is incredible. The coffee in the morning is the best I’ve ever had. We’ll definitely be back!