Donna Carmela Resort and Lodges

Absolutely lovely week at this beautiful hotel, the customer service from everyone was exceptional, they were so warm, welcoming and willing to help in any way. Rooms very nice , gardens lovely, wine tasting was an excellent experience with Rosaria and Guialuca (we did it twice). Definitely worth visiting Mt Etna, we drove ourselves and went to the North rather than the busy south and had an excellent time. We went up further with a 4 x 4 vehicle and guide, loved it! We would stay again if in Sicily!

From the rustic chaos that is Sicily, Donna Carmela is like an oasis of calm and tranquility you step into and all your needs are taken care of in a personal and professional way, nothing is too much trouble and all the staff are only too happy to help you in anyway they can with a smile of their faces. We spent a week with them and cannot thank them all enough for the kindness they showed us both. We spent 2 nights in the romantic villa that is 800m from the hotel, it was remote but beautifully appointed and a great place to get away from everything, the remainder of our time based in the exclusive suite, a beautifully appointed room and terrace. I can thoroughly recommend the wine tasting, even if you aren’t an expert, Rosario’s passion for Sicilian wine was outstanding and his enthusiasm infectious, so much so we booked again. Our only slight disappointment was the food, breakfast was excellent, lunch the offering was a bit basic and the dinner menu was a little over ambitious in our view and you would only want to eat there once or twice. Thanks again and if we come back to Sicily we will definitely stay again.

Wow! We stayed at this resort for one night but wish we could have stayed longer. We were in the "Flora" lodge with a beautiful private terrace overlooking the garden. The room was decorated perfectly and fresh white roses awaited us when we arrived. The breakfast and lunch were excellent. The staff went out of their way to meet all of our needs. I would highly recommend this resort for a romantic stay.

This classy hotel is located in well kept tropical gardens and lawns, with a stunning view of mount Etna. It’s main asset is its friendly, competent and discretely helpful staff, from the welcome desk, to housekeeping and the restaurant staff. The outdoor breakfast and dinner were delicious. We did find the breakfast a bit on the sweet side, but on day two, found some heartier cold-cuts and rye bread as well. The pool area is beautiful and relaxing. One minor detail is the railway nearby with sporadic passage, but not disturbing, definitely not inside the room. The bed- and adjacent bathroom were very spacious, nicely decorated and we slept very comfortably. The only caveat is that its opulent luxury attracts a certain “clientele” with a sense of entitlement. I was cut off in my little Audi rental and TOLD TO WAIT by a limo driver who stopped to pick up her clients IN THE MIDDLE of the common driveway. Not the hotel’s fault of course…

We enjoyed four nights at this lovely hotel as part of a longer stay in Sicily. As the hotel was not full, we were upgraded when we checked in and were therefore able to enjoy a spacious two-storey suite with magnificent views of Etna. The suite was very comfortable, with a good sized private terrace, table and two chairs. I felt that more comfortable chairs would have been appreciated, as the hard chairs weren’t really suitable for relaxing. We had a delicious lunch on the beautiful, sunny terrace on our first day, but tended to eat out in the evenings so can’t comment on the evening menus. Breakfasts - also served on the lovely terrace - were fabulous, with so much choice! There were delicious fruits, pastries, a huge variety of cakes (chocolate, blood orange, lemon…), arancini etc, along with substantial a la carte options. Our orders were taken each morning by the delightfully charming and friendly Daisy, who always greeted us with a smile, and who quickly got to know our preferences (chocolate pancakes and extra orange juice for me!). She was definitely the “stand out” member of staff, although everyone was warm, friendly and approachable. We had a very special time at this peaceful, intimate hotel, and would definitely recommend. We hope to return - next time to one of the lodges with plunge pool!

The service was impeccable with excellent attention to detail and a great love for fantastic food and wine. I loved the privacy of the rooms and plunge/private swimming pools. One of the best breakfasts I have ever had. Our room and balcony (by the plunge pool) felt like we could have been in a jungle or somewhere green. Very relaxing. Beware that in our room, which was not in the main manor building, there was no separation/door between the toilet and the sleeping area. The common swimming pool is not too large and we opted to spend more time by our private plunge pool. Lovely spot to relax and superb service for their guests.