Montalbano Hotel

“Excellent ”

Superb hotel with helpful and attentive anglophile team. Well situated near the medieval town of Montalbano. Ample parking. Good views. Clean and comfortable. Bar meals but no restaurant for evening meals. Plenty of choice in the town.

“Outstanding Hotel with Impeccable Service”

I can't say enough good things about our stay at the Montalbano Hotel. My brothers & I spent four days there and were thoroughly impressed. The rooms were large and comfortable. We got the terrace rooms and spent our evenings drinking wine overlooking the Aeolian Islands and watching the sun s... more

I can't say enough good things about our stay at the Montalbano Hotel. My brothers & I spent four days there and were thoroughly impressed. The rooms were large and comfortable. We got the terrace rooms and spent our evenings drinking wine overlooking the Aeolian Islands and watching the sun set over Montalbano. The staff was friendly, helpful, and all-in-all amazing. We were in Montalbano investigating our heritage and Nicola (the GM) helped set up appointments and even came with us once to meet an elderly priest. The front desk, Nicoletta and Valentina, made all our dinner reservations, were always available, and eager to help. We were literally treated like family. The breakfast was plentiful and excellent. The waiter, Maurizio, knew our coffee orders after our 1st encounter. The lounge and bar area was comfortable and spacious. They made our stay feel special, they made us feel special.

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“You're treated like one of the family”

We stayed here for my birthday a few months ago. I had planned to write this review directly, but how does that John Lennon quote go, “Life happens while you’re making plans.” Please note, everybody at the Montalbano hotel, it is not for a lack of caring or appreciation; just for a lack of time... more

We stayed here for my birthday a few months ago. I had planned to write this review directly, but how does that John Lennon quote go, “Life happens while you’re making plans.” Please note, everybody at the Montalbano hotel, it is not for a lack of caring or appreciation; just for a lack of time. When you stay at a hotel, for my husband and I, comfortable accommodations and great service are first and foremost, but this is the first time that I felt like I was also staying with family. I’d been wanted to see Montalbano Elicona for years. Hence, I was very excited about our weekend. But there was a bit of a glitch, our normal dog sitter wasn’t available to take our dog for my birthday weekend. I explained this in my horrible broken Italian to the concierge, Nicoletta when we made the reservation. I also happened to mention it was my birthday. Well, she and the hotel couldn’t have been more accommodating. Not only did they welcome us AND our dog, but when we arrived in the room, there was a bottle of champagne and basket of fruit and teas and a note wishing me a “Happy Birthday!” signed by the entire staff. I was so touched because honestly I only mentioned my birthday as an aside. It certainly was not the focus of our conversation. Throughout our stay, they managed everything. They organised massages for us (come on, it was my birthday!) and recommended the best local restaurants and attractions. …even the best route to trek through the wondrous rock formations. I never felt like they were doing this because it was their job or it was expected of them, but because this is how they would treat their own family if they had come to stay for the weekend. If you want clean and comfortable accommodations, a delicious and plentiful breakfast buffet, and first class care and courtesy when you’re visiting Montalbano Elicona, my husband and I highly recommend the Montalbano Hotel.

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“Lovely location, lacks atmosphere. Needs a restaurant. ”

I have given this hotel a 4 as it is a lovely location, perched up high. We arrived on the 3rd October, so out of season I guess. On arrival in the pouring rain, we noticed, there were no other cars there and assumed other guests were out for the day. We were met by two members of staff, a da... more

I have given this hotel a 4 as it is a lovely location, perched up high. We arrived on the 3rd October, so out of season I guess. On arrival in the pouring rain, we noticed, there were no other cars there and assumed other guests were out for the day. We were met by two members of staff, a dark haired lady and a younger bearded man, both friendly and welcoming. Our room was quite pleasant with a balcony with a good view. There was a letter saying, they had, no dividers between each terrace, as the plants had died and were to be replaced. This did not matter as the weather remained miserable all day. The hotel is decorated in terracotta colours, could do with a more modern touch as its not an old building. Inside it's spacious, a huge dining room, which we were lost in. Fantastic views! A bar again, it lacks something. There was very annoyiing music put on, probably for us as we were the only ones sat in the bar. Breakfast was reasonable, minute slices of cheese and cold meats, cereals, bacon and eggs on offer. Downside not enough coffee on offer, we were offered one cup. It is mot freely available and we did not feel comfortable asking for more. There us no restaurant, we clearly did mot check as, we would not have booked it if we had noticed. They have Barilla bar snacks but they did not appeal. There are a few restaraunts in town, but most were closed. We ended up going to Il Girasole - The Sunflower. Very basic rustic food. Compare it to fish and chips at home. Friendly service. We met one couple in the evening and one at breakfast. On the day we checked out, we were served breakfast on a trolley. On checking out We found we were the only ones in the hotel. I would stay again, but only in the summer months, without any guests it was a soulless hotel. No pool, spa services had to be booked in advance, a gym but everything is turned off. It needs people. Otherwise it was good.

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