We will be ending a Rick Steves Sicily tour in Catania. We will be staying at the Liberty Hotel. We plan on staying 2 extra nights and requested a quote from our tour hotel for those 2 extra nights. It seemed extremely expensive. Does anyone have any other hotel recommendations for Catania?
We are also Hilton Diamond members and looked into the Hilton at Giardini Naxos (we could stay for free) They do not have a shuttle service to airport. Has anyone ever stayed there? We feel it many be inconvenient to stay at the Hilton as it's far away from the city center and 20 km from the airport.
Thank you for any information you can share!
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7049 posts
First, compare the price the Liberty hotel gave you with www.booking.com. I bet booking can beat the price you were quoted. If that hotel doesn't work, then look at other hotels. Sicily is not expensive (except for Taormina) so you should be able to find lots of choices at any price point.
As far as the Hilton Hotel goes, it is about 2.2 miles (according to booking.com) from the Taormina-Naxos train station which can get you back into the center of Catania (but not the airport which I don't believe is served by train - only bus). More conveniently, there are also buses that serve Giardini Naxos and run between the airport (to the south), city center, and Taormina. Last Sept, I took a bus from Catania Airport to Taormina and I passed by Giardini Naxos and the bus station below.
Walking directions to (Recanati) bus terminal from Hilton hotel - less than 5 min, very easy walk:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Hilton+Giardini+Naxos/Recanati+Bus+Terminal,+Viale+Dionisio,+12,+98035+Giardini+Naxos+ME,+Italy/@37.8177095,15.2648921,16.99z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x0:0x5d88b32ed6b617b3!2m2!1d15.2656881!2d37.8160552!1m5!1m1!1s0x13140fd54fb64c85:0xe33e5306cd36a963!2m2!1d15.2657108!2d37.8186163
Posted by
San Francisco area
1803 posts
We stayed at this hotel on that same tour this year. Nice enough hotel, nice rooms, srong wifi and AC. We didn't stay for breakfast as a number of us had early flights.
I tried checking booking.com as suggested above by Agnes. Random dates in April and June of 2017. Quoted price was $140 per night. A little more than I expected.
Are you sure there wasn't some confusion on your price quote? Perhaps for the two nights verses per night?
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7049 posts
Booking's prices do tend to shift - I don't book too far in advance. I track the price over time and literally cancel and rebook at a better rate. Also, it's worth trying the hotel's own website, but I don't have much luck doing that. $140 per night does seem like a lot for Catania...there are hotels that are better priced - you just need to filter by price.
Posted by
OP
Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
171 posts
Thanks everyone for your help. I did get a quote directly from the hotel. They quoted me via email over 100 euro per room more than their website prices! I do plan on checking it through booking.com.
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7049 posts
If nothing else works, check this one out. It gets very good reviews, the prices seem reasonable, and it's very close to the train and bus line for easy access to airport and other cities (I'm not sure if you're going to Taormina on your tour - if not, then I would consider visiting).
Hotel Villa Romeo
http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/villa-romeo.html