Lovely setting, great terrace, super staff, nice rooms - go there.

We stayed here for a wedding in July 2007 and thoroughly enjoyed it. Our room had a very big terrace that we were not expecting and the room was lovely with a great bathroom. The only negative were the beds that I felt were too hard and uncomfortable. They provide an excellent breakfast with a huge choice and the restaurant, Olivio, was pricey for lunch or dinner but very nice. The housekeepers come around in the early evening to give you amaretti biscuits which is a nice gesture. Would stay here again...

After 3 nights at the San Domeninco up the hill in Taormina, we stayed for 3 nights at the Sant'Andrea. Being the end of the season in late October the weather was good sometimes rainy and the hotel was about 25% occupied. The manager was gracious enough to upgrade us to the Churchhill Jr. Suite (Room 301) which has an enormous terrace overlooking the cove and beach. 279 euros seemed to be a good price for the extragavent accommodations. Very nice place. Walk around to the other side of the cove and there is a great restaurant on the water (name slips my mind--I Brallecerio) > Just below the restaurant are the boats to take for cave excursions. We took an hour excursion for 80 euros. Lastly, for great food go to the next town over on the water Ristorante da Nino in Letojanni. Owner and chef Giovanno Ardizzone ("Black Beard") has this restaurant/pensione plus a restaurant in Rome. He buys and sells the seafood fresh from local fisherman with most product served at his restaurant on the beach.

My wife and I stayed at this hotel for 5 days in early October. It was the perfect base to explore the area - Mt. Etna, Taormina etc., whilst enjoying a short beach break. The hotel staff were friendly if not hugely flexible, and the front desk gave some excellent advice for restaurants (despite its name, the Tiramisu restaurant in town was excellent). The hotel's location (at the base of the funicular) is very handy for popping up to Taormina for evening meals and sightseeing. Comfort-wise, the hotel met expectaitons.

Trip Advisors reviews warned not to eat in the restaurant at this hotel - how right they were. Slow service, miniscule helpings and mediocre food. We ate out in restaurants after that and had good food at one-third of the price of dinner in the hotel. Breakfast was basic, but lovely setting over-looking the bay. Orange juice was synthetic. We went to the little snack-bar on the beach next to the hotel and had lovely freshly-squeezed orange juice! Beautifully furnished hotel but the whole atmosphere was spoilt by constant pop-music, which was turned down when we asked, but almost immediately turned up by another member of staff. Fairly evident that the "music" (yowling) was for the benefit of the staff and not the hotel guests. Surly staff (excepting in reception). We got the impression the management were not supervising the staff.