Hotel Carasco

• Fabulous Hotel! look no further!

Wow what a hotel! We arrived by ferry and called the hotel for directions to get there. They promptly sent their complimentary car to pick us up. The hotel is built into the side of a cliff. The car service was available to drive you downtown to restaurants bars etc and pick you up, best to book to confirm times, however we never had a problem. We had booked a standard room, however we upgraded for a small cost to an ocean/pool view room. Definitely recommend the upgrade! What a view! The staff could not do enough for us. Lovely people. Reception staff amazing, breakfast fabulous, pool bar (affordable) great service, restaurant at dinner great menu and 5* service, Restaurant manager very professional, and as spoke fluent English told us anything we want to make sure we see him! The pool was beautiful and just when you thought it couldn't get any better there was a pathway to the ocean below. The hotel set up some umbrellas and sunbeds on the waters edge. You could literally jump off the rocks into the stunning ocean , have a swim around and climb up the ladder back to your sunbed. The only thing wrong was we didn't stay long enough!

• Wonderful pool, faboulus staff

Warm welcome on arrival and subsequently by Titiana and her team. Were given an upgrade to a room with a larger balcony. The room was clean, slightly old-fashioned which added to its charm, and suited us perfectly. It looked onto the sea, the garden and the pool, and across to the town of Lipari. Its location is second to none on the island. Breakfasts were excellent with staff making us fresh fluffy scrambled eggs and delicious, frothy cappuccino. The pool area was immaculate, and the pool an excellent size for a proper swim. Steps leading down to the sea made it easy to go for a salt swim. The garden was well maintained and a riot of colour. The staff were brilliant, from gardens, to restaurant, to reception.

• Stunning location, great service

I stayed at Carasco for 7 nights in September 2017. I enjoyed my stay so much that I'm planning to go back this summer. (I spent hours writing a detailed review earlier on, but it somehow disappeared when I pressed the "submit" button... This time I'll write more concisely and let the photos do the talking.) It's located right on the crystal clear sea. The view from the restaurant, the pool and my sea view room was out of this world. What I particularly loved was the entry from the platform to the transparent water. It's worth coming here just for this. The owner couple, Christian and Gabriella, was very friendly and yet courteous, and extremely helpful. They answered all my detailed questions, gave suggestions on and make bookings of boat tours and restaurants. All the staff I met, whether at the reception or at the restaurant, were helpful, although some speak better English than others. This is a very big establishment, so when there're many guests you may sometimes need to wait to be served. They try their best, though. Having breakfast or dinner admiring the view was a sheer delight. I found the breakfast selection to be good, with both salty and sweet options. I had dinner a couple of times during my stay, which was good. I particularly like the "catch of the day" (Ricciola / great amberjack) I had on my last night. There were some big groups of guests, but I never had any problem finding my table both at breakfast and dinner. Again, sometimes it took some time for the order to be taken and the food brought when there were big groups eating at the same time. However, it didn't bother me as I was just admiring the stunning view over a glass of chilled wine. I used the shuttle service they offer (with a friendly driver Valentino) several times, mostly to Marita Corta where boat excursions depart, but also to town and a restaurant they recommended. As other reviewers have pointed out, it finishes around 8pm. I personally didn't find the walk back from town troublesome, but may be an issue for people with mobility problems. The room was well-appointed, with all necessary amenity. Having only a shower and a double bed being two single beds pushed together seem to be normal in Sicily judging from my 8 visits to Sicily. Waking up to the beautiful sunrise over the sea was a wonderful way to start a day. The only negative for me was the lack of sound insulation; I could hear every single word my French-speaking neighbour said (in the bathroom?). However, like most people, they didn't stay much in the room and this stopped after two days. I highly recommend this hotel to anyone who loves the unspoilt sea and relaxed atmosphere, whether families, couples or solo travellers.

• posssibly the most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed in

My wife and I were in Sicily for three weeks celebrating my 70th and her 65th birthdays in the same week in September. We stayed in five excellent hotels over that time but I would say that the Carasco was probably the finest. We found the staff friendly and considerate - although some of the other guests, especially a moaning English girl, were not very congenial. For us the greatest joy was descending the steps into the sea and swimming in the waves off the rocks with no other people to dilute the experience.

• Diving off the rocks into the deep blue sea

Lovely old style European feel Fabulous views of the Mediterranean Very friendly staff Loved lounging on a chaise longe on the rock platforms Comfortable rooms with splendid views as well as a huge terrace