Monaci Delle Terre Nere

Definitely pluses and minuses for this place. Our suite was spectacular. The property is appealing for its vineyards, view of Mt Etna and rolling vistas. The breakfast buffet was great with friendly staff and panoramic views. The dinner was exceptionally bad — overpriced, tasteless and minuscule portions. The staff made us feel uncomfortable. They brought the white and red wine out with a long long lag in between even when we requested it. The sommelier gave way too info in a difficult to understand accent. Other entrees were staggered so none of us were eating at the same time. If you go definitely take a cab to Zafferana and eat at one of the local choices.

We stayed for three nights in May 2024. We were looking forward to our stay as the travel agent said this was a luxury place. The prices were exceptionally high but we didn’t mind because we thought we’d have a great experience. Boy, were we wrong!! The rooms were mediocre at best. The bed was rock hard, the linens sub standard, and the towels were thin and scratchy. There was nothing to do at the resort. There were no activities other than the pool, unless you wanted to be price-gouged for a massage. Nothing was included, and the mini bar was overpriced. There was “hand picked fruit” in the room which was never changed or replenished and it was rotting by the third day. We ate at the restaurant one night and it was the worst experience we ever had. The food was terrible and portions were extremely tiny. Quality was bad. The courses were not staggered and not served correctly. It felt like they were throwing food at us. We have dined at many Michelin star restaurants and believe me, this restaurant does not come close to that. We decided to eat elsewhere the remaining nights and the Monaci staff discouraged us saying there was no where else to eat. This was untrue. There were several pleasant establishments in nearby towns. We arranged our own cab for 50 Euros (Monaci wanted to charge us 160 Euros for the same trip). My advice is to avoid staying here as it was an extremely unpleasant experience.

We knew this hotel was on the pricier side, and we were looking forward to it. Unfortunately, we were very disappointed. Our room was large, but not luxurious. We had one dinner there and it was extremely uncomfortable and very overpriced. The entrées came one at a time and the fish portion was very small served on a bed of lentils. There was very little to do during the day. We tried badmitten, but it was a $10 Walmart set. Any transportation the concierge set up was at least double the going rate. They wanted €160 for a round-trip to a town two miles away. We obviously will not go back.

Although the hotel prices were high, our first impression when entering the room was very poor. There were very ordinary amenities like in cheap hotels. Although the room was large there was only one metal chair. Hotel management can easily place armchair or sofas. The towels were very old and had lost their whiteness from being washed. Breakfast was moderate , but the hotel management, who said their hotel was slow food, served all breakfast food in plastic containers. In Sicily, which is a ceramic region, simple ceramic pots, plates, etc. had to be used. In summary, I think the room prices are still too expensive if they think they are just a best country hotel at Etna. I think they should upgrade their service concept.items and materials qualities for the high price on every item on the invoice.

The surroundings and nature are gorgeous. It is wonderful to see the vegetation, plants and flowers. We enjoyed the proprietary wine, dinner and breakfast. The villa with the private pool was beautiful and clean and had the most amazing view. What was disappointing was that on two different days there were events - one was a wedding and the second was a local village 'festa' or something affiliated with a local mayor which meant that guests could not use the common swimming pool and area. Paying prices like these I would not expect to be restricted in usage of an important amenity like a swimming pool and the patio and outdoor bar and this also included all the time before the events for the preparation. At the very least a discount or advance notice (before arrival) that hotel guests would not be able to use the one common swimming pool and area should have been given. In addition, it was a shame when despite my multiple messages in advance about my friend's birthday, the young waiter after dinner merely walked up to us and casually handed us two unlit birthday candles. No fanfare, no lit candles to make a wish, nothing special. So the service by some of the staff was not at the standard of a five star or luxury property. The hotel would not heat our swimming pool even though one of the staffers told me that it 'could' be heated as in, the heating was functioning but the hotel chose not to. That was another disappointment. All of these disappointments are not expected when paying the expensive rates that Monaci delle Terre Nere is charging. In short, beautiful property but manage your expectations regarding service and try to ensure in advance that there is no sort of 'event' taking place during your stay.

My travel agent booked this property approximately a year ago anticipating travel in July to celebrate Dave’s (my son in law) birthday. The day before departure Dave required ICU hospitalization due to a life threatening brain issue. All the other hotels, which actually are 5 star, unlike Monaci, were gracious and accommodating but not Monaci. Monaci stated that they were penalizing me one third of the funds that I had advanced because, with only ten days advance notice of cancellation, they would be unable to rent “the Villa” that I had booked. When we arrived in November 2023, we found that unlike prior accommodations on the trip that there was no “Villa” but just a superior suite, inferior suite and an unconnected hotel room hobbled together. The representation that 3 hotel rooms could not be rented during the summer of intense tourist demand in Sicily with 10 days advance notice rings totally untrue. I did not get to stay with my family at Monaci because I took the unconnected room with all the windows which did have beautiful views but an inferior bathroom without even the provision of Kleenex or bath soap.The bed and pillows were terrible, the sheets like light sandpaper and the towels were shabby.The room was heated only during the day to approximately 86 degrees with no heat at night when the room was extremely cold. The thermostat could not be controlled except by management. Our rooms were at the edge of the property which was difficult to navigate back to the lodge because of an inadequate map and signage. We were adjoining local houses with the added derogatory of barking dogs throughout the night. We had dinner the first night at the Monaci restaurant which has Michelin star prices and substandard food. My chicken was average and actually came out with film over the sauce on the plate..Monaci wines were poured upon arrival at the nicer suite but, for me, only the Rose was drinkable. The manager from Sri Lanka told us upon check in to the rooms that the minibar was free to us and that laundry services were also included free of charge. My family was leaving to catch a flight at 3am so I requested check out in the rooms which was refused. The bill was slow to arrive by What’sApp but upon arrival, I was charged both for the minbar and laundry. I had my clothes in their bag but had not filled out the laundry slip when housekeeping removed the same. We were told that “management “ would have to be contacted about the charges and, after the annoyance, the charges were removed. When my grandchildren were preparing to swim in our small pool on the last night, Monaci employees came and closed the pool down. Monaci staff only communicate by What’sApp. My subscription had expired and could not be renewed because I had not purchased international service for the trip because my son-in-law and daughter had the international plans. I was leaving later and foolishly entrusted Monaci to make arrangements for the car and driver. We had requested pac

Overall our stay was wonderful - staff were very friendly and the property is gorgeous and has a stunning combination of modern and old design features. Our room was bright and spacious and had a wood fireplace which was beautiful to use. No complaints about the room. The breakfast had a great number of food options. Only minor complaints… are that we had to wait 45 minutes for our check in to our room with our welcome drink and only a couple pieces of our luggage were moved in (we’d rather just clear out our own car if we have to wait this long and do half of it ourselves anyways). There were millipedes in the room we had to clear out each day. The croissants at breakfast (though very well baked) were mostly soggy because they kept putting them under a sealed cover instead of a mesh. Easy fix but sacrilege to the baker. Room booking promised fresh flowers each day which we didn’t get, and our fruit never got re stocked. Our wood fireplace (though clearly used by us) never had its charcoal cleaned out or wood re stocked unless we called to ask for it. Toilet paper didn’t get restocked when it ran out once. The restaurant was incredible and was one of the best meals we’ve ever had and is reasonably priced for the quality of food and service that we got. Overall we loved our stay and the complaints above are really minor compared to our experience! Thank you

Beautiful property with wonderful amenities. Would definitely stay longer next visit.

If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of all the tourist traps in Sicily, Monaci is your place. A converted 300+ year old monastery and current working organic vineyard, Monaci exudes country elegance. We arrived for a 3 night stay, with the intention of using it as a base to explore the surrounding area, but loved the place so much we never left. We hung out at our room/private outdoor lounge area, or went to the pool, or simply walked the acres of incredible terraced vineyards. It was all so beautiful and restful, a peacefulness that we didn't realize we needed so much. Terraced views out to the Ionian Sea, while Mt Etna smoulders overhead. With only 20 units, the staff to guest ratio was impressive. There was always someone to help fulfill any need you had. We did the onsite wine tasting, which included a tour of the vineyards, the herb garden, and the vegetable garden. What great value for the buck! We also did the pasta making class, which starts by collecting eggs from the chicken coup and continues into the large pasta making kitchen with views out to the sea. Again, I can't say enough about the staff here. Everyone from senior management to maintenance and vineyard workers were more than friendly. Can't wait to visit them again.