Monaci Delle Terre Nere

We spent 4 days on an amazing property with a caring, doting staff that couldn't have been nicer or more helpful. Our stay was enhanced as we were upgraded to a private villa with a private pool that had panoramic views. The food was excellent. We enjoyed breakfasts, lunches by the pool, an outdoor dinner, and late night snacks at the bistro/bar area. We'd go back in a heartbeat.

Monaci delle Terre Nere is absolutely stunning—an unforgettable property nestled in the hills near Mt. Etna. The grounds are spectacular, with gorgeous landscaping that blends effortlessly into the natural surroundings. It quickly became one of our favorite stays during our 14-day trip. The food was excellent throughout, and the setting of the main restaurant was truly special. Breakfast and dinner service were consistently very good, and we appreciated the creativity and quality of the cuisine. However, there were a few areas that didn’t quite meet the five-star standard. The bathrooms in our suite were more rustic than expected, and the overall service felt stretched. Check-in took nearly an hour—which, after 24 hours of travel, was frustrating—and the front desk and concierge team, while kind, seemed overwhelmed and understaffed for the size of the property. We also found the bar service at both the pool and Convivium bar lacking, with unfriendly bartenders and slow service. Despite these hiccups, we still really enjoyed our stay and the unique charm of the estate. With a bit more attention to staffing and guest experience, this could easily be one of the best hotels in Sicily.

This is a lovely, spread out hotel on Mount Etna with views of the sea. We were upgraded to our own villa with a private pool right in the vineyard. The restaurant and bar were great. The golf cart drivers are friendly. Be aware that you do need to call a cart to pick you up if you are in one of the farther rooms, which takes some time. There are also not any walkable restaurants from Monaci for dinner, however the hotel restaurant AND bar food were fantastic and they were also able to arrange a car for us to another village for dinner. You are literally on an active volcano where everything is buzzing and energetic - the bees, roosters, doves, flowers blooming everywhere. There may be an occasional insect here and there but that adds to the charm of this beautiful place.

Excellent hotel and countryside,pool chickens, Vineyard treehouse and beautiful rooms and restaurants in the hotel they’re cooking classes and golf carts that drive you for free all over and really really big and nice and fancy excellent hotel you should come

Our stay at Monaci delle Terre Nere was the most disappointing part of our 10-day Sicilian holiday. As a member of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux association, we expected a luxurious experience, but it fell drastically short. Upon sending management an email with our concerns three weeks ago (see IMAGE attached) – we’ve still yet to hear from any of them. The only response we received is a scripted template from a junior customer service associate at Relais & Chateaux who didn’t address any of our points. SERVICE Subpar from the start. We arrived early, but after being told our room would be ready "momentarily," we waited over an hour with no updates, no property tour, and no access to our car or luggage. Requests for information went unanswered, and the lack of organization resulted in us missing a planned visit to Mt. Etna. We also kindly asked for the bicycles they offered, we never got them. LOCATION/PROPERTY While beautiful, there was no effort to introduce us to the history of the estate or its vineyards. The property is sprawling, yet there’s no signage, leaving guests to wander aimlessly. The “free” experiences, like the herb garden walk and chicken coup, were overhyped on their website yet a complete joke. We learned more from the Monaci website than during our stay at the estate. DINING/WINE- This was by far the worst meal we had during our 10-day tour of Sicily and did not live up to any standard of fine dining. The poorly executed pasta dishes were only made worse by our dining table covered in bugs, which the staff acknowledged, yet ignored leaving us to kill and clean up the bugs ourselves (see IMAGE attached). My partner is a wine connoisseur, and the entire reason for us staying at Monaci was to learn about the unique qualities of the region and Etna Rosso. The "sommelier" lacked basic wine knowledge, claiming the only difference between the extensive list of Etna Rosa vintages was the winemaker. She had to Google what the somm could not answer. BILLING- This a nightmare upon checking out. We were wrongly charged for complimentary water and had to argue to have the charge removed, not once, but twice. For a property charging €1,000 a night, this level of nickel-and-diming is beyond unacceptable.

From the moment we arrived until departure everything was impeccable! Our suite was comfortable, quiet and spacious. Food is delicious, great service. My favorite is breakfast in the nature, with all local organic products. We did the pasta making experience my kids enjoyed it. They went to pick fresh eggs for the pasta, the chef was very friendly she was patient with the kids. Would definitely recommend visiting this lovely property!!