Monaci delle Terre Nere

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!!

What a disappointment!! I can write nothing about the hotel as I have not stayed there, however I can say that the restaurant was very far from my expectations. Beyond the food, which was good, the same cannot be said about the service, which was cheap and pizza-like!! The only certain thing is the bill which is not from a pizzeria!! To forget!

While Monaci Delle Terre Nere is beautiful and aims to be a five star resort, they didn't deserve a top score because of two egregious billing errors. At the prices they charge, they don't need to double bill for their rooms nor charge for other pre-paid services. The business office just needs to tighten their procedures and be more careful. That said, the property is beautiful, the rooms are sumptuous, the breakfasts were delicious and served on the lawn, and the staff truly aim to please...though sometimes they can become a bit too ingratiating. Keep in mind you are on the shoulder of an active volcano, so you will gather cinders on your shoes. Remove them before entering your room and you will be happier, though the housecleaning staff does a marvelous job. If you want a restaurant experience, try theirs. It's worth one meal. And the bar also has good food. Staying here is definitely a treat and, for us at least, a splurge. Would I stay again? Probably I would look for something smaller and more intimate, especially at these prices.

We loved our stay there. It was a fabulous location and our room was outstanding. It was the Monaci room. The best thing was the help we got from Nuwan. He was so helpful before the trip and during. The e bike sunset experience was the best thing we did in Sicily. The breakfasts were outstanding and the Mixology class well worth it . That was a unique experience. Only small issue the service from the head staff in restaurant a bit hit or miss. there appeared to be two floating but not really noticing. I think they would do well to be keeping an eye on orders being correct rather than a lot of chit chat. Our drink orders were constantly wrong.I am sure some clients love this chit chat approach.Junior staff outstanding though. I would still highly recommend the food and restaurant here though. I think it is really good value.

We had reservations for 8:00 pm, arrived 7:30pm for cocktails . Cocktails were very expensive 25 Euro for a Negroni . We were not seated until 8:30, Very slow service. Thought we expressed a lower alcohol wine and got a 15% alcohol wine. Took a very long time to pay for the dinner, bar bill was not delivered to reception .