Villa Neri Resort & Spa Luxury hotel

I booked a reward night here through Hilton and cancelled it the same day, four days before the stay. The front desk confirmed the cancellation by phone. That evening they reversed it by email, saying only Hilton could process it. Hilton then said only the hotel could. Two days going back and forth, and a phone confirmation that meant nothing once it was in writing. If you book here through Hilton, get any cancellation confirmed in writing, don't rely on a phone call.

**Potential guests should know this before booking:** During our stay, we experienced no functioning Wi-Fi in our original room, a room downgrade, missing towels twice, a broken room lock that left us locked out for 45 minutes, a room without a functioning entrance or working lights on our final day/night (try packing in the dark and using the bathroom in pitch black), and a promised refund that management later refused to honor. The most disappointing part wasn't the maintenance issues—it was the hotel's unwillingness to acknowledge problems, follow through on solutions, or keep its word. My husband and I stayed at Villa Neri at the end of a two-week trip through Sicily and chose it specifically because we wanted to splurge on what we expected to be a true five-star experience. Instead, it was by far the most disappointing hotel of our trip and the worst five-star property we have ever stayed in. The problems started immediately. Our original room had no usable Wi-Fi and no cell service. Because we needed internet access for work and trip planning, this was a significant issue. Despite showing staff screenshots and testing multiple phones, laptops, and an iPad, we were repeatedly told the Wi-Fi was working. After being assured the issue had been fixed, we returned to find nothing had changed. Only then were we moved to another room, which appeared to be a lower room category than the one we booked. I let that go because I just wanted to finally enjoy our time at this hotel. Unfortunately, the second room brought a new set of problems. We woke up one morning with no towels (again, not a huge deal but not what you expect at a 5 star hotel...2 days in a row). Later that day, our room key stopped working entirely, leaving us locked out for approximately 45 minutes while staff attempted to gain access. The eventual solution was to tell us to leave the room door partially open so we could get in and out. Because the key card also controlled the electricity, we were left without functioning lights as well. We were assured the issue would be fixed while we were at dinner. It wasn't. We returned to a room that still had no reliable access and no lights, forcing us to pack for our early-morning flight in the dark. The next morning, there were once again no towels in the room. LOL I honestly couldn't believe it. To their credit, the hotel acknowledged how disruptive these issues had been and offered us a refund. At checkout, we were told the manager was unavailable and that we should leave our contact information so the refund could be processed afterward. That refund never came. No call. No email. No follow-up. After returning home and contacting the hotel, they refused to honor what had been promised. That is ultimately why I am writing this review. Maintenance problems can happen at any hotel (there was also a leaking ceiling in the hallway whcih I imagine wasn't the first time that had happened). What matters is how management responds when they do. Villa Neri repeatedly denied obvious issues, failed to resolve them, and then failed to honor the compensation they offered. The property itself is attractive, but the breakfast was among the weakest we had anywhere in Sicily, the soundproofing in our original room was poor, and the pool area felt worn for a hotel claiming five-star status. There are many wonderful places to stay near Mount Etna. Based on our experience, Villa Neri is not one of them. The combination of poor service, unresolved maintenance issues, and management's refusal to keep its word makes this a hotel I cannot recommend. Honestly - you'd be better off at a 3 star hotel elsewhere - don't waste your money.

For us - almost - paradise: a dreamy facility with charming, well-maintained historic buildings, fantastic views of Mount Etna, excellent cuisine in the restaurant, great breakfast, and very nice service. We were completely happy.