Therasia Resort Sea & Spa

Before writing this review, I offer a bit of context. My wife and I are in our late 50s and early 60s respectively and generally have one ‘big holiday’ a year. While we always go ‘high end’ we work hard to afford it and still look for value for money (so, for example, we still believe that ‘tips’ need to be earned but we tend to be generous when they are!). We have always booked through Scott-Dunn who always come up with a special trip that includes some amazing accommodation. We tend to have 10 days or so sightseeing followed by 4 or 5 days relaxation but this year, due to Covid, we did Sicily and Vulcano at the last minute. The hotel is excellent and in a lovely location – perfect for watching the sunsets! Given we are quite late in the season it was not busy so no trouble staying Covid compliant! The Island is quite small – probably about 15 miles from end to end with 2 dormant volcanic craters. The first is a good climb (if you are quite fit) with some stunning views of the Island and its neighbours from the top. We also hired a small jeep for one day – given that the vendor could speak very little English we have no idea what the insurance situation was! The jeep was quite expensive (70 Euro) and not in a great state of repair so think carefully before hiring – a quad bike is probably a better bet as they all looked quite new. If you have 3 or 4 days you can walk to most locations and the scenery is worth the visit. The hotel room was not the top of the range but was very comfortable, roomy and with great views over the pool (which was freezing in late September!) and surrounding gardens. Everything is tidy, well cared for and functional. The only minor criticism is the cost – everything on the Island is expensive so no big surprise but eating in the hotel is pricey – the Hotel has a Michelin Star restaurant which you must try but expect to pay around £400 for 2 with a wine package to compliment the 13 course taster menu! That said, as you would expect, the food is incredible, both to look at and to eat! All of the staff at the Hotel are simply lovely – they can’t do enough to help and are very conscious of the Covid issue so you feel entirely safe and well looked after. Overall, while things are expensive, Vulcano is well worth the visit – it’s a short ferry journey from Sicilly and sits in a chain of small volcanic islands – until we came we didn’t even know it existed!

From the start to the finish, this trip was absolutely what we needed. The location - perfect! The staff were AMAZING! nothing was too much, and they were extremely kind, welcoming, and did their best to make sure we had a great trip. The reception staff, AWESOME!! Maria from the Spa, every spa should have a Maria, she was excellent! Pool restaurant manager (glasses, brown hair) really really lovely! Food was great, the room was great, the service second to none. We had to leave two days early due to the incoming storm, but everyone went out of their way to ensure we managed to get back to the mainland, we were extremely sad to leave. 5- star service all the way even in difficult times such as Covid, this is not an easy moment for hotels or staff, and I think we as guests should recognise, how hard they are all working to ensure we have a great trip. They cannot control the weather, the virus, or the restrictions in place by the laws, but they managed it all with a smile and they deserved to be recognised for this by all the guests, a thank you goes a long way. Thank you to everyone who made this a perfect trip The Franks