Simply GREAT in all respects! Gaspare (the friendly director..he's an experienced cakes maker as well) and the entire team is really at your service. We have been @Helios since it was opened at least once a year (mainly in june, but end of season is also a wonderful time to be here). All in all it's feeling at home, with the beautiful colors, food and see of Sicily

We arrived after a very early morning start in London and a harrowing first day of driving in Sicily. The car's GPS paid off and we found the hotel relatively easily. It's on the outskirts of town as you drive in. Upon check in we were shown to a double room which didn't suit us, as we were friends travelling together and had booked a twin room. Without any fuss we were changed to a triple room at no additional cost. The room was spacious, quiet and had a small balcony. The beds were great after our long day. The bathroom was roomy and the shower comfortable.

After exploring our room we asked at reception for a map of the town and some suggestions for dinner. It was about 800m to walk through the town and to the beach. Lots of italians seemed to be holidaying here which was refreshing and reassuring, in that this is where the "local" choose to holiday. The beach had white soft sand and relatively peaceful water. A bit too cold for us to swim, but didn't stop others.

The dinner recommendation was fantastic - pizza with lots of toppings (so different to my other experiences in mainland Italy). We had to have gelato on the walk back to the hotel and there are plenty of places to choose from along the main strip.

For me the highlight of my stay here was the breakfast. Gaspare bakes his own cakes/pastries on the premises so the aroma and flavours were divine. I had to try one of everything and as a result rolled out of the hotel in the morning. Fantastic place to stay, as long as you are happy to be out of the centre of the town action in a quiet part of town (which was just what we wanted).

Helios Hotel is family-run hotel that is new, comfortable and built with style. Only a short walk from the old town and beach. However, the hotel also offers a free shuttle to the beach as well. The rooms are well furnished and the service very personable. The owner, Gaspare, takes pride in the hotel and this shows with his warm approach and willingness to assist. The breakfast is home-made and tasty. A pleasant stay indeed.