Hotel Garden ★★★★

Though maturing with age, our hearts were still not yet old, and since you’re only as old as you perceive yourself to be, my husband I set out on this exciting adventure on the island of Vulcano, carrying climbing gear, cycling clothes and sporty hearts with us. We had both hands holding onto luxury however, choosing the four-star Hotel Garden in which to stay which lies only 100m from the pampering thermal pools of Porto di Ponente. 

We arrived in the mosaic lobby a little flustered by the journey and heat that lay outside, but the cooling air-conditioning put us as ease as did the smiles from the reception staff. I was excited to climb up to superior room and refresh. Our room was cool thanks to the tiled floor and large doors that opened onto a small balcony. From this little perch we could spot the glittering blue sea which contrasted against the black of the volcanic landscape and Vulcano’s volcano itself rising up from the land. The room was decorated in fresh pastel colours and felt like a traditional Italian guestroom, furnished with character-full furniture, yet fully equipped with the all essential mod-cons.

It wasn’t long after we’d settle that we started to feel our stomachs rumbling and there was only one thing would be able to satisfy them and make them quiet… the delicious Italian specialities at the hotel restaurant. The restaurant boasts a large terrace, and it was here that we chose to eat our favourite pasta dishes in the warmth of the evening air, a romantic candlelit dinner and soon after we went off to explore the stars.

We were so far away from the noise of everyday life, the pollution of the city and when we looked up we knew immediately that we were close to nature, spotting individual constellations and marvelling at the glowing moon that seemed to shine just for us. Though we considered a nightcap in the hotel bar, since it was too early to end the evening, we decided we would take some time for ourselves and head back to our room. Thanks to VeryChic we popped open our bottle of wine and decided to enjoy it on our balcony.

The next morning we woke up to a fresh and sweet Italian breakfast on the restaurant’s terrace with a soft island breeze blowing around us. Our plan for today was a trip to the town centre, with the afternoon spent relaxing on a black sand beach. Upon our return to the hotel we decided we would spend the late afternoon, just before dinner in thermal pools that lay just a few steps away. Together with The Oasis of Health (L’Oasi della Salute), the hotel boasts a luscious spa that includes three thermal swimming pools, and a selection of luxurious treatments.

At the end of our trip, though this was our first, we knew it was definitely not our last time at Hotel Garden, Vulcano.