Romano Palace Luxury Hôtel ★★★★★

My aunt was tickled pink when we told her of our plan. ‘How appropriate darling!’ She said. ‘A family gathering in Sicily! How marvellous!’ I think in reality she would have been pleased to go anywhere for the occasion, knowing all her family would be gathered around her; that was the main point. Even so, she was delighted to be going somewhere we could all stay together, to be in sight and reach of Mount Etna, and to be in the only five-star hotel in that part of Sicily.

The big day came and all the scattered family arrived at different times throughout the day. When my sister and I arrived with our husbands, we were very pleased to see the place seemed to live up to the pictures: a long low-level building with a huge pool surrounded by greenery and sunbeds, the gentle arches of the building reflected in the pool in the evening light. We made our way to our room. There are over 100 rooms there altogether, and so there were plenty to accommodate the different branches of the family. Each room is different, with a different colour scheme and furnishing; the children and curious among us (myself included) had a huge amount of fun visiting each other’s rooms and comparing notes.

One room was dominated by lime green and gentle blues; our cousin’s room was predominantly maroon and pale mustard with a delicately painted headboard and antique furniture; another cousin’s room was full of richly glowing golds and reds and some beautiful Moroccan art – the variety was a delight to see. Our room had a lovely decorated headboard and pale antique furniture and the colour scheme was based on pale colours, white and beige. I was happy with that. Of course all the rooms had a lovely cool balcony looking over the pool and the striking view across the hills to the smouldering drama of Mount Etna.

The extensive reception and lounge areas are beautifully designed with curved settees reflecting the curves of the arched walls. The décor is made up of a rich earthy palette: ochre, yellow, burnt orange, red and gold all adding up to a rich and luxurious feel.

The birthday event itself was fabulous. We gathered in the Coriander Restaurant, in an ultra-modern setting with red chandeliers and lovely decorations. We all enjoyed the food we had selected in advance, made up of traditional Italian dishes presented very artistically. We had ordered a selection of local Italian wines as well, with exotic concoctions of fruit juices for the children. Speeches were made, long-lost cousins made contact with each other again, and, most importantly, my aunt had a wonderful time.

After the event, most of us had a few days to enjoy the surroundings. Some of our keep-fit cousins went off jogging around the special trails that have been created around the hotel. Some of us pampered ourselves with spa treatments and massages. The children, even the teenagers, strolled around the grounds and splashed in the pool and got to know each other all over again.

Our last few days were spent getting out and about in the locality and the city of Catania. When we said our goodbyes, we all agreed that the Romano Palace had been a wonderful experience for all of us, and given my aunt a birthday to treasure.