Faqs

HOW TO GET THERE

Plane:
nearest airports are Catania (CTA) 37 miles or Palermo (PMO) 160 miles. From Catania airport the bus operator «Etna Trasporti» connects nearly each hour to Taorminas’ bus terminal (70 minutes drive) between 7 a.m. and 9.45 pm. On request we can arrange a 50 minutes taxi-transfer to our hotel.

Train:
all major trains from northern Italy, starting in Milan or Rome with destination Syracuse or Agrigento, stop at TAORMINA-GIARDINI. From here you will find taxis to the town centre and directly to our hotel (2,5 miles).

By Car: driving instructions

(Please note: Navigation systems do not always work properly in the Taormina area)
shortest way (recommended!):
Coming from motorway A 18, Catania-Messina, exit at TAORMINA. After having paid the toll follow the sign «Taormina» uphill for about 2 km/1,25 miles. At the multi-storey parking «Lumbi» cross the roundabout and enter the tunnel «Monte Tauro/Porta Catania» (1.093 meters/3.586 ft). Exiting at Taormina’s south end, drive uphill around the multi-storey parking «Porta Catania» and at the roundabout straight on, a short piece steeply uphill, till you reach a little square, Piazza Sant’Antonio. In front of you stands the medieval city-portal «Porta Catania» and, before it, the post-office to its right. Just before the post-office you find white hotel signs. Follow them taking the narrow one-way road downhill to the right from the post office and follow it for about 1/4 mile till the road opens on to a kind of place lined with trees. Continue downhill to the right entering the one-way «Via Roma» (again white hotel signs). From there it’s just another 1/4 mile on the panoramic «Via Roma» till you find the Hotel Villa Schuler on the left side. In front of the hotel there is our private parking (yellow lines on your left). If you have booked a garage place we will park the car for you, as soon as you have checked in.

through the city:
Coming from the motorway A 18, Catania-Messina, exit at TAORMINA.
After having paid the toll follow the sign «Taormina» uphill for about 2 km/1.25 miles. Follow the direction «Taormina Centro».
At the multi-storey parking «Lumbi» (on your right side), enter into the roundabout and exit left (do not enter into the tunnel!) and drive further uphill 0.6 km/0.33 miles direction «Centro».
Once in front of the city-portal «Porta Messina» (beginning of the pedestrian main street «Corso Umberto»), turn right uphill direction Castelmola and follow the «Via Circonvallazione», the circular road uphill around the historic center of Taormina.
After about 0.8 km/0.5 mile you will see on your left side the castellated medieval Palazzo Badia Vecchia, directly behind it take the road down to your left.
After about another 0.6 km/0.33 mile driving downhill you will reach a little square, Piazza Sant’Antonio.
In front of you, you will see the small church «Chiesa Sant’Antonio Abate», before which please turn left and then immediately downhill to the right (see white hotel signs at the post office building), follow the narrow one-way road downhill for about 0.4km/0.25 miles till the road opens on to a kind of place lined with trees.
Turn downhill to the right entering the one-way «Via Roma» (again white hotel signs). From there it’s just another 0.4 km/0.25 mile on the panoramic «Via Roma» till you find the Hotel Villa Schuler on the left side.
In front of the hotel there is our private parking (yellow lines on your left). If you have booked a garage place we will park the car for you, as soon as you have checked in.

 

APARCAR EN TAORMINA

Aparcar en Taormina puede ser un problema. El número limitado de zonas de aparcamiento al aire libre (líneas blancas) es sólo para residentes.
Pocos hoteles disponen de garajes. Algunos hoteles disponen de un número limitado de aparcamientos al aire libre en suelo público (líneas amarillas) por los que pagan un impuesto local y que sus huéspedes pueden utilizar
gratuitamente sólo para carga y descarga (Código de Circulación italiano).

APARCAMIENTO EN EL HOTEL VILLA SCHULER Y OTROS APARCAMIENTOS

1 ) LLEGADA DE HUÉSPEDES AL HOTEL VILLA SCHULER:

Dos plazas de aparcamiento especiales para nuestros huéspedes del hotel (líneas amarillas) sólo para carga y descarga frente a nuestra entrada.
No hay responsabilidad del hotel sobre estos 2 aparcamientos en suelo público alquilado.

2 ) GARAJE DEL HOTEL:

Los huéspedes pueden reservar una plaza de aparcamiento en el garaje de nuestro hotel, abierto de 06.00 a 22.00 con servicio de aparcacoches por Euro 22,00 al día*.
Las furgonetas, jeeps y todoterrenos necesitan reservar 2 plazas.* Las reservas de garaje se pueden cancelar gratuitamente hasta un día antes.

Otras alternativas de aparcamiento son:

3 ) GARAJE «CALIFORNIA»:

Garaje autorizado y alquiler de coches a 200 metros/220 yardas de nuestro hotel por un cargo de 20,00 euros al día (tarifa 2023). Horario de apertura: 07:00 a 20:00 aprox.
Para 2024 Garage California aumentará sus tarifas de la siguiente manera: 20,00 Euro por un coche pequeño, coches de tamaño medio Euro 25,00 por día.
Si usted alquila un coche a través de ellos el aparcamiento es gratuito.

Además, hay dos aparcamientos municipales de varias plantas que funcionan las 24 horas, situados en las afueras de la ciudad:

4 ) APARCAMIENTO «LUMBI»:

Justo antes de la entrada de la ciudad, lado norte. Cómo llegar desde la autopista A18 Catania-Messina. Salir en «Taormina» y subir 2 km.
El aparcamiento cuesta 20,00 euros al día (más 3 euros de suplemento en temporada alta y días festivos)**.
La tarifa incluye* el servicio de lanzadera «Linea Porta Messina» (autobuses naranjas) desde el aparcamiento hasta la entrada de la ciudad «Porta Messina» arco de la ciudad y viceversa.

5) APARCAMIENTO «PORTA CATANIA»:

Justo antes de la entrada de la ciudad, lado sur Llegar desde 2 direcciones:
– Viniendo de la autopista A18 (Catania-Messina), salga en «Taormina» y suba 2 km para llegar al aparcamiento «Lumbi» y desde allí tome el túnel que conecta los dos aparcamientos de varias plantas.
– Si llega desde Giardini-Naxos, siga las indicaciones hacia el Hospital (Ospedale) y continúe cuesta arriba por una carretera estrecha y sinuosa durante 1,6 km.
El aparcamiento cuesta 25,00 euros al día (más 3 euros de suplemento en temporada alta y días festivos)**.

*)   Las tarifas del garaje de nuestro propio Hotel Villa Schuler están garantizadas para 2023 y 2024.
Por favor, comprenda que no podemos garantizar el resto de tarifas y servicios que aparecen aquí y que son gestionados por autoridades públicas u otras empresas/operadores.
**) Temporada alta (para los Parkings Públicos): Del 15 de junio al 15 de septiembre
Los días festivos italianos son: 1 y 6 de enero, Domingo de Pascua y Lunes de Pascua, 25 de abril, 1 de mayo, 2 de junio, 8, 25 y 26 de diciembre.

Última actualización: 2 de agosto de 2023

Breakfast – to your taste

At the Villa Schuler you have the choice: you can select different breakfast options and book them along with your room. We offer a high-quality breakfast and our ambition is to constantly improve our service, to propose to our guests both a wide selection of Sicilian specialties as well as to meet the expectations of our international clients.

Desayuno continental

• Selección de panes variados (panecillos, pan, tostadas o croissant) servidos con mantequilla, confitura, miel o crema de chocolate
• 1 bebida caliente (té, café o chocolate)
• 1 zumo de fruta o de verdura (naranja, naranja sanguina, pomelo, piña, manzana, zanahoria, tomate o multivitamínico)

Este tipo de desayuno se sirve en la espaciosa Palm Terrace con vistas al mar, en la sala de desayunos, en el invernadero de la Palm Terrace o en la habitación.
Adultos 12 Euro (uno por huésped/día)
Niños de 2 a 11 años 6 euros (uno por huésped y día)

 

Desayuno «Frutas y Cereales»

• Ensalada de fruta fresca (mezcla según temporada)
• Cereales a la elección (muesli, cornflakes o porridge) servidos con leche fresca y/o yogur de búfala siciliano
• 1 bebida caliente (té, café o chocolate)
• 1 zumo de fruta o de verdura (naranja, naranja sanguina, pomelo, piña, manzana, zanahoria, tomate o multivitamínico)

Este tipo de desayuno se sirve en la espaciosa Palm Terrace con vistas al mar, en la sala de desayunos, en el invernadero de la Palm Terrace o en la habitación.
Adultos 12 Euro (uno por huésped/día)
Niños de 2 a 11 años 6 euros (uno por huésped y día)

 

Desayuno completo servido en la mesa

Una amplia selección de platos preparados al momento:

• Bebidas calientes (té, café, chocolate)
• Elección de zumos de frutas o de verduras frescas exprimidas (naranja, naranja sanguina o zanahoria)
• Más zumos de frutas o de verduras (pomelo, piña, manzana, melocotón, pera, albaricoque, tomate, multivitamínico)
• Cereales a la elección (muesli, copos de maíz, gachas de avena)
• Yogures a la elección (yogur de búfala siciliano, yogur natural o desnatado, fresa, cereza, albaricoque, frutas del bosque)
• Elección de panes variados (panecillos, pan, tostadas, croissant) servidos con mantequilla, confitura, miel o crema de chocolate
• Huevos (cocidos, fritos, revueltos, crêpe, omelet)
• Elección de quesos (provoletta dolce, pecorino primo sale, mozzarella de búfala siciliana, ricotta siciliana, edam, philadelphia)
• Selección de charcutería (jamón artesano, gamón, salami Sant’Angelo di Brolo)
• Selección de frutas de temporada
• Tomates Pachino
• Granita siciliana (sorbete casero de café o de frutas frescas de temporada)

Este tipo de desayuno se sirve en la espaciosa Palm Terrace con vistas al mar, en la sala de desayunos o en el invernadero de la Palm Terrace.
Adultos 20 Euro (uno por huésped/día)
Niños de 2 a 11 años 6 euros (uno por huésped y día).

 

FULL BREAKFAST SERVED AT THE TABLE

Full breakfast à la carte (menu see below*)
Our extensive à la carte breakfast is served exclusively on our spacious breakfast terrace, in the breakfast room or in the orangery. A large selection of freshly prepared meals, plenty of space with guaranteed safety distances.

*FULL BREAKFAST À LA CARTE – THE MENU

The attached breakfast menu offers a large choice of quality products from market-leading companies allowing one to choose freely between varieties of always-available alternatives. We gave priority to including the largest possible choice of natural foods, local products, regional specialities and fresh food without preservatives. Some organically grown products as well. Our service guarantees reliable standards, constant availability, freshness and hygiene, and a pleasant atmosphere.

Breakfast is served from 07.30 to 10.00 a.m.

Clients wishing to have breakfast served earlier than 7.30 a.m. can reserve it on the previous evening choosing from the same menu and for whichever time.

Breakfast Menue

Coffee

Espresso – American coffee – decaffeinated coffee
Cappuccino 7 – coffee with milk 7 – chocolate 7 – fresh milk*7
soy milk 7 – almond  milk*8  

Tea

black tea (English Breakfast Tea) – Earl Grey – green tea –  red fruits camomile (organic) – peppermint (organic)  
homemade green ice tea with lemon (served in summertime)

Granita* home-made Sicilian sorbet (served in summertime)

coffee Granita – fresh fruits of the season Granita (on request with whipped cream 7  and/or brioche 1,3,7) 

Bread & Co.

rolls*: wholemeal 1,6,11 – sesame 1,6,11 – soya 1,6,11 – ciabattine 1 croissants 1,7 – rusk (classic 1,6,7  or wohle organic 1,6)
rye bread 1,6,11  toast 1 – home-made cakes*1,3,7,8 – butter 7 different jams and marmalade – diet jams – honey – Nutella 6,7,8

Fruit and Vegetable Juices

orange – blood orange – grapefruit – pineapple – apple
multivitamin – freshly squeezed orange juice* (seasonal from March to May)
tomato (bio) – freshly made carrot juice*

Cereals

Swiss muesli (organic)1,6,8 – crispy muesli 1,6,7,8,11  
muesli porridge 1,6,7,8 – cornflakes (organic)

Yoghurts

plain buffalo yoghurt*7 – plain 7 – plain low fat 7 
strawberry 7 – cherry 7 – apricot – wild berries

Eggs

boiled 3 – fried 3,7 – scrambled 3,7 – crêpe 1,3,7 – omelet 3,7

Cheese

provoletta dolce (mild cow’s cheese)*7 – pecorino primo sale (sheep’s cheese)*7 – buffalo mozzarella*7 – ricotta artigianale (artisan curd cheese)*7 – Edam cheese 7 – Philadelphia 7  – cheese spread 7

Cold Meats

artisan ham* – gammon – salami Napoli – liver pâté 9,10  

Fruits

fresh fruits in season* – tomatoes ‘Datterino di Pachino’*

Fruit Compote

apple – pear

__________________________________________________________________________

* these products are made in Sicily  
On request we also serve gluten free products
For the list of allergens kindly ask our breakfast service staff
___________________________________________________________________________

Allergens

1 = Cereals containing gluten, namely wheat, rye, barley, oats or their hybridised strains, and products thereof
2 = Crustaceans and products thereof
3 = Eggs and products thereof
4 = Fish and products thereof
5 = Peanuts and products thereof
6 = Soybeans and products thereof
7 = Milk and products thereof (including lactose)
8 = Nuts, namely almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews,  pecan nuts,  Brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, macadamia or Queensland nuts, and  products thereof
9 = Celery and products thereof
10 = Mustard and products thereof
11 = Sesame seeds and products thereof
12 = Sulphur dioxide and sulfites at concentrations of more than  10 mg/kg
13 = Lupin and products thereof
14 = Molluscs and products thereof (for example clams, mussels,  whelks, oysters, snails and squid)

RESERVATIONS are best done through our online reservation system.

You can also proceed by emailing us a request stating the period and the number of rooms: reservations@hotelvillaschuler.com

We will answer within 12 hours listing all room-types available for that period and adding useful information about our hotel and about Taormina.

TV SAT PROGRAMMES & RADIO CHANNELS  updated March 14, 2020 

ITALIANO 

1            RAI  1                    

2            RAI  2                   

3            RAI  3                   

4            RAI News 24              

5            RAI  5                

6            RAI Movie

7            LA 7

8            Canale 5

9            Italia 1

10          Rete 4

ENGLISH      

11           BBC  WORLD      

12          CNN                         

13          SKY NEWS                

14          EURONEWS              

15          i24 NEWS         

16          ALJAZEERA

17           DW

DEUTSCH

18          ARD             

19          ZDF                          

20         WDR  Köln

21          arte

22          3sat       

23          Kika

24          RTL                      

25          Sat 1

26          Pro7        

27          n-tv

FRANCAIS

28          TV 5

29          France 24

30          arte France

ESPANOL                  

31          TVE   

32         Canal 24

по-русски

33         TVRus 1

34         HRT Intern.

35         EURONEWS    

PORTUGÊS      

36          RTP

JAPANESE                      

37          NHK World

ENGLISH/CHINESE        

38          CCTV 4

from #39 onwards various additional TV channels in italian, english and german language

more ITALIAN channels: 

39           Antenna Sicilia

40           Antenna Sicilia HD

41            RAI Premium

42            RAI 4

43            RAI Storia

44            RAI sport 

………e tanti altri fino a 

74            Radio Freccia musica

more TV Channels in ENGLISH

75            BBC world HD

76            RT english

77            RT Doc english

78            TRT world english

weitere deutschsprachige TV Kanäle

79            Tagesschau 24

80            One

81             Phoenix

82            WDR Aachen

83            SWR Fernsehen

84            hr Fernsehen

85            Welt

86            Kabel 1

87             Pro7 MAX

88             Sat1 Gold

89             RTL 2

90             RTL plus

91              Super RTL

ITALIAN RADIO CHANNELS

92               Radio Rai 1

93               Rai 2

94               Rai 2 indie

95               Rai 3 

96               Rai 3 classic

97               Rai Sport

98               Rai Kids

99               Rai Live

100             Rai Tutta Italia

101              Rai Techetè

102              Rai Isoradio

103              Rai Parlamento

104              Radio Maria

105              Radio Freccia

106              Radio Dejay

107              Radio m2o

108              RTL 102.5

109              RTL 102.5 DOC

110               Radio Capital

Servizio bar 24 ore – 24 Stunden Service – 24 h bar service

all prices in EURO

Caffè espresso  2,00
Caffè americano (tazza – cup – Tasse – la tasse – kopje)  15 cl  3,00
Caffè americano (bricco – pot – Kännchen – petit pot – kannetje)  50 cl  5,00
Caffè decaffeinato – decaffeinated – koffeinfrei  – décaféiné  15 cl  3,00
Latte fresco – fresh milk – frische Milch  – lait frais – verse melk  15 cl  2,00
Latte macchiato  20 cl 4,00
Cappuccino (tazza – cup – Tasse – la tasse – kopje)  15 cl  4,00
Caffelatte – coffee with milk – Milchkaffee  – café au lait – koffie met melk   15 cl  4,00
Caffelatte (bricco – pot – Kännchen – petit pot – kannetje)  35 cl  6,00
Cioccolata – cocoab – Kakao  – chocolat – chocolademelk  15 cl  4,00
Cioccolata (bricco – pot – Kännchen  – petit pot – kannetje)  35 cl  6,00

Thè – Tee – tea – thé (bricco – pot – Kännchen – petit pot – kannetje)  45 cl  5,00
Thè nero – ai frutti rossi – camomilla (bio) – alla menta (bio)
Engl. Breakfast Tea – red fruits – camomile (organic) – peppermint (organic)
Schwarzer Tee – Waldfrüchte – Kamille (bio) – Minze (bio)
Thé noir – fruits rouges –  camomille (bio) – menthe (bio)
Zwarte thee – rode vruchten – tropische vruchten – camomille (bio) – pepermunt (bio)

Thè freddo al limone fatto in casa – home made lemon iced tea – hausgemachter Eistee mit Zitrone 
– thé glacé avec citron – koude thee met citroen  4,00

Bibite – alkoholfreie Getränke – soft drinks – sans alcool – frisdranken

all prices in EURO

Granita  di caffè – di frutta fresca  4,00
home made sicilian specialty (seasonal): half frozen ice of coffee – of fresh fruits of the season
hausgemachte sizilianische Eisspezialität (nach Saison): Sorbet aus Kaffee – aus frischen Früchten der Saison
spécialité sicilienne maison (selon la saison): un sorbet de café – de fruits frais de la saison
hiusgemaakte Siciliaanse ijsspecialiteit (afhangelijk van het seizoen): halfbevroren koffie – vers fruit

Succhi di frutta – fruit juices – Obstsäfte – jus – vruchtensap (*bio – *organic)  3,00
Arancia – pompelmo* – ananas* – albicocca* – pesca* – mela* – pera*
Orange juice – grape fruit *– pineapple  – apricot* – peach* – apple* – pear*
Orangensaft – Pampelmuse* – Ananas – Aprikose* – Pfirsich* – Apfel* – Birne* 
Jus d’orange – pampelmousse* – ananas  – abricot* – pêche*– pommes*  – poire*
Sinaasappelsap – pompelmoes* – ananas – abrikoos* – perzik*– appelsap*  peeren* 

Spremuta di arance   3,00
Freshly squeezed orange juice (seasonal)
Frisch gepresster Orangensaft (nach Saison)
Jus frais d’oranges (selon la saison)
Versgeperst sinaasappelsap (afhangelijk van het seizoen)  

Spremuta di carote   3,00
Fresh carot juice – Frisch gepresster Karottensaft – Jus frais de carots  –
Versgeperst wortelsap 

Succo di pomodoro (*Bio – *organic)   4,00  
tomato juice*–Tomatensaft*–Jus de tomates*

Minerale (naturale e gassata) 1 lit   3,00  ½ lit   2,00
Mineral water (carbonated or non carbonated)         
Mineralwasser (mit oder ohne Kohlensäure)
Eau mineral (gaseuse ou naturelle)
Mineraalwater (bruisend of niet-bruisend) 

Coca Cola – Coca Cola light – Fanta – Sprite   33 cl  4,00
Schweppes Tonic Water – Schweppes Bitter Lemon   33 cl  4,00

 

Birra – Bier – beer – bière – bier  

all prices in EURO

Messina   33 cl  4,00
Moretti    33 cl  5,00

Aperitivi, digestivi, liquori
Campari, Campari Soda, Martini, Sanbitter, Gin,
Cynar, Sanbitter, Fernet Branca, Averna, Amaretto,
Whiskies, Cognac, Brandy, Rum, Grappa, Sambuca,
Baileys, Marsala, Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Limoncello   6,00

Longdrinks
Campari Orange, Gin Tonic, Rum & Cola, Whisky & Cola  9,00 

Cocktails
All cocktails 12,00
Non-alcoholic cocktails 9,00

Vini bianchi siciliani – sizilianische Weissweine – sicilian white wines – vins blancs siciliens – Siciliaanse witte wijnen

all prices in EURO

Etna I.G.T.
al bicchiere – by glass – per Glas – au verre    200  ml  6,00

 

VILLA SCHULER BIANCO   I.G.T.  2021
Murgo, Santa Venerina (CT), 12,5%vol   750 ml  24,00

CAELES D.O.C.  bio/organic, vegan   2021 
Firriato, Baglio Sorìa (TP), Grillo 12,5%vol   750 ml  28,00 

LE SABBIE DELL’ETNA  D.O.C.  2021
Firriato, Castiglione (CT), Carricante 13%vol   750 ml  30,00

PLANETA CHARDONNAY  D.O.C.  2020
Planeta, Menfi (AG), Chardonnay 13,5%vol   750 ml  44,00

 

Spumante – Prosecco – sparkling wines – mousseux – schuimwijn 

Prosecco 1 bicchiere, 1 Glas, 1 glass, 1 vere   200 ml  6,00
Prosecco Mini  piccolo sparkling wine – Piccolo   200 ml  8,00

GRILLO CUVÉE D.O.C. EXTRA DRY Metodo Charmat
Madaudo, Villafranca Tirrena (ME), 11,5%vol    750 ml  24,00

MURGO Brut
Murgo, Santa Venerina (CT), Nerello Mascalese 12,5%vol   750 ml  36,00

 

Vini rossi siciliani – sizilianische Rotweine – sicilian red wines – vins rouges siciliens – Siciliaanse rode wijnen 

all prices in EURO

Etna I.G.T.
al bicchiere – by glass – per Glas – au verre   200  ml  6,00

 

VILLA SCHULER ROSSO I.G.T.  2019
Murgo, Santa Venerina (CT), 13%vol    750 ml  24,00 

CAELES I.G.T. bio/organic  2020
Firriato, Baglio Sorìa (TP), Syrah 14%vol    750 ml  28,00 

CHIARAMONTE   I.G.T.  2018
Firriato, Tenuta Dàgala Borromeo (TP), Nero d’Avola  13%vol    750 ml  28,00 

LE SABBIE DELL’ETNA  D.O.C.  2020
Firriato, Castiglione (CT), Nerello Mascalese & Nerello Cappuccio 14%vol    750 ml  30,00

TENUTA SAN MICHELE  I.G.T.  2017
Murgo, Santa Venerina (CT), Pinot Nero 13%vol    750 ml 36,00 

SORÌA D.O.C.  2019
Firriato, Baglio Sorìa (TP), Perricone 14%vol    750 ml  36,00 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON  I.G.T.  2016
Murgo, Santa Venerina (CT), Cabernet Sauvignon 14%vol    750 ml  38,00 

RIBECA   I.G.T.  2016
Firriato, Pianoro Cuddìa (TP), Perricone  14,5%vol    750 ml  50,00

CAMELOT   I.G.T.  2015
Firriato, Baglio Sorìa (TP), Cabernet & Merlot 14,5%vol    750 ml  50,00

HARMONIUM   I.G.T.  2014
Firriato, Baglio Guarini (TP), Nero d’Avola 14,5%vol    750 ml  50,00

________________________________________________________________

Service & VAT included * frais et taxes incluses * Service en Tax inclusief
Con riserva di modifiche – Änderungen vorbehalten – Subject to change – sous réserve de changements – Wijzigingen voorbehouden.
Last update: March 11, 2023 

our hotel phone rates 24H:

one minute for 0,20 Euro (approx. 0,29 USD), no matter if clients call within Italy or Europe, to the US or to Canada.

one minute for 0,30 Euro, to Australia and New Zealand

Other intercontinental calls for 0,60 Euro per minute.

SMOKING BAN IN PUBLIC AREAS

ITALY 2005 A ban on smoking in all public places such as hotels, bars, restaurants, discotheques and offices went into effect on 10 January 2005 as Italy joined a growing number of European countries imposing stricter restrictions on smokers. 10 January 2005. (Globalink news)

Italy imposed a ban on smoking in all enclosed public places including bars and restaurants from midnight on 10 January 2005. Businesses face a fine of up to 2,000 euros if they fail to ensure their customers do not smoke, while smokers themselves could face a 275 euro (360 dollars) for repeatedly ignoring the new rules. The ban has not been welcomed by all, with some bar owners and smokers saying they will ignore the ban on the grounds that cigarettes and smoking are an integral part of Italian bar and cafe culture.

The rules allow smoking in special sealed-off areas fitted with smoke extractors; however many bar owners say fitting the automatic doors and forced ventilation systems required by law is too expensive. At the moment the Hotel Villa Schuler has no smoking area of this kind, smoking is therefore only allowed in all the outdoor areas of our hotel: the palm terrace, the sun-roof and the garden.

GAY FRIENDLY HOTEL VILLA SCHULER

Yes, the Hotel Villa Schuler, Taormina, Sicily is a Gay friendly hotel actively seeking to create an environment friendly towards LGBT people of all nations.

Christine and Gerhard Schuler managers Gay friendly Hotel Villa Schuler, Taormina, Sicily

WHAT OTHERS WRITE ABOUT US

THE VILLA SCHULER IS A REAL WINNER
Taormina is on what is referred to as the Amalfi coast of Sicily and, although the historic town is lovely it is quite touristy. This of course means that rates are on the high side but, happily, the Villa Schuler is affordable. The villa was converted from a private residence to a hotel by the Schuler family over a century ago and now grandson, Gerhard is at the helm. The pink facade faces out to the Via Roma and has a large raised terrace with palms and potted flowers. A continental or full breakfast is served either here or in the elegant Orangery where you can enjoy views encompassing the coastline and the peak of the Etna volcano. The hotel offers standard bedrooms and junior suites. All the rooms have air conditioning, satellite TVs, safes, free Wi-Fi and terraces or balcony often with a sea view. Behind the building is the hotel’s botanical garden filled with a profusion of jasmine, bougainvillea, and geraniums. Located in the garden is the secluded two bathroom ‘Garden Villa Suite’. The garden opens onto the pedestrian main street of town and it is just a short walk to the cable car that takes you down to the beaches, or you can take the hotel shuttle services. For its impeccable service, ideal location and good value, the Boutique Hotel Villa Schuler is a real winner. (from KAREN BROWN’S ITALY B&B Guide, Exceptional Places to Stay & Itineraries 2017).

HISTORIC, ECO-FRIENDLY ELEGANCE
Historic, eco-friendly elegance, views over Etna and Naxos Bay, jasmine-scented gardens… and a charming family feel. Stroll into Taormina

Late in the 19th century, Sig. Schuler’s great-grandfather travelled by coach from Germany and built his house high above the Ionian Sea. He built on a grand scale and he chose the site well: the views of the Bay of Naxos and Mount Etna are gorgeous. When he died in 1905, Great Grandmama decided to let out some rooms and the villa has been a hotel ever since. Though restored and brought up to date, it still has an old, elegant charm and a relaxed, peaceful atmosphere. Lavish organic breakfasts are served in the chandelier’d breakfast room or out on the terrace. Bedrooms vary; some have beautifully tiled floors, antique furniture and stone balconies; the more modern top-floor suites sport beamed ceilings and large terraces. All come with organic bed linen, jacuzzi showers heated by solar panels, heating from biomass – it’s all super-eco – and views to gardens or sea. Hidden away behind a stone arch, in subtropical gardens scented with jasmine, is a delightful, very private little apartment; a path from here leads all the way to the town’s pedestrianised Corso Umberto.  (ALASTAIR SAWDAY’S SPECIAL PLACES TO STAY. Green Europe, 2017)

THE GARDEN OF GOETHE
“…in 1978 I was in Taormina with a crew of Italy’s national public broadcasting company Rai to film my portrait Il signor Goethe poeta e naturalista in viaggio verso Messina, anche marking the bicentenary of his Sicilian visit. Roaming the town in search of locations for our filming, I was struck by a splendid garden where mysterious plants of brilliant colors seemed to be there to perfectly illustrate the Theory of Colours and the other fantastic theory of the Urpflanze, the archetype of all plants from the Creation onwards, according to the poet who fled from Karlsbad on a false passport, and from Charlotte von Stein who tormented him with her jealousy…

This enchanted garden, so rich in references to Goethe, was/is the garden of the delightful, charming Hotel Villa Schuler, the perfect place to film and write about Goethe, the author of the famous statement about the island: Italien ohne Sizilien macht gar kein Bild in der Seele: hier ist erst der Schlüssel zu allem/To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything.”

(Vanni Ronsisvalle, 2016. Vanni Ronsisvalle, writer and journalist, documentary-filmmaker and former editor-in-chief of the cultural program on TG1 of the Rai, interviewed many outstanding personalities on TV, including Ezra Pound, Italo Calvino, Andy Warhol, Jean-Paul Sartre, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Peter Brook, Louis Aragon and Astrid Lindgren. He lives in Rome and in Taormina)

JIM KERR’S RECOMMENDATION
Jim Kerr, frontman of the Simple Minds, loves Sicily and owns a hotel in Taormina, Hotel Villa Angela. Besides his own hotel he recommends only two other ones, one of them is Hotel Villa Schuler:
“The Hotel Villa Schuler in the centre of town has the most incredible botanic gardens. It’s a wonderful building and a great location”.
(Jim Kerr’s Sicily by Jim Kerr, published on simonseeks.com)

HOMELY ATMOSPHERE – LOVELY BREAKFAST
Surrounded by shady terraced gardens with views of Mt Etna, the rose-pink Villa Schuler has been run by the same family for over a centruy (longer than any other Taormina hotel) and preserves a homely atmosphere. A lovely breakfast is served on the panoramic terrade. A great choice. (LONELY PLANET – SOUTHERN ITALY, 2012)

ONE OF THE GREENEST HOTELS OF ITALY (…)
The family has managed to hang on the house despite the appalling vicissitudes of two world wars. It has been expropriated in both wars. After the first, local buyers, so pleased that Signor Schuler had returned to buy the house back, withdrew their own bids. After the second, the house was returned to the family, but in a grim condition. So the rebuilding has been painstaking and devoted. What has been recreated is a wonderfully handsome, up-to-date hotel with the charm and elegance of its past. It is cool, quiet, impeccably run, with tiled floors, antique furniture and stone balconies on one level and more modern rooms with large terraces at the top. In fact, they are as modern as can be, with WIFI, jacuzzis, and most of the gadgets you could possibly need. In spite of the part-modernisation, Villa Schuler can claim to be one of the greenest hotels in Italy. Gerhard seems to have thought of everything, so the following may seem like litany of ecological achievement. But it is worth spelling out, even if briefly: They have used traditional building methods and natural materials. The ventilation ‘system’ cunningly uses the up-drafts from the sea. Toxic materials, blithely accepted by most, have been rigorously excluded – even electromagnetic ‘smog’. Waste, of course, is seperated and recycled to an impressive degree. The sun heats the water, local farmers grow much of the food, natural fertilisers nourish the garden, ecological cleaners are aplied to the walls and floors, clever devices will alarm and protect you in case of fire, fossil-fuels are treated with respect and water conserved. Materials are natural (cotton towels, of course) disposables are reduced to a minimum, and all discarded furniture and equipment is donated to charity. The standards are set at the highest level and the hotel is ISO 14001 certified,(…) It is rare in the world of hotels to find a family so devoted to the familiy tradition. That, alone, is a seductive feature for those looking for Slow. But the long lazy afternoons in their garden (…), the views over the sea and to Etna, the deep commitment to running a hotel with the lightest ecolocigal touch – such things are enough to slow a person down. (ALASTAIR SAWDAY’S GO SLOW ITALY. Special places to stay, slow travel and slow food, 2009)

STYLE AND COMFORT
Filled with the fragrance of bougainvillea and jasmine, this hotel offers style and comfort at a good price. Family-owned and -run, it sits high above the Ionian Sea, with views of Mount Etna and the Bay of Naxos. It’s only a 2-minute stroll from Corso Umberto I and about a 15-minute walk from the cable car to the beach below. Guest rooms are comfortably furnished, with bathrooms with tub/shower combinations; many have a small balcony or terrace. Breakfast can be served in your room or taken on a lovely terrace with a panoramic sea view. Service is impeccable. The most luxurious way to stay here is to book the Garden Villa Suite with its own private access…» (FROMMER’S SICILY 2007).

LUXURIOUS OASIS
With scintillating bay views from the tranquil, palm-shaded terrace, and an extensive garden at the back, this makes a luxurious oasis at quite reasonable prices. (THE ROUGH GUIDE TO SICILY, 6th edition, 2005).

19C ATMOSPHERE
Converted into a hotel in 1905, this old house in the historical centre is surrounded by a Mediterranean garten full of tropical flowers and plants. The hotel retains some of its late 19C atmosphere and has old-fashioned, comfortable rooms. (The Green Guide, Sicily, Michelin travel Publications 2004)

STRIKES IN ITALY LATEST NEWS

How to get information on strikes throughout Italy: on this page Hotel Villa Schuler lists strikes as they pertain Sicily as well as some of the national transportation strikes. We try to inform our clients about upcoming strikes as soon as possible. To be sure, just check also the web sites listed next.

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If you need information on strikes in any parts of Italy, the best resource is the «Commissione di Garanzia». This is the strike authority in Italy.

Its web site is very informative: www.commissionegaranziasciopero.it

The site is in Italian, but with some elementary Italian – or even without – you should be able to identify strikes in the area of your interest. The best is, after having opened the main site, to just click on «elenco scioperi» which means «list of strikes». You will find a list of all strikes alphabetically arranged by sector and you can scroll down to the ones that interest you, such as transportation strikes: – Taxi – Trasporto Aereo (airlines) – Trasporto Ferroviario (train and railroad strikes) – Trasporto Marittimo (ferries) – Trasporto Pubblico Locale (local public transportation) To the left of the sector’s name you will find «data sciopero», which means «date of strike». This indicates the previewed date of the strike.

To controll the actual status of a planned strike please carry on reading down below, where you will find «stato dello sciopero»: «revocato» means «cancelled», «differito» means «postponed to» The box «interventi della commissione» lists actions taken by the «Commissione della Garanzia». If the Commissione has intervened, this will most likely mean that the strike violates regulations and will therfore probably be revoked or at least postponed. You might also want to check on Generale (general strike). These are rare but affect all sectors. You will find the button on the main site. Another useful link is the web site of the Italian Ministry of Transportation: http://www.infrastrutturetrasporti.it/page/standard/site.php?p=scioperi&PHPSESSID

You can check as well the following web site, which provides a service in English: www.summerinitaly.com/planning/strike.asp

If you have any doubts or questions please don’t hesitate to e-mail us to: schuler@tao.it

Last updated: January 15, 2017 Italian Government Strike Authority

We are ISO 14001 certified, yearly since 2008

Our philosophy and our product are based on environmentally orientated hotel management.

The recent refurbishing of the Hotel Villa Schuler has been realized following the criteria of Building Biology:
– Using traditional building methods and choosing appropriate natural, long-lasting materials guaranteeing perfect transpiration of both the outside walls and the interior structures. The main walls are all built with natural stones thick up to two feet allowing perfect and natural heat and noise insulation. A non-roughcast layer-sample of the old walls is visible in our dining room.
– Utilizing and taking advantage of natural ventilation: the hotel is positioned high above the sea and from the valley underneath a constant airflow allows us in realizing perfect summer ventilation from the lower to the higher floors of the building guaranteeing healthy indoor air quality.
– Using transpiring watercolors, removing and avoiding all those building materials that have shown to be dangerous due to their toxic components as hazardous organic volatile compounds, plastic furniture, and synthetic materials, splinter -woods, lead, and asbestos.
– Taking care to reduce electromagnetic smog to a minimum. All major fuses-boards have been replaced and repositioned outdoors into a centralized, screened back-office. All electric wires of the entire building and the guest-rooms have been replaced and rationalized, all net circuits are screened.

The environmentally orientated hotel management includes waste-separation for recycling purposes, containers for flat batteries, energy-saving appliances, low-energy light bulbs, individually controlled air conditioning regulated by contact breakers of the double-glazed windows and balcony doors, solar energy for hot water production, reducing to a minimum the use of disposable crockery or non-returnable bottles, of canned drinks and portion packs, practicing flexible changes of bathroom towels, using ecological detergents and polishers, avoiding sealing outdoor grounds and using exclusively natural fertilizers in the gardens.

At breakfast, we gave priority to including the largest possible choice of natural foods, local products, regional specialties, and fresh food without preservatives. Some organically grown products as well.

The same importance is given to or the client’s safety.

The drinkable water is filtered, decanted, and naturally decalcified through deionization processing. All water pipes have been recently replaced with the latest non-toxic types. All electric installations are technologically advanced and corresponding to the latest security norms. All single circuits are protected by life-saving devices. Alarm calling devices in each bathroom. Fire danger is reduced to a very minimum thanks to the virtual non-existence of dangerous materials like plastics and synthetics, carpets, and tapestries. Curtains and mattresses are fire-resistant. A total of 80 smoke detectors not only in the 26 guest rooms. The building is subdivided into fireproofed compartments and specialized technicians constantly carry through the security checks to devices and machines. In winter 2004-2005, we replaced all diesel heaters with the last generation of cleaner gas-heaters with heat recovery systems integrating it to the existing solar heaters. The results were astonishingly positive, both for the economic advantages as well as far as the much lower emissions are concerned.

Since 2007 we chose to submit our Hotel Villa Schuler to ISO 14001 because it is the best-known, strictest, most reliable, and internationally accepted specification for an environmental management system (EMS). It specifies requirements for establishing an environmental policy, determining environmental aspects and impacts of products/activities/services, planning environmental objectives and measurable targets, implementation and operation of programs to meet objectives and targets, checking and corrective action, and management review.

It helps our hotel management to minimize how our operations negatively affect the environment (cause adverse changes to air, water, or land), comply with applicable laws, regulations, and other environmentally oriented requirements, so our hotel will continually improve on the above criteria.

ISO 14001 is similar to ISO 9000 quality management in that both pertain to the process (the comprehensive outcome of how a product is produced) rather than to the product itself. The overall idea is to establish an organized approach to systematically reduce the impact of the environmental aspects which our hotel can control.

Hotel Villa Schuler Environmental Terms Definitions & Environmental Policy

• Allergies: an approach to take care of people with chemical sensitivities and allergies to airborne particles that also reside in carpets, drapes, and bedding. We do not use carpets and both our bedside carpets and also our curtains are made our of cotton and are washed frequently, very frequently. The issue of allowing pets is of concern here too, so we decided: no pets are allowed in our hotel
• Alternative Energy: we use renewable energy sources, such as solar systems. It excludes fossil fuels.
• Bulk Soap and Amenities: soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion provided from a bulk dispenser rather than in individual packages. This approach saves time and money for us and for the natural resources and landfill contributions by cutting down on the packaging.
• Compostable Disposables: sometimes the use of disposable service items can’t be avoided. In those cases, we want to give credit to disposable items, like paper napkins and corn-based plastic, that are biodegradable.
• Composting: in our garden, we practice the biological decomposition of solid organic materials by bacteria, fungi, and other organisms into a soil-like product that is used to enrich our bio-garden soil. This enrichment not only nourishes the soil but also helps increase moisture retention and thus decrease the need for additional watering.
• Cotton Towels and Linens: cotton products don’t add VOCs to the air, thus helping air quality in guestrooms where they are used. Towels and linens that are a blend of cotton and synthetic fabrics aren’t sustainable because of their reliance on petrochemicals. Organic cotton or natural linen is even better because of their non-use of petrochemicals.
• Donating to Charity: one often overlooked aspect of recycling is what to do with sheets, towels, table linens, furniture, carpeting, window coverings, appliances, bedspreads, etc that aren’t useable or useful to the property any longer. Selling or donating them to others is a great way to have the goods reused and keep the items out of the landfill.
• Durable Service Items: dishes, cups, glasses, mugs, tableware, and serving pieces that are long-lasting, not disposable.
• Eco-friendly Food Served: we have no restaurant. At our breakfast, we do offer mostly Sicilian food served “a la carte” that has been grown in a manner sensitive to its natural habitat for preserving wildlife and other plants, organically grown, raised and certified, or local and thus freshly «harvested».
• Inform Guests About «Green»: teaching our clients looking at our website or staying here about the green actions we take and why those actions are important, as well as encouraging others to take their own green actions.
• Educating our Staff to «Green Philosophy»: constantly teaching people working at our property about the green actions the property takes, why those actions are important, why the staff needs to support the program, as well as encouraging staff to make their own green actions. This is a very important part of the ISO 14001 procedures we are submitting at the moment.
• Energy Conservation: reducing the amount of energy used, for example, through the use of energy-efficient lighting and appliances, turning off lights and appliances when not in use, and using insulation and weather stripping. This may also be referred to as energy efficiency. It is possible to dramatically reduce energy consumption for powering our homes and buildings (and cars) without major sacrifices. This lessens our dependency on non-renewable resources and reduce the costs connected with excessive energy use.
• Environmental Cleaning: approaching housekeeping and laundry from the perspective of not using harsh or harmful-to-people chemicals or cleaning styles. That includes not using perfumed or scented laundry supplies, carpet cleaners, cleaning supplies, or air fresheners.
• Fresh Air: all our guestrooms have either windows that open or are part of a fresh-air exchange system within the hotel. Fresh air is healthier than the musty, stale air of closed-up rooms.
• Hotel Recycle Bins: special containers are placed around the property so guests can put their recyclable items there, rather than in the trash. This approach can teach a hotel’s guests about the ease and benefit of recycling and makes it easier for us to sort recyclable items.
• Maintenance for Conservation: our approach to a green program means also replacing old, wasteful fixtures (light bulbs, old toilets that use lots of water in their flushing, old shower heads and faucets that allow more than 2 gallons/minutes through) and appliances (like refrigerator and freezers, ice machines, washing machines and dryers, air conditioners, furnaces/heaters, and computers) as they break or wear out, with new efficient fixtures and appliances (Eurocertifications).
• Newspaper Program: we feel that newspapers shouldn’t be delivered to every guest in the hotel because it is such a waste of paper and resources. Instead, magazines are available in common areas for free, thus saving resources and landfills.
• Non-Smoking Rooms: all our rooms and common areas are non-smoking, so our guestrooms are guaranteed to be safe from this kind of pollution.
• Organic Food Served: we prefer organic food grown without the application of pesticides or fertilizers. Plant nourishment comes from the use of compost. Pest protection comes from growing healthy plants, companion planting, and natural pest controls like beneficial insects.
• Participate in Green Programs: our hotel is involved in an ISO 14.001 certification program and also in the TUI Environmental Champion Award Program.
• Promoting «green» in our PR: this is clearly shown on our official web page, as well as in all other activities we do.
• Recyclable Disposables: we feel that foam products as cups, bowls, plates, and clam-shell boxes,  not only consume petrochemicals in their production but also aren’t recyclable, and they fill landfills with materials that will be around for hundreds of years. Some of the same plastic products also don’t degrade in landfills and consume precious non-renewable resources in their manufacture. There are recyclable disposable products that we encourage the use of instead.
• Sheet and Towel Re-Use Program: different hotels have different names for this, but it’s a way of reducing the water and energy consumption involved in washing sheets daily. Sometimes the hotel states they wash sheets at a specific interval unless requested for more frequent changes, and sometimes the hotel lets the guests request a less frequent than daily sheet change. Either way, when housekeeping complies with the «rule» it saves on resources, time, and wear and tear on the sheets.
• Water Conservation: the practice of reducing water usage. Water use reduction methods range from more efficient practices to capturing water for use through water storage or conservation projects. Our more efficient practices include using low-flow toilets, showerheads, and faucets; washing sheets and towels less frequently (though of course between guests); planting xeric gardens – using native plants that don’t require much additional water beyond what falls from the sky, and gray water recycling systems.
• Xeric Gardens: Xeriscape is a coined word derived from the Greek ‘Xeros’, meaning dry. It is used to describe landscaping with water conservation as a major objective. It often is also accomplished by using plants native to the region. Our xeric garden of 1.500 square meters is an attractive, sustainable landscape that conserves water and is based on sound horticultural practices.

Coronavirus Safety Protocol: https://www.hotelvillaschuler.com/events/our-hygiene-concept/ 

Last but not least: we know that we will never stop learning, so we will always try to improve, eco-innovating hotellerie.

Christine and Gerhard Schuler
owner and manager