Petit Hotel

Petit Hotel suits divers who prefer a small town, a sea-facing terrace and a proper Sicilian evening to a large resort with a timetable for everything. You can return from the coast, cool down in an air-conditioned room, then sit above the harbour for dinner while the ferries come and go. The mood is informal, with a cosy interior and ceramic tiles hand-crafted by local artists adding something more personal than a standard hotel corridor.

English and Italian are spoken by the hotel team, so you can deal with the practicalities in English without resorting to frantic pointing at a menu. Couples have the harbour and the Aeolian Islands on the doorstep; families have family rooms, children of any age are welcome, and pets can stay by arrangement.

You are in Milazzo, facing the harbour used by ferries to the Aeolian Islands. The town centre is about a five-minute walk away, with restaurants almost immediately outside: The Burg, La Cambusa Rosticceria Gastronomia and Sicily Food Milazzo are all within roughly 50 metres. Monkey Pub Milazzo is about 0.3 miles away if the hotel bar has done its duty and you still fancy one more drink.

The beach and Milazzo's main monuments are around 500 metres from the hotel. Baia del Tono Beach is about 0.5 miles away by road, while Capo Milazzo Beach is 4.2 miles away. Milazzo railway station is roughly 2 miles away on foot, or about 2.1 miles by road, which gives you a workable base for exploring beyond the harbour.

The room choice is mainly about how much space you want around yourself rather than collecting labels. Solo divers have a single room that keeps things simple. For two, the standard double or twin option is the sensible everyday choice, while the balcony room gives you private outdoor space if that matters more than room size. The triple room is the practical pick for three, with a large bed and sofa bed rather than asking everyone to negotiate for the floor.

For a couple who want the room to be part of the evening, the suite with hot tub is the obvious step up. Across the accommodation, air conditioning matters when Sicilian heat has followed you back from the water, and soundproofing should help keep the harbour-town setting from taking over the night. Rooms include a minibar, flat-screen television, satellite TV, wardrobe space and an en-suite bathroom; some also have a balcony. Local ceramic tiles give the interiors a distinct Sicilian touch, and a lift takes the effort out of reaching upper floors.

Ristorante La Terrazza is the centre of the food operation, with a sea-view terrace where breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. The cooking is Mediterranean and built around fresh local ingredients, which is exactly the sort of arrangement that makes sense when you have surfaced hungry and would rather not go hunting for dinner. The dress code is casual, so a post-dive wardrobe is not a problem.

Breakfast is included and served as an Italian buffet from 07:30. Lunch runs from 12:30 to 14:30, and dinner from 19:30 to 22:00. There is one bar, Bar del Porto, a cosy lobby bar focused on cocktails and wine. Special-diet menus can be requested, while children's meals are also available. The minibar gives you something cold in the room; the terrace gives you somewhere better to drink it if the sea view has won the argument.

When the sea is calling but a full day in the water is not on the plan, the hotel offers access to the gentler version of coastal life: snorkelling, kayaking and paddleboarding. Boat excursions are also available, with equipment hire for getting out on the water without turning your luggage into a marine warehouse. A sandy beach with sun loungers and parasols gives you the straightforward option of doing very little, which is an underrated activity after several days of diving.

On land, you can hire bicycles, go walking or arrange cultural excursions. Taormina and Mount Etna are the named outings, giving you two very different ways to spend a non-diving day: one built around history and views, the other around volcanic scenery. Back at the hotel, the shared sea-view terrace and lounge provide the useful middle ground between another excursion and falling asleep at four in the afternoon.

Arrival is handled between 14:00 and 20:00, and you need to tell the hotel when you expect to arrive. Check-out is between 06:00 and 10:30, useful to know if your onward travel starts early. Luggage storage, concierge service, an ATM and free WiFi throughout the hotel are available for the small practical jobs that otherwise have a habit of eating into a travel day.

Catania Airport is about 75 miles away, while Reggio di Calabria Airport Tito Minniti is around 23 miles away as the crow flies and roughly 39 miles by road. Airport transfers can be arranged on request, and car hire is available. The hotel also has a lift, wheelchair-accessible facilities and accessible bathrooms with grab rails, a raised toilet, a lowered sink and an emergency cord. Pets are welcome on request.