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Rifugio Sapienza

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Photo gallery for Rifugio Sapienza

Quadruple Room | Premium bedding, down comforters, minibar, in-room safe
Double Room | Premium bedding, down comforters, minibar, in-room safe
Mountain view
View from property
Property amenity

Reviews

8.8 out of 10

Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Bar
    Bar
  • Pet friendly
    Pet friendly
  • Breakfast included
    Breakfast included
  • Parking included
    Parking included
  • Room service
    Room service
  • Housekeeping
    Housekeeping

Explore the area

Map
Piazzale Rifugio Sapienza, Nicolosi, Catania, 95030
  • Etna Cable Car
    1 min walk
  • Monti Silvestri Lift
    2 min walk
  • Silvestri Craters
    8 min walk
  • Catania (CTA-Fontanarossa)
    60 min drive

Room options

View all photos for Classic Single Room

Classic Single Room | Bathroom | Shower, bidet, towels

Classic Single Room

  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bed

View all photos for Quadruple Room

Quadruple Room | Premium bedding, down comforters, minibar, in-room safe

Quadruple Room

  • Sea view
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Double Bed and 2 Twin Beds OR 4 Twin Beds

View all photos for Twin Room (2 Single Beds)

Twin Room (2 Single Beds) | Premium bedding, down comforters, minibar, in-room safe

Twin Room (2 Single Beds)

  • Sea view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Triple Room

Triple Room | Premium bedding, down comforters, minibar, in-room safe

Triple Room

  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 3 Twin Beds

View all photos for Family Room

Premium bedding, down comforters, minibar, in-room safe

Family Room

  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 5
  • 1 Double Bed and 3 Twin Beds

View all photos for Double Room

Double Room | Premium bedding, down comforters, minibar, in-room safe

Double Room

  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Double Bed

Similar properties

Terrace/patio

Etna Royal View

Breakfast included
Pet friendly
Parking included
Free WiFi
4.8 out of 5, Exceptional, (33)
The price is $123
per night
$135 total
includes taxes & fees
Dec 7 - Dec 8
Etna Royal View

About the neighborhood

Nicolosi

When you stay at Rifugio Sapienza in Nicolosi, you'll be in the mountains, just steps from Etna Cable Car and 8 minutes by foot from Silvestri Craters. .This ski inn is 11.5 mi (18.5 km) from Mount Etna and 0.1 mi (0.1 km) from Monti Silvestri Lift.
View more Inns in NicolosiOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • Etna Cable Car - 1 min walk - 0.1 miles
  • Monti Silvestri Lift - 2 min walk - 0.1 miles
  • Silvestri Craters - 8 min walk - 0.4 miles
  • Mount Etna - 24 min drive - 11.5 miles
  • Piano Provenzana - 50 min drive - 26.6 miles

Getting around

  • Catania Ognina Station - 38 min drive
  • Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) - 71 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Funivia dell'Etna - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪La Terrazza dell'Etna - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Ristorante Parco dei Principi - ‬26 min drive
  • ‪La Boscaiola - ‬19 min drive
  • ‪Santa Rita Garden - ‬24 min drive

About this property

Rifugio Sapienza

Slopeside inn steps from Etna Cable Car
Rifugio Sapienza offers 22 accommodations with minibars and safes. Beds feature down comforters and premium bedding. Flat-screen televisions come with satellite channels.

Bathrooms include showers and bidets. This Nicolosi inn provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Housekeeping is provided daily.

Recreational amenities at the inn include ski-in/ski-out access.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Make yourself at home in one of the 22 guestrooms featuring minibars and flat-screen televisions. Your bed comes with down comforters and premium bedding. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have showers and bidets.
Enjoy the convenience of ski-in/ski-out access at this inn, which also features bicycles to rent. This inn also features complimentary wireless internet access, concierge services, and shopping on site.
Enjoy a meal at the restaurant or snacks in the coffee shop/cafe. The inn also offers room service. Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at the bar/lounge. A complimentary buffet breakfast is served daily from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM.
Featured amenities include luggage storage, a library, and a safe deposit box at the front desk. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available on request), and free self parking is available onsite.
A complimentary buffet breakfast is served each morning between 7:30 AM and 9:30 AM.
Rifugio Sapienza has a restaurant on site.
Room service is available.

Languages

English, French, Italian, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Roundtrip airport shuttle (surcharge) from 7:30 AM to 11:00 PM on request
  • Free self parking on site
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking available

Food and drink

  • Free buffet breakfast available daily 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM
  • A bar/lounge
  • A coffee shop/cafe
  • A restaurant
  • Snack bar/deli

Things to do

  • Bicycle rentals
  • Library
  • Shopping
  • Ski-in/ski-out access

Family friendly

  • Crib (surcharge)
  • Snack bar/deli

Conveniences

  • Limited-hour front desk
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Tour and ticket assistance

Business services

  • Meeting rooms

Outdoors

  • In the mountains
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Elevator
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible path to elevator
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk

More

  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Crib (surcharge)
  • Down comforter
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Bidet
  • Private bathroom
  • Shower
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • Flat-screen TV with satellite channels

Food and drink

  • Minibar
  • Room service

More

  • Desk
  • Safe

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3 PM; Check-in end time: 11:00 PM
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10 AM

Special check-in instructions

This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply); guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
The front desk is open daily from 7:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours
If you are planning to arrive after 10:00 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

Pets allowed for an extra charge of EUR 20 per pet, per stay
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are available for EUR 10.00 per night

Property payment types

Important information

Fees

You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:

  • A tax is imposed by the city: EUR 1.00 per person, per night

We have included all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

  • Airport shuttle fee: EUR 100 per vehicle (one-way, maximum occupancy 5)
  • Pet fee: EUR 20 per pet, per stay
  • Service animals are exempt from fees
  • Crib (infant bed) fee: EUR 10.00 per night

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Cashless transactions are available

We should mention

All guests, including children, must be present at check-in and show their government-issued photo ID card or passport
Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 5000, due to national regulations; for further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation

Property is also known as

Rifugio Sapienza Inn Nicolosi
Rifugio Sapienza Inn
Rifugio Sapienza Nicolosi
Rifugio Sapienza
Rifugio Sapienza Nicolosi, Italy - Sicily
Rifugio Sapienza Inn
Rifugio Sapienza Nicolosi
Rifugio Sapienza Inn Nicolosi

Rifugio Sapienza Reviews

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 66 out of 145 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 63 out of 145 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 12 out of 145 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 145 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 145 reviews" "

8.6/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

8.2/10

Amenities

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Binh

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Carmen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great customer service, staff super friendly and helpful, room was very comfortable and had everything needed, good location and restaurant food was superb. Highly recommended.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kyeongmo

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The refugio was very good for the travellers. It was clean and dining was good. The staff was kind ans helpful.
Stayed 1 night in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Gary

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Wybo

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Rifugio Sapienza had everything we could hope for. Nice room, great restaurant, a super breakfast each day, and the best location for exploring Mount Etna!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Antonino

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very friendly people, very hospitable. The room is comfortable. The food at the restaurant was delicious. We enjoyed our stay
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Robi

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Highly recommend, great experience with the hotel
We had a lovely time in Rifugio Sapienza, excelent location, right next to the cable car to Etna, good food and large portions, lots of choice also for breakfast. Room was clean and has comfortable beds, large balcony. Highly recommend!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Bernhard

Stayed 1 night in May 2022

8/10 Good

Gillian

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Solid hotel choice
Pros: Great value for the location, decent food choices, friendly staff, free on site parking Cons: Our room had a slanted ceiling and I hit my head on it constantly (and I’m 5’4). Cleanliness of shower could be improved.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Tricia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great little hotel with amazing views and very professional and friendly staff. Good restaurant specialising in pizza. Would stay again!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

2/10 Terrible

Melissa

Traveled with family
Get insurance
I had to cancel due to losing my luggage on the airplane there. We had two nights and I was able to cancel a day ahead due to being stranded in the layover country. They refused to even let me cancel for the 2nd night.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent option if you want to visit the Volcano area. Convenient and the best you get a discount for the cable car
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Traveled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
You get to sleep on an active volcano, at 2000 meter altitude. What more do you need/can you ask for?
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Service very good. Rooms simple but clean. Perfect for hiking Mt. Etna. A few good restaurants nearby.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The hotel is quite old but there is not much choice if you want to stay overnight at Etna. It is an ok hotel for a night or two. We were two friends staying in a room with a double and a twin bed and it was ok for us. Room is quite small. Breakfast was buffet style with croissants, yoghurt, eggs, meat and cheese on offer.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
The staff. they were the most accommodating and friendly staff i have ever had the pleasure to stay with. they would do things for customers using initiative before being asked. always smiling and joking too. The volcano and scenery (best ever seen) comes second to these people.
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great room and service and restaurant. Super close to cable car. Get here by car or morning bus from Catania.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

antonio

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A good choice up there!
The rooms are clean and cosy, very comfortable bed, soft towels in the bathroom, staff extremely helpful and kind. Breakfast was quite basic (maybe because we were the only ones that morning; I've been another time and there was more stuff) but you can order real coffee/cappuccino at the bar without extra cost. The pizza at the restaurant is probably the best in the whole province!
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

2/10 Terrible

Alexandre

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Appalling. Avoid at all costs!
We decided to stay at this hotel for two reasons: first, because it was about as far up the flank of Mount Etna as one can get, and secondly, because it was well rated. Boy, were we ever wrong on the second point! The front desk was manned by an unkempt man who barely looked up and offered no information whatsoever (e.g., we didn't find out there was an elevator until we were leaving). The halls and stairs were unlit, with switches on timers that had to be turned back on every five meters to avoid stumbling around in the dark. Our room was a singular cross between a Gulag, a sad summer camp and solitary confinement in a medium-security prison. Uncomfortable bed, questionable cleanliness, scuffed, worn floors, lightbulb burned out... We were tired and there aren't exactly dozens of food options on the side of a volcano, so we decided to try the on-site restaurant... which is where the "full Gulag" experience came into focus. It was genuinely appalling: Surly, indifferent waiters; ghastly, inedible prison food (I was unable to finish even a quarter of my plate); and the only truly undrinkable wine I've ever had in Italy. Nauseated and grumpy, we returned to our room as soon as possible and tried to fall asleep. The breakfast the next morning was somewhat better, though we still left as fast as we could. All in all, quite possibly the worst hotel I have ever had the misfortune of staying in. Avoid it at all costs!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2018

10/10 Excellent

Nicolo

Cozy room on top of the volcano
Nice and cozy room. Good pizza at the restaurant. Decent price (considering where you are). Great starting point for a morning hike on the small craters.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018

6/10 Okay

Sarah, Malvern, Worcestershire

Liked: Staff & service
Perfect for visitng Etna
Friendly, helpful staff. Accommodation a bit basic, room clean, smell of drains in the bathroom. Breakfast was OK. BUT, right next to cable car for Etna. Also, we went to the restaurant (NOT cafe) attached for dinner and the food was excellent, would recommend it.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

Keith

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very good few days.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2018