We are just back from a week's holiday in Villa Vittoria, near Cefalu. The villa itself is lovely and modern, with big panoramic windows overlooking the mountains and down to the sea. The communal area is very spacious and the eight of us were very comfortable spending most of our time there. 4 good size double bedrooms, one with a balcony and one opening up on the pool level.
Being early April, the weather was a little temperamental. The pool is not heated, so only my kids were brave enough to go in. However, there were lots of sunbathing spots to choose from and we found quite a few occasions to relax in the warm sun (the front of the villa is sheltered from wind and even in early April the sun could feel very hot).
The road to the villa goes up a large hill at Lasceri. However, after driving it once we found we were pretty confident and there was very little other traffic. You could not stay in the villa without a car as you could not walk or get taxis to the local amenities. The ARD supermarket is only 5 mins away, but not walkable.
The drive is about 10-15 minutes to Cefalu. Very easy, straight road most of the way and parking there was also very straightforward. We loved Cefalu - really lovely seaside town, with lots of nice restaurants. It has a good feel to it. We visited some other very beautiful destinations (eg Castlebuono, Termini, Noto in the South) and Cefalu was our favourite - vibrant, but friendly.
Angelo our host was fantastically helpful. He welcomed us at the villa with lots of great information about the villa and the area, including booking our first meal out - at Le Chat Noir in Cefalu, which was the best meal out we had there (great quality food and good value). He also arranged for (and supported) Chef Nino to come and cook us a meal in the villa one night, for my father's birthday. This was the absolute highlight of our holiday and an experience I would absolutely recommend. Nino's menu was absolutely delicious, with lots of lovely extra touches. Angelo also sourced an amazing birthday cake for the end of the meal!
All in all, we felt he went above and beyond to make our stay memorable and comfortable.
Having won the villa in a charity auction, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, despite that Massimo Villas had donated our holiday to the charity, it did not stop them from working hard to ensure we had the perfect stay. Thank you for your amazing hospitality- we are likely to use your villas again!