Well, we certainly couldn't fault the hosts on their hospitality - they were both very welcoming and went out of their way to ensure we enjoyed out stay. For example they went to a lot of trouble to give us great information with different maps about how to drive round the city, where to park etc and very kindly let us use their PC when we asked them where the nearest internet cafe was.

Both in terms of atmosphere and architecturally, it feels like you are staying at their house - the rooms are sort of attached to the main family home which has an unusual and impressive layout. We were a bit surprised at night to find these areas were not communal as it seemed more like a B&B where you might be able to use the lounge room in the evening. We sat out on the terrace in the evening as our child was asleep in the room but the light was too dim out there to read a book.

The pool was lovely and warm and it felt very relaxing out there. They are revamping the garden with a big covered area next to the pool - looks like it might be nice when it's finished. Some of the paving slabs around the rim of the pool are a bit wobbly so be careful with small children!

The room was very small but perfectly adequate for our needs. If you opened the shutters on the door everyone could look in when they walked past going to breakfast etc which wasn't ideal - but it was good value and well located for the lovely town of Siracuse so we weren't that bothered. Breakfast was very nice with the most impressive choice of teas I think I have ever seen!

We spent two days at the Hotel Aldebaran (more like a B&B as it is the owners' home) while visiting Syracuse. It was great to get back to the hotel after sightseeing in the busy town of Syracuse and to get away from all the traffic. Enrico and Ivana were very welcoming and made us feel completely at home. Enrico said his home was our home. We went into town in the evenings but Ivana was happy to cook an evening meal if we had wanted one. To have a pool was also a bonus. The rooms were basic but comfortable and the air conditioning worked very well. Our only comment was that the lights in the room were not bright enough. This seemed to be the case in quite a few of the places we stayed in Sicily. The Hotel is very accessible - close to the motorway and near to many of the interesting sights in the East and South East of Sicily. We would definitely recommend the Hotel Aldebaran to someone who is looking for peace and quiet and a warm Sicilian welcome.