Hotel Villa Athena

From the minute you walk in you are greeted by the staff. The rooms are spacious and very clean. We had a lovely private courtyard which was delightful to sit and sip wine and read. We decided to have relaxing facials and massages. The food did not disappoint. The chef was very creative with dinner. The views of the temple from the property were phenomenal. I only has one negative and that is that i thought the towels were a little stiff.

Villa Athena was amazing. How incredible to be right inside the Valley of the Temples and to be able to view the ruins from your breakfast table and lit up at the dinner table. Our room had a private entrance to the garden and the pool which was completely unexpected. The incredible service started on check in where were given a tour of the hotel including it's vegetable and herb gardens, and continued through dinner, where the food was amazing and through our park tour and breakfast and lunch the next day. Too bad we could only stay one night.

We had the most incredible time! We were in Sicily for our honeymoon and spent one night at Villa Athena Resort but wished we could have stayed longer! From the moment we arrived, the hotel staff was kind, attentive and welcoming. We were able to get tickets to the Valley of the Temples from the hotel desk and then went through the private hotel entrance to begin our tour. After spending a couple hours at Valley of the Temples we made our way back to the hotel where we checked into our beautiful suite - we were even upgraded! We spent the afternoon by the pool with the most amazing temple view. The food and drinks were incredible and we finished the pool day off with an evening swim under the temple lights. We had a delicious dinner on the terrace with more views. Truly a 10/10 experience. We had an amazing breakfast on the patio before we left. Parking was easy. We will be back!!!

Villa Athena is a luxurious retreat near the famous Valley of the Temples. It offers stunning views of ancient Greek ruins, including the Temple of Concordia. The villa is surrounded by olive and citrus trees, creating a peaceful atmosphere. We enjoyed swimming in the pool, relaxing in the shaded outdoor spots and appreciating the surrounding landscape.||I was so amazed with the ornate style inside the villa. It has a traditional Sicilian feel with terracotta floors, wooden shutters, and beautiful tiles. It's a perfect blend of elegance and coziness. The villa is ideal for those who want to unwind and explore the rich history of southern Sicily. With its luxurious amenities and beautiful location, Villa Athena provides an unforgettable experience. Bellissima!

Well the view is stunning. Every do often you look up, see the temple and it simply takes your breath away every time. Very special. The deluxe room was very highly appointed. Complimentary bottle of wine in the room. Very comfortable bed.|Breakfast was fabulous. A tiered selection of pastries and cakes brought to your table and breakfast cooked to order. |Lovely swimming pool, complimentary ice cream offered occasionally, a very nice touch.|Restaurant of Michelin star quality and live piano.|We were not offered a drink on arrival. I was honestly incredibly shocked by this. Surely standard for a hotel of this quality? We were offered this a lower standard hotels during our four around Sicily. |Most of the staff were not friendly. They were efficient and service was generally good but they were not welcoming and no friendly conversation was offered. This was disappointing. |The complementary wine in my room was red. I asked reception 3 times to swap it for a white as I don't drink red. It never was replaced. |Twice I was served meat in my meals despite ordering vegetarian. Once at lunch in a toastie and once in an omelet. This is poor. The wine at lunch was taken off the bill which was appreciated but the fact that this happened twice is shocking, clearly there is an issue there.|Service at dinner was high end but it appeared they were understaffed, it was very difficult to get their attention. |Overall the disappointing, less than 5 star service let this wonderful hotel down.

My husband & I enjoyed an MOST INCREDIBLE stay at Villa Athena. The location is THE BEST with spectacular views of the temples from our very own room! We are so grateful for the very generous upgrade for our honeymoon! This hotel has private access to temple grounds, allowing up to skip the cue. The grounds of the resort are a showcase themselves, and the staff were so welcoming. We also loved being able to cool off with a swim in the lovely pool - also with a temple view! after a busy day sightseeing. We do hope to return one day. Thank you Villa Athena for your wonderful hospitality!

This villa does not deserve 5 stars. Customer service and professionalism are subpar. We had lunch at the restaurant, there were a lot of bees (and flies), making the meal quite uncomfortable. Several tables had asked to swap locations or ate standing up. We asked for some smoke with coffee grinds to deter the bees. Server acknowledged and nothing ever came until we finished the meal. at check out, we noticed two charges of beverages we did not enjoy at the meal to the credit card after they already ran the card. We asked for a refund, three servers stood around for five minutes looking for their errors, never acknowledged their mistakes directly to me. Then one lady asked me to follow her to get my refund, I asked her why I had to walk a distance instead of having a manager come address their error. She made me walk with her nonetheless. At the villa reception, the server and two receptionist proceeded to speak among themselves for another 5 minutes ignoring my presence, then told me that they could not void the credit card transaction (because they claimed that their bank would not allow them—and no other transactions had been made since mine, so the excuse was invalid even by their reasoning). They offered me a bottle of cheap wine or olive oil, which I declined. I offered to take the refund in cash, which they claimed they would not do. I reckoned that their accounting already was incorrect if they were to “exchange the difference” with wine. Every step of the way, three women spoke in Italian, calling the manager for approval, and when I agreed to wait 10 DAYS for them to refund the money to my credit card, I asked for some form of receipt. The receptionist took 5 minutes to type up two lines, meanwhile showing signs of impatience making faces, and the other receptionist clicking her long fingernails against the countertop. Then, the manager came, walked pass me again ignoring our presence. He explained the same situation all over again, which I repeated that I already understood and was just waiting for a receipt acknowledging that they would pay me back. Throughout the whole process, I wasted 20-25 minutes. At no point, the six people involved once apologized for their mistake and for them causing our inconvenience and time wasted. I reflected my feedback to the manager, he still did not apologize. Initially, we had thought that when we returned to Sicily we could stay at this resort. This negative experience ruined our impression and left a sour taste in our mouths. Very disappointing for the lack of hospitality. Edited given Villa’s response: they flat out misrepresented how the error occurred and neglected that fact that they presented themselves as yours almighty who couldn’t be bothered to provide highest levels of hospitality to their international guests, and lied about the attitudes and passive aggressiveness of their staff persons we interacted with, and lied about their offering of wine or olive oil was a courtesy—NO, they wanted us to have them as if we bought them in place of the refund. It’s not courtesy. It had been weeks, we still have received no refund. It’s not a lot of money, and frankly, if their attitudes and service weren’t so awful, we would have let it go. Hopefully this review helps others to have their eyes peeled.

Beautiful small property with less than 30 rooms (I believe). We got a Beautiful room overlooking the Temples of Agrigento.|Our stay was pleasant, everyone we met was kind and attentive. Breakfast was good and we had dinner a couple of nights and really enjoyed them!|We will come back.

Location, location, location. This hotel is amazingly situated with a great view of the Valley of the Temples. The onsite restaurant and bar have outdoor seating with similar views. If you're not staying here, it's worth having a drink at the bar. The rooms are nice, but not five star quality. The staff are very nice and the breakfast is very good, though in a room without a view. It's priced as a splurge. If you're going to visit Agrigento, it's worth a night.

Stayed 4 nites. Views of the ancient temples make it so special. It's a 5 star hotel as it should be. Excellent people work there. Wonderful experiences at their farm. Fabulous food. Intimate pool. My favorite place in Sicily so far.

A luxury 5 star hotel located inside the Agrigento Archaeological Park with views of the Temple Concordia. We arrived around 2 pm and were delighted to be able to get into our room with a partial view of the temple located on the garden level near the large luxurious pool. We started out with lunch by the pool and a short swim. I wished we could have spent an entire day just at the pool. It wasn't busy and the water was delightful coolish. Our room was all white, large, quiet and with a roomy bathroom and large shower. The AC was quiet, as was the room. Our rate included breakfast which we took at 7 when they opened. Service at breakfast left me a bit wanting. Food looked great but during the times of covid a server must help you-there's no helping yourself. We were the only ones dining at 7 yet it was a challenge getting food and we didn't enjoy much of the selection settling for just bread and fruit. A major disappointment. Also, we paid a premium for view of the temple on the hill and while technically we were on that side, our garden level/poolside room did not really have a view overlooking the temple as promised-so be sure to be up-NOT in a garden room-for the view. That aside it's a beautiful hotel.

Great location. But dishonest employees. We had a late dinner there and most of the diners had left. We asked for and waited for our check for around 20 minutes. No check. So eventually I told the waiter that they could just charge it to our room and I gave him the room number. At check out we found that they had charged us for two bottles of wine when we just had one. They also charged 70 euros for a mediocre fish dish! Dishonest people. When I wrote a review on another site the manager Roberto Principato wrote back that I had signed the dinner check. That was a blatant lie. I did sign a check for lunch (rubbery hamburger for 25 euros!) and two drinks in the afternoon (20 euros a drink!) but never for dinner. Be very careful with any bills at Hotel Villa Athena, check it all carefully. They are dishonest.

After spending some time at the Valley of the Temple's we were ready to get something to eat. We found Hotel Villa Athena upon a recommendation from a guide book we had. It was easy to find but the entrance through the gates was not very lit so we passed it the first time. The hotel was not full since it is off season. It's a beautiful Italian Villa nested up on the hill with perfect views of the ruins which are magically lit up at night! Sadly, the restaurant was not open until much later. Typical of us to want to eat at "dinner time" instead of Sicilian dinner time. The concierge spoke perfect English and went out of his way to try and find a restaurant that was open. He had no such luck. The next time I am in Agrigento I will be sure to stop off and stay the night to experience breakfast on a terrace with magical views of the coast and the ruins! And hopefully dinner too!

Amazing setting looking out at Temple of Concordia the aubergine starter was fantastic the tuna tartare average. The pasta with pistachio pesto was Devine For main we had rolled pig which was great and veal in a potato and tomato sauce. And a delicious White Wine from near Etna.

WOW.... Villa Athena is the vision we had in our minds as we dreamed of our trip to Sicily, truly amazing. May of 2011 my wife and I flew into Sicily from Rome. We were fortunate enough to use a friends home in the town of Capaci for the first few days. Then it was time to rent the Fiat 500 and get the island of Sicily in our lungs, under our feet and in our souls. By the time we got to Villa Athena we had stayed at about 3 or 4-different hotels, at all different prices. We were getting tired and by this point needed a good Hotel. We passed by the Villa to head towards the Beach hoping to find something close to the water. (note: we stayed on the Island of Sicily for 17-days and did not have one Hotel reservation, walk up only, got to love off season... We decide to head back towards V. Athena, turn into the driveway I think orchards are lining both sides of the drive, always a good sign. We pull up to a beautiful remodeled villa, getting better... I head inside to see a true BELL MAN greeting me. Light and airy open lobby, more than just a lobby. Yes, the manager speaks great English, I can't remember her name but she lived in New York for some time. We finally get to our suite or room, felt like a suite to me about 500 sq feet. The room was well done, spotless, huge shower and bathroom , now were talking. As we come out of the bathroom the manager is opening the doors to our 100 square foot private Balcony... We walk on to the Balcony and.... silence, I cant hear anything, or is it Angles in my head, you know the sound, we hear it in movies all the time, aaahhhHHHhhhHHH.... The Valley of Temples.... only about 2/300 yards out side of room. Sweet Jesus, the view is amazing. It almost seems fake, I was looking left & right off the balcony thinking I was going to see the Wynn or Cesar's Palace, nope were not in Vegas.... The Temples are so well preserved you would think they were just built, but no, they were built when the Greeks ruled Sicily! We get settled into the room, I head down the road to grab some vino and a little food. We sit out on our patio, the swimming pool and the orchard's is all that separates the Villa & the Temples. We have dinner on the outdoor patio w/ several hotel guest. We had a vodka martini that night and of course the food & Vino was spectacular. When we got back to our room I called my parents & grandparents. We wanted them to share the moment with us, it was a perfect way to end such a memorable day. We enjoyed ourselves so much, We stayed a second night. They had to move us to a room down stairs, just as nice but, our view of the Temples was slightly obstructed, by a cactus an old olive tree, oh darn... I AM, A PROUD 3rd Generation Sicilian/American. Our trip to Sicily was like finding a brother that you knew was alive, you heard about your whole life, and THEN, you finally meet for the first time. The whole trip was truly a beautiful life fulfilling experience! Can't wait to go back!!!

We very much enjoyed the Villa Athena during our stay in July 2016. We came to Sicily to site-see after a week of business in Rome. Villa Athena was a perfect place to stay during our visit to the Valle dei Templi. Thought the food and wine were terrific - (would be 2-3 times the price for the same quality in NYC or San Francisco). The service was professional, attentive and elegant. The salt crusted whole branzino was the best I've ever had. Our room was spacious and beautifully appointed. The drive between Palermo and Agrigento was not difficult once you get out of Palermo. Once in Agrigento we didn't drive - it was easy to get a taxi to go into the village.

Don't come here expecting peace and quiet. The management doesn't tell guests but they basically book weddings every weekend until midnight - and they're loud. So if you want to get a good night's sleep, DON'T STAY HERE. Plus they don't care when you complain and would like your money back. Their attitude is, "That's not my problem." Spread the word and don't give them your money - especially when it is 500 euros a night. Highway robbery!

Food excellent. View and setting excellent. Service excellent. But, surprise! €60 cover charge PER PERSON almost doubled the tab. Really? ADDENDUM: Was an overnite guest of hotel when above events occurred. I protested the huge "coperto" at restaurant and they reduced it from €60 per person to €6 per person. This begs the question of an honest mistake versus other. I'd recommend the place but be sure to scrutinize the bill

Beautiful hotel! Great service, delicious food. Wonderful setting, walking distance to ancient temples. One our most treasured stops in Sicily!

This is my idea of luxury: not too many rooms therefore intimate enough for a very private stay in an amazing room, wonderful service and amenities, the location and the view are just unique, so much beauty and history around... just overwhelming !

My wife and I booked "as we went" through Sicily .. . and scored big here. The location and the view of the Temple(s) are simply spectacular. The rooms are spotless and well-appointed. The pool well-kept and restaurants excellent (we had all three meals for two days) though on the expensive end. Above all, the friendly service cemented the place as one of our new favorites.