We appreciated the compliments and would like to describe TAORMINA FOR WHEELCHAIR guests.
Yes, you are absolutely right: Taormina is not very suitable for wheelchairs.
People with disabilities have the right to accessibility, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, transportation, information and communications technologies and systems, and other facilities and services.
TAORMINA is a town nestled on the slopes of a 220 mt high hilly cliff area overlooking the sea and consists basically of one circular road for vehicles turning around its medieval city centre (where we are located) and only of one pedestrian Main Street, the “Corso Umberto” cutting the circle diametrically in its middle.
Most of the rest are small pictoresque side-strees linked by charming staircases, most of them paved with beautiful brik and pebble stone mosaics. Renowned Taormina is beautiful to visit but not that much for wheelchair guests because the town itself, generally speaking, lacks somehow of facilities for disabled people.
OUR HOTEL introduced many facilities on the premisses of our historic hotel providing wheelchaIri acces through a ramp leading directly from street level to our wheelchair accessibile Lift/Elevator having audio announcement and leading to the lobby and to the 4 floors. The 120 year old building has two floors out of three having two, the other three stairs to compensate the level between the two main parts build 1092 and 1935. To overcome this two little steps we provide both personal 24/7 help or also a mini ramp placed on request.
Our guest rooms are accessible in wheelchair width, doors open inwardly, electrical sockets are accessibile,telephones reachable from the beds, all main light switches reachable from the bed, accessible mini fridges and accessible individually temperature control system.
We also have two guest rooms with bathrooms specifically designed both for disabled guests as well as for able-bodied guests, and that are functional and aesthetically pleasing, providing all the prescribed accessibility features as large door width, sliding doors, roll-in shower with comfortable shower seat, accessibile toilet and accessibile hand basin hights, grab rails, washing basin with tilting mirror and emergency alarm button cords both next to the toilet and to the shower seat.
One small problem, unfortunately, remains not resolvable: our seafront Palm Terrace is not accessibile by lift, that is technically impossibile due to distances and available spaces. The 13 steps from our lobby area remain. We compensate that small disadvantage offering wheelchair guests to have their à la carte breakfast served either on our panoramic Rooftop Lounge&Terrace or also directly in their room.
Some of our PARTNER RESTAURANTS can be reached by wheelchair without using stairs and they also provide all features prescribed for wheelchair guests. The flat 150 meters road to reach them has unfortunately no real sidewalk.
We also have a PARTNER BEACH CLUB providing a shuttle service from and back to our hotel as well as beach facilities for disabled and older guests.
Besides this accessibility feaures provided by our hotel and by some of our partners, the fact remains that outside of the hotel, wheelchair guests will encounter many difficulties, barriers and limits.
Due to its morphology but also due to the lack of some prescribed features, Taormina remains, generally speaking, a beautiful town with a limited, insufficient accessibility for disabled guests.
Christine and Gerhard Schuler, owners and manager
Hotel Villa Schuler, Taormina
link to Hotel website at the top centre of this TripAdvisor page