I approached a recent stay at "Raya" with some reticence having read the recent reviews on this forum. I am pleased to say however that we had a thoroughly enjoyable stay and it truly exceeded our expectations. Yes the hotel is a 5 minute walk from the quay side reception however we expected this and if we weren't up the... more

We came to the Raya on the last leg of our honeymoon. We had high expectations, having read about how 'hip' it was. We came from the Timeo in Taormina (Sicily) which was amazing and the contrast between the hotels was unbelievable. As other reviewers have mentioned, you get met by a surly fellow at the port who throws your... more

We stayed at the Hotel Raya in August 2007, we were told that we would be collected at the ferry and taken to the hotel, but the Golf Buggy had already collected someone else so we walked as it is just next to the ferry port. Our greeting from the reception staff was great but we had missed the welcome... more

We stayed here for 4 days in July, this being our second stay, the first in 1998. The concept of the hotel is a chic and bohemian envirnonment set on one of the world's most beautiful and relaxing islands. This is true if you forget the concept of value. The rooms are basic at best which is how they should... more

It just didn't live up to the billing. I'm a coeliac and that tends to cloud my views, but it just didn't live up to its billing. They just didn't understand my gluten allergy which is unusual for Italy, as they have more coeliacs than most. I think its problem is that it is one of those hotels that has... more

We have just returned from 9 days in the Aeolian Islands including three at the Raya. The previous reports are pretty good so I will just concentrate on the key important points: a) the rooms are up a steep hill back from the port, so if you forget your wallet, camera etc it is a long 7 minute walk (there... more

There are no perfect hotels, only certain hotels that are perfect for you. The idiosyncratic sometimes inconsistent Raya was the perfect hotel for us. The magic of our experience there proabably has as much to do with with the magic of the island itself, it's serpentine stone paths, toasted marshmelllow bungalows, and a heart melting view of the island of... more

We spent 3 days in this wonderful hotel. We stayed in one of the more expensive rooms located at the top of the island with fantastic views and a very spacious veranda where we sat and sipped champagne in the afternoons! The island is uniquely located with views across to Stromboli, an active volcano, and the locals (only 100 or... more

We booked the Raya as it was written up in various Hip Hotel books and we looked forward to having our honeymoon there. What a disappointmnet. The rooms were or a poor standard. There were few facilities, the sofa was dirty, there were cracks in the tiles, limited and cheap bathroom products, no pool, no TV, no DVD, no music... more