We stayed for 7 nights at the Captain's House. It had an impeccable view, and we were very glad to have a quiet time in Taormina. The beds were comfortable, and we hardly used the A/C. There's a fan in the outside closet if you want to supplement the breeze. Do be aware of electricity usage; if you're using the stove and the A/C or the washer at the same time, the fuses can blow, so we suggest just one thing at a time. The stairs down to the center take about 15-20 minutes if you're active, and provided good exercise for us, because other than going downtown, we just lazed about watching Etna and the clouds and water. To get out, you can walk to the Madonna della Rocca (5 minutes) or walk up to Castelmola (more like 20-30 minutes), etc. We took a day trip to Savoca (30 min away) and also a trip to Etna (1.5 hours away). Pro-tip: hit up the supermarket (there's a LIDL in Fiumefreddo) for what you need before you come, because getting out of the city in a car is a pain. The twisty windy roads on Google Maps will make you think the directions are broken, but it really just does take that long to get out of the city. Avoid the ZTL zone in downtown - it's not worth driving inside Taormina.