Dolce by Wyndham Siracusa I Monasteri Golf & Spa is one of only a handful of Sicilian hotels with an 18-hole course at the door: a former Benedictine monastery and country estate set in orange and lemon groves on the edge of Syracuse, with 102 rooms, a spa and a par 71 layout threaded through citrus and prickly pear. It reopened under Wyndham’s Dolce brand in June 2025, after years as I Monasteri Golf Resort and later Borgo di Luce I Monasteri. My one-line verdict: a characterful, good-value base for golf and Ortigia, but 2026 has been a year of works and uncertainty, so read the small print below before you book a golf week.
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Quick facts: Dolce by Wyndham Siracusa I Monasteri Golf & Spa
- Location: Traversa Monasteri di Sotto, in the citrus countryside on the inland edge of Syracuse, south-east Sicily.
- Rooms and suites: 102 in total: 83 rooms, 14 junior suites and 5 suites.
- Price level: upper mid-range for Sicily, well below the island’s top luxury resorts. Breakfast is usually included, half board is often an add-on.
- Season: the hotel publishes no winter closure. The golf course and the spa were closed for renovation, with the hotel announcing reopening in November 2026. Ask the hotel what is open on your dates.
- Nearest airport: Catania Fontanarossa, about 70 km. The hotel quotes 40 minutes; allow 50 to 60 minutes in normal traffic.
- Best for: golfers and couples who want a quiet country base within easy reach of Ortigia, Noto and the beaches south of Syracuse.
Check prices and availability
Rates here are often far lower than at Sicily’s big-name resorts. Compare dates, and check whether golf and spa access is included before you commit.
What changed in 2026: read this first
Three things matter if you are planning a stay now.
- Golf and spa works: the hotel’s own website states that both the golf course and the Spa Monasteri are closed for renovation until November 2026. Tour operators selling the hotel in 2026 carried the same notice for the course. The hotel itself, its restaurant and the outdoor pool have stayed open. If your trip falls in late 2026 or early 2027, confirm in writing that the course and spa have actually reopened before you book around them.
- Ownership: the property went to a court auction on 1 April 2026 and was awarded at the minimum price of about €16.9 million. Local press reported, without official confirmation, that the hospitality group OYO was the sole bidder. We could not confirm whether the sale completed or whether the Wyndham arrangement will continue long term. For now it is still sold and run as a Dolce by Wyndham hotel.
- A turbulent recent past: the previous operation, branded Borgo di Luce I Monasteri, closed at the end of October 2024 for financial reasons. Some booking sites still show the old names and older reviews, so read recent reviews only.
None of this makes the hotel a bad choice, but it is not yet a settled resort in the way Verdura is, and timing matters.
Location and getting there
The resort sits in flat, fertile farmland south-west of Syracuse, towards Floridia, surrounded by its own citrus plantation with the Iblei hills on the horizon. The hotel says Syracuse is 10 minutes away; reaching Ortigia and finding parking realistically takes 15 to 25 minutes.
Catania Fontanarossa is the airport you want, around 70 km to the north. The hotel quotes 40 minutes, which is optimistic; plan on 50 to 60 minutes outside rush hour. Comiso is an alternative at roughly 110 km. The hotel arranges private transfers and has car hire desks at Catania, and our guide to Catania airport transfers compares the options. You will want a car here.
Rooms and suites
The 102 rooms are spread through the restored monastery buildings and the former noble residence, many opening onto courtyards, gardens or the course. The hotel describes three main categories:
- Deluxe Room: the hotel lists 40 m², with an independent entrance and a veranda facing the garden or the golf course. Ask which building you are in.
- Junior Suite: 55 to 80 m², with a sitting corner and sofa bed, sleeping up to three.
- Suite: 70 to 90 m², with a separate sitting area, the most space for families or longer stays.
Rooms are classic rather than designer, with air conditioning, Wi-Fi and satellite TV. Guests praise the historic setting and call some furnishings dated: expect character over polish. Guests with reduced mobility should check access carefully, as at least one tour operator lists the hotel as unsuitable; ask the hotel about step-free rooms.
Dining
The main restaurant is Le Ceramiche, serving breakfast, lunch and an à la carte dinner of Sicilian, Italian and international dishes, with a terrace for warm evenings. When the hotel relaunched in June 2025, Wyndham announced Sicilian chef Mirko Previtera at the helm, with a CV that includes stints at The Fat Duck in England and Les Prés d’Eugénie in France. We could not confirm that he still leads the kitchen in late 2026, so ask the hotel.
- Le Ceramiche: the signature restaurant, indoors and on the terrace.
- Pool Restaurant: casual open-air lunches in summer.
- Garden Lounge Lobby Bar: coffee by day and cocktails in the evening.
- Pool Bar and Golf Club Bar: drinks and snacks between swims and rounds.
- Sala delle Ninfee: the ballroom overlooking the 9th hole, used for weddings and private dinners.
On Michelin: Le Ceramiche does not hold a star in the 2026 guide. The province’s two one-star restaurants are Cortile Spirito Santo in Ortigia and Crocifisso in Noto, both within easy driving distance. Book one of them for a special night, and treat the hotel’s own kitchen as reliable regional cooking rather than a destination in itself.
Check rates at Dolce Siracusa I Monasteri
Spa and pools
The Spa Monasteri has a sauna, a Turkish bath, a hydromassage tub, an indoor pool and treatment rooms. Spa access has been sold as a paid time slot. As above, the hotel states that the spa is closed for renovation until November 2026, so do not count on it for a 2026 stay.
The outdoor pool, with a whirlpool and a children’s area, is the summer focus, surrounded by loungers and the pool bar. One tour operator lists it as closing on 30 September, which makes sense for an unheated outdoor pool, but ask the hotel for current dates. A gym is open daily. For the sea, the hotel runs a paid shuttle to Fontane Bianche, a white-sand beach about 15 minutes away.
Sport and activities
Golf is the reason this hotel appears in our guide to golf hotels in Sicily, and on paper it is a good one.
The golf course
The 18-hole, par 71 course was designed by the Italian architects David and Vincenzo Mezzacane and spreads over around 90 hectares of working orange and lemon groves. The ground is largely flat, so the challenge comes from narrow fairways lined with citrus trees, prickly pear and several water hazards: the par 3 9th and the par 4 18th share a pond in front of the clubhouse, and the closing hole finishes beneath the monastery walls. There is a driving range and putting green, plus cart, trolley and club hire. The hotel says the course is managed by the international operator Global Golf.
Two honest caveats. Course condition was a frequent complaint in guest reviews before the 2025 relaunch, which is part of why the renovation is welcome. And with the course closed for works until November 2026, its new condition is something we have not yet been able to verify. Green fees and hotel guest rates are not published, so ask the hotel when you book.
Other golf nearby
We know of no other 18-hole course near Syracuse. The nearest well-known alternative is Il Picciolo on the northern slopes of Etna, a long drive away; read our Il Picciolo Etna Golf Resort review if you want to combine the two on an east Sicily trip.
Everything else
Quiet lanes through the groves suit walks and bike rides, but no tennis or padel is listed.
What’s nearby
- Ortigia: the island old town, with its cathedral built into a Greek temple and its market. If you would rather sleep in town, see our guide to where to stay in Ortigia and Syracuse and our Ortea Palace review.
- Neapolis Archaeological Park: the Greek theatre and the Ear of Dionysius, about 15 km from the hotel.
- Beaches: Fontane Bianche (hotel shuttle), the Plemmirio marine reserve around 30 minutes away, and the nature reserve beaches near Avola.
- Noto and the Baroque towns: Noto is roughly half an hour south, with Modica and Ragusa further on.
I Monasteri vs other Sicilian golf hotels
| Hotel | Location | Standout | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dolce Siracusa I Monasteri | Outskirts of Syracuse, south-east | 18 holes in citrus groves, historic monastery buildings | Relaxed golf plus Ortigia and Noto |
| Verdura Resort | Sciacca, south-west coast | 45 holes, private beach, large spa | A full luxury golf week by the sea |
| Il Picciolo Etna Golf Resort | Castiglione di Sicilia, Etna | 18 holes on the volcano’s slopes, wine country around | Golf plus Etna wineries |
| Ortea Palace Hotel | On Ortigia, Syracuse | Polished city hotel with spa and rooftop dining | City life first, golf as a day trip |
In short: Verdura is in a different league for golf and luxury, Il Picciolo has the more dramatic course, and I Monasteri wins on price and on proximity to Syracuse and the Baroque south-east, provided the course is open when you go.
Who it suits, and who it does not
It suits:
- Golfers who want to walk from their room to the first tee in the south-east of the island, once the course has reopened.
- Couples who like historic buildings and rural quiet, and are happy to drive into Syracuse for dinner.
- Travellers looking for good value compared with Sicily’s top luxury resorts.
It does not suit:
- Anyone travelling before the works are confirmed complete who needs the course or the spa.
- Travellers expecting five-star polish and service on the level of Verdura or Villa Igiea.
- Beach lovers who want to walk to the sea.
Charlotte’s tip: get the reopening in writing
Before booking a golf stay, email the front desk: is the course open on your dates, is the spa open, and do hotel guests get green fee rates? Keep the reply. Then split the trip: mornings on the course, afternoons at Fontane Bianche or Plemmirio, and at least one evening walking Ortigia at sunset.
Practical tips
- Star rating: our research turned up contradictory information. Wyndham’s opening announcement and several tour operators describe the hotel as four-star, while the hotel’s own news page and some booking platforms show five stars. It was not clear to us which applies, so judge it by recent reviews rather than the stars.
- Children: again, sources conflict. The hotel lists a children’s pool area and rooms for two adults and a child, while one Wyndham booking notice described the property as adults only. Confirm with the hotel before booking with kids.
- Best rooms to request: a Deluxe Room with golf course view and veranda, or a Junior Suite if you want space.
- Season: spring and autumn are ideal for golf and sightseeing; July and August are very hot inland. The outdoor pool is seasonal.
- Pets: the hotel accepts small pets up to 25 kg for a fee, though one tour operator says no pets on its packages. Check your booking channel.
Check prices and availability
Compare Deluxe Rooms and suites, check whether breakfast or half board is included, and confirm golf and spa availability for your dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the golf course at I Monasteri open?
The hotel announced that the course would stay closed for renovation until November 2026. Confirm directly with the hotel that it has reopened before you book a golf stay.
How far is I Monasteri from Catania airport?
About 70 km. The hotel quotes 40 minutes; in practice allow 50 to 60 minutes by car. Private transfers can be arranged.
Does the hotel have a Michelin-starred restaurant?
No. Le Ceramiche is not starred in the 2026 guide. The nearest starred tables are Cortile Spirito Santo in Ortigia and Crocifisso in Noto.
Is I Monasteri the same as Borgo di Luce I Monasteri?
Yes. It is the same property, relaunched in June 2025 as Dolce by Wyndham Siracusa I Monasteri Golf & Spa after the previous operation closed in October 2024.
