Grand Hotel San Pietro ★★★★★

Taormina is a romantic town of warm terracotta walls, vertiginous streets, and vibrant markets, where guests are enveloped by the scent of lemon trees, olive groves, and nearby vineyards producing celebrated wines. With so much to please each of the senses, it’s no wonder that this holiday destination is not only a relaxing place of refuge for travellers, but also a great source of inspiration for artists, writers and musicians. Indeed, Goethe described it as a little patch of Paradise, and D.H. Lawrence settled here in the early 1920s.

Grand Hotel San Pietro *****, dating back to the beginning of the 20th century, is a masterpiece of an establishment and a work of art itself. Not only does it maintain a close relationship with its natural environment, it also endeavours to deepen that connection. The rooms are both surrounded by Sicilian flora and reflections of it, with natural wood textures and shades of olive green and peachy blush tones throughout. The outside spaces, including a terrace, pool, and garden, provide breathtaking panoramic views over Mount Etna, Isola Bella, Naxos Bay, and the Ionian Sea.

Meanwhile, the hotel’s alfresco restaurant combines these seaside vistas with the perfume of the olive groves and the taste of fresh local ingredients. But, for the ultimate experience, enjoy an intimate dinner at La Rotunda Sul Mare, an exclusive circular terrace perched above the sea that’s sure to inspire memories for a lifetime.