The Definitive Guide to the Best Luxury Hotels in Taormina, Sicily

Let me be direct: San Domenico Palace is one of the most extraordinary hotels in Europe, and the Four Seasons management has only deepened what was already a remarkable property. When you walk through the arched entrance into the cloister of this former Dominican convent — fragrant with citrus and jasmine, framing a slice of the Ionian Sea — you understand immediately why this place lodges itself permanently in the memory. The hotel was awarded Three Michelin Keys in 2024, the highest possible accolade for hospitality, and it earns every one of them. The clifftop infinity pool, positioned to frame both the ancient Greek Theatre and the sea below, is the single most photogenic spot in Taormina. The Botanica Spa uses Sicilian botanicals and volcanic minerals. The Principe Cerami restaurant holds a Michelin star. This is a property built for people who want everything, and it largely delivers.

The Grand Hotel Timeo opened in 1873 — making it the first hotel ever built in Taormina — and the story it tells has only become richer in the century and a half since. Belmond, who manage the property, have resisted the temptation to over-modernise. The result is something genuinely rare: a luxury hotel that feels as though it belongs to its surroundings rather than being imposed on them. The lush tiered gardens, fragrant with magnolias and bougainvillea, open onto what may be the finest panoramic terrace in Sicily. The Michelin-starred Otto Geleng restaurant — named after the 19th-century German painter who helped put Taormina on the Grand Tour map — is one of the island’s most celebrated dining rooms. The heated panoramic pool, the Dior-powered spa housed in elegantly dressed treehouses, and the complimentary shuttle to Villa Sant’Andrea’s private beach make this a nearly complete proposition.

Mazzarò Sea Palace solves a problem that the hilltop hotels cannot: it puts you directly on the water. The hotel sits on the shores of Mazzarò Bay, one of the most beautiful small beaches in Italy — a crescent of pebble and crystal-clear water framed by towering cliffs. Every one of the hotel’s 68 rooms includes a private balcony with a sea view. The 2025 renovation was carefully done: new wardrobes, state-of-the-art coffee stations, and immaculate marble bathrooms, all designed to keep the focus on the extraordinary view rather than compete with it. The fine dining restaurant BLUM — where tables are suspended over the water — is one of the most theatrical dining experiences in Sicily. Franco and Giovanni, the poolside attendants mentioned by name in review after review, are the kind of staff that make a hotel feel genuinely special rather than transactionally excellent.

Villa Sant’Andrea is something genuinely rare in luxury travel: a five-star hotel that manages to feel like a private home. Originally built in 1919, the villa sits directly on the Bay of Mazzarò, surrounded by subtropical gardens, with direct private beach access. The rooms — decorated with Baroque artwork, marble staircases, and Ortigia room scents — feel like they belong to a stylish Sicilian family rather than a global hotel brand. The “Brizza” dining experience, where you eat with your feet almost in the water’s edge, is one of the most memorable meals you can have in Sicily. The evening sunset boat trips to the Grotta Azzurra are genuinely special. Belmond maintains the shuttle link to Grand Hotel Timeo for guests who want access to town, which means Villa Sant’Andrea offers the best of both worlds.

La Plage Resort earns its place in this guide not through grand historical credentials but through what it actually delivers to guests: exceptional service, an unbeatable position on a private beach within the Isola Bella Nature Reserve, and a genuinely surprising restaurant that — in many guest accounts — outperforms the town’s Michelin-starred establishments for atmosphere and freshness of ingredient. The bungalows with private garden hot tubs represent genuinely good value by the standards of Taormina’s beachfront market. Being eco-certified and family-run at its core gives La Plage a warmth that some of the larger brands struggle to replicate. The cable car is a one-minute walk away, which makes the balance between beach life and Taormina old town more seamless than at almost any competitor.

Grand Hotel Atlantis Bay occupies the same VRetreats portfolio as Mazzarò Sea Palace, sitting on an exclusive stretch of the Baia delle Sirene directly on the Ionian Sea. What distinguishes it is the rare combination of both indoor and outdoor pools alongside direct private beach access — making it the most weather-independent luxury option in Taormina. The hotel’s position, with the cable car to Taormina just a short walk away, gives guests the same dual access that the bay properties offer. The setting is genuinely spectacular: the sea-facing rooms look directly onto the kind of turquoise water that sends social media feeds viral. The dining room La Baia, positioned to maximise views, serves solid Sicilian cuisine. For guests who prioritise water access and swimming flexibility over brand prestige, this is a compelling proposition.

The Ashbee Hotel operates on a different logic to every other luxury hotel in Taormina. With only 24 rooms, it is less a hotel than a private villa that accepts paying guests — and the distinction matters enormously in practice. The property was designed by and named after Charles Robert Ashbee, the British architect and prime mover of the Arts and Crafts movement, and commissioned in 1908 by Colonel Shaw-Hellier. The result is a house of real architectural character: white-washed walls made brilliant by Mediterranean sun, antique furniture alongside contemporary pieces, private terraces looking down towards the Straits of Messina. The pool commands one of the most dramatic views of any hotel in Taormina. The star is St. George Restaurant by Heinz Beck — a Michelin-recognised dining room that is, alongside San Domenico’s Principe Cerami, the finest in town.

The NH Collection Taormina — formerly Hotel Imperiale — is the most centrally located hotel in this entire guide, steps from Corso Umberto I and with views directly over the ancient Greek Theatre and the Bay of Naxos. You walk out of the lobby and you are already there. The rooftop infinity pool is one of the most photographed spots in Taormina — the panorama from that terrace takes in the coastline, Etna, and the theatre ruins simultaneously. Rooms are consistently praised for their size (larger than average for the area) and modern design. The staff — Sarah, Giovanni, Cecilia, and Giuseppe — are named individually in review after review for exceptional service, the kind of detail that most five-stars can only aspire to. For travellers who want Taormina’s culture, dining and nightlife on the doorstep at a price significantly below the Belmond and Four Seasons properties, this is the most intelligent booking in the guide.

UNA Hotels Capotaormina occupies a position that is unlike anything else on this list: it is built directly into the cliff face below Taormina, perched above the Giardini Naxos Bay with every room featuring a balcony looking towards Isola Bella and the Calabrian mainland. The property is a four-star rather than five, and that distinction matters for expectations — some rooms carry their age visibly and the décor in places reflects a 1970s resort aesthetic. But the setting is inarguably spectacular, and the hotel has done clever things with it. The saltwater swimming pool, carved from the cliff edge, is one of the most dramatic hotel pools in Sicily. The private beach is accessible via an elevator cut directly into the rock — a piece of engineering guests consistently find memorable. A free shuttle runs regularly to Taormina town centre. For families or larger groups who want the full beach-and-pool resort experience at a price well below the Belmond and Four Seasons properties, Capotaormina makes a compelling case.