San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel

From the moment we entered this stunning hotel, we fell in love with its incredible beauty and elegance. The top notch staff were beyond any others we have encountered. Their warmth, kindness and attentiveness were unsurpassed. Special thanks to the loveliest young woman, Dunia, who worked at reception and Olga of the concierge desk. We must also thank Sophia, the world’s greatest bartender…each cocktail was a true work of art! We have never been to a hotel that was better maintained. Even the gym was serviced by full-time staff that would immediately clean the equipment as you finished. They were constantly wiping the floors and replenishing water and snacks. The hotel is gorgeous and spotless. We had two blips during our stay (a poorly orchestrated tour of a town in Sicily and bad service at the resort’s hotel our last night). Neither lessened our enthusiasm for recommending this Four Seasons, in part because of the staff’s heartfelt apologies for those two problems.

The place is lovely. Beautiful. And of course it’s where they filmed The White Lotus so it’s VERY popular. We had a reservation for dinner at the bar - they couldn’t find it though they had called me earlier that afternoon to confirm. Kindly and acting somewhat confused they allowed us in and suggested we wait (we could only assume for our seats to come available) and first have a cocktail outdoors in the lovely terrace area. Beautiful. Budding orange trees. Beautiful people. Fancy. We waited and waited and waited. No waiter ever approached us again. 15 minutes later I asked a waiter running around if we could please go to our reservation at the bar and he said “of course!” We walked in and the bar was fairly empty (!!) so we took two seats. (The White Lotus people must have really dressed it up because it looks nothing like the bar in the show though the obligatory piano is near by.) The tilt of the bar seats threw you a bit forward (uncomfortable) and we wondered if they didn’t want people staying long. Anyway - in about 5 more minutes the harried bartender looked up and apologized, and said she’d be with us soon. In another 5 minutes she finally took our order and prepared our drinks. She really was way too busy - it was hard to watch. Eventually a manager (we guessed jumped in to help. They never really looked at us again so after finishing our drinks we gave up on dinner and requested the check - which took an extraordinary amount of time for them to produce. We paid the 47 E for two common cocktails and left. Went down the street and back to our favorite restaurant the Ristorante Taomina Pizzeria and had a delicious meal for 2 including a glass of wine for 48E. Unless you really, really want to see the location of The White Lotus filming - we suggest you avoid The Four Seasons in Taomina. I doubt they could care less!

The best hotel in Taormina by far. A newly refurbished large property overlooking the bay with facilities, grounds, and amenities that will blow you away. Everything was a 10+. Especially the service in every department.

Wonderful hotel. Fabulous staff. Great food and wine. Unbeatable service. The hotel made a lovely tranquil retreat from the hustle and bustle of the town. Recommended.

Perfection. The kindest, most thoughtful staff, including gifts and special notes for our family, a setting that is beyond majestic, rich with gardens and history, with a volcano in the background and an ocean below, beautiful rooms with incredible views. Just charming and wonderful and it made our trip with our three small children just simply incredible.

In April 2024, we were part of a group which spent six nights at the Four Seasons Taormina. While the property is spectacular and meticulously maintained, what I remember most is the amazing staff. From the front desk and restaurants, to the bell service and housekeeping, I will remember the smiling faces and excellent service provided by everyone at the Four Seasons Taormina. Thank you, for making our trip to Mt. Etna so enjoyable.

No review is sufficient to adequately capture the splendor of this hotel. It is perfect in every possible way. Nestled overlooking the sea, the location and property itself could not be more ideal. The rooms are modern but the common spaces stay true to the history of the building which is a converted monastery. What separates this hotel from the pack and even other Four Seasons is the service. Lorenzo, Gabrielle, Anna, Carmen and all the others that played a special role in our vacation, we thank you for making everything so memorable.