Villa Sant'Andrea, A Belmond Hotel, Taormina Mare

Great hotel right on the water in a cove. Property has a beach and pool. Staff is ultra helpful and friendly. The staff alone make it worth staying here. They have a free shuttle to town with easy walk to cable cars. I would highly recommend. The food is good both at the bar and main restaurant. Breakfast is also very good. The facility was very clean and definitely worth the value.

This hotel is beautiful. The staff was very friendly and extremely helpful and engaging. Four star food choices. The breakfast was extensive with lots of choices.

I recently stayed at Villa Sant’Andrea for one night with my wife and one-year old before moving to the nearby Four Seasons San Domenico Palace for the rest of our stay in Taormina. We initially planned to only stay at the Four Seasons, but we had to be re-accommodated at Villa Sant’Andrea for one night due to a reservation issue at the Four Seasons. We were ultimately glad we had a chance to experience this property, as the beachfront location was beautiful, and it gave us our only beach day on this trip. Additionally, the kind, attentive staff were a standout of part of the experience, and made us all feel so genuinely welcome. However, a very dated guest room and frustrating service encounter related to check-in keep me from giving this hotel a perfect rating. That said, if the rooms are renovated, I’d absolutely return, since this hotel was a Sicilian beachfront paradise. Trip Planning/Pre-Arrival: Our reservation was made with a travel agent in Belmond’s Bellini Club, which enabled us to get free perks. For no extra cost, our reservation included a room upgrade based on availability (which we did not receive), a one-time $90 resort credit, breakfast each morning (which is already included for everyone at this hotel anyway), and priority late checkout. We had a little bit of additional contact with the concierge team before our stay, mostly to book an airport transfer, make a dinner reservation at the hotel, and to note special occasions we were celebrating (our anniversary and our daughter’s first birthday). We also noted that we were traveling with a baby and would appreciate any baby amenities they have. All of this communication received prompt responses, which were always helpful and professional. Arrival: Our flight arrived in Catania around 9:30 am, and we had a very easy time finding the hotel’s driver right outside of baggage claim, who was very friendly and engaging. He was so proud of Sicily and offered a lot of insight about the island on the ride of just under one hour from the airport to the hotel. Upon pulling up to the hotel, we were greeted right away and taken into the lobby to a seated area to enjoy some lemon granita while we checked in. I liked the thoughtful, locally-focused welcome treat. The lobby has clearly been renovated, and has a chic, beachy feel, while still feeling cozy. This whole property has an intimate feel, with only 70 rooms. It was originally built as a private family villa, so despite expansion over time, it retains the feeling of staying in a well-appointed summer home. The beautiful geraniums and petunias throughout the property contribute to the beauty. The staff at check-in were kind and helpful, giving us a tour of the property and taking us down to the beach so we could get changed in changing rooms there and start our beach day. Since it was 10:45 am when we checked in, our room was not yet ready, which was not surprising. However, they were aware of our arrival time in advance and we had

we spent three wonderful days. Relaxing and exploring Taormina. We booked an Etan wine tour and a complementary boat tour through the concierge. Both tours were fantastic. Was nice to get back to sit on the beach and by the pool. the service was impeccable and the hotel was beautiful. We had a wonderful dinner at ristorante St Andrea and the breakfast there is terrific as well.

Absolutely elite experience, and worth the extra cost to be on the beach. Everything captured our ideal Sicilian experience. The staff and food were exceptional and professional. There is a lot to be said for staying at a hotel managed by a corporate luxury group. Despite the number of guests we felt that the quality of attention and management lived up to expectations. This is the best luxury hotel in Sicily, no doubt. We found the four seasons to be too overrun with white lotus hype, in the end Belmond really delivered!

This hotel and the staff exceed any reviews, photos or write ups you will see on the internet. This place simply blew us away in all aspects. It was unforgettable.