Belmond Villa Sant'Andrea

The experience on offer at Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea is pretty exceptional for Taormina -- it is the lone truly luxurious hotel in the area on the beach. (Sant’Andrea’s sister hotel, Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo, certainly compares -- in fact, surpasses -- but it’s up on the hill and not right on the water. VOI Grand Hotel Mazzaro Sea Palace and VOI Grand Hotel Atlantis Bay are on the beach and quite upscale, but neither are at Sant'Andrea's level in terms of luxury.) Sant’Andrea was originally built in 1919 as the summer home for Robert Trewhella, the English engineer who built many railroads around Sicily and Italy, including the route around Mount Etna, and, on the mainland, the railway connecting Florence and Bologna through the Apennine mountain range. Trewhella’s son converted to hotel into a glamorous hotel for jet-setters in the 1950s. Decades later, the property still retains the feel of an exclusive private residence, with smoked mirrors in the bar, a grand piano, and an original fireplace with an incredible wood mantel. The Belmond Group brought Sant’Andrea and its sister property, Timeo, in 2010 and, in 2014, added a new wing that fits in seamlessly with the original property. 

The whole pretty package is framed by the stunning Bay of Mazzaro and lush gardens filled with herbs and vegetables (including cayenne peppers and chard), wisteria, lemon trees, bright red geraniums, and old stone walls. The hotel’s sheltered location on the Ionian Sea, dignified architecture and history, manicured grounds, and refined atmosphere make it the obvious choice for luxury travelers who want to be on the water and can handle the high prices. (A single Negroni costs as much as a full meal elsewhere -- and that's saying a lot in pricey Taormina.) Perhaps surprisingly, Sant’Andrea is welcoming of families with small children. It attracts clientele from the U.S., the U.K., Russia, and the Middle East; the average length of stay is four or five nights -- a good while, considering that average room rates are well in the quadruple digits. (Belmond Group was bought by Louis Vuitton in 2018, if that's any indication of the type of traveler this property attracts.) Note that the hotel is seasonal, closing between the end of October through early April. Prospective travelers to this part of Sicily should know that the majority of area hotels and restaurants close after Christmas until beginning of March.

Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea is on the Bay of Mazzaro, a calm lapis bay in the Ionian Sea below the historic town of Taormina. It’s less than a five-minute walk from the hotel to the funicular up to Taormina town (the hotel offers shuttles to the town center, also) and about an eight-minute walk to stunning Isola Bella, though be aware that walking along the curvy Via Nazionale requires lots of caution. Getting between the hotel and  Catania Fontanarossa Airport should take about 45 minutes without any traffic.

In line with Sant’Andrea’s upscale atmosphere and facilities, the 71 guest rooms and suites are some of the most plush and well-decorated in Sicily, with fine furnishings, original art, antique mirrors, and fresh orchids. Distinctly Sicilian touches include ceramic pine cones, the Sicilian symbol for fertility, made in the famous ceramics town of Caltagirone in the island’s interior. 

Categories begin with Classic Double Rooms, which overlook the hotel’s lush garden or courtyard. For bay views, upgrade to a Superior Double Room, with either a picture window or French balcony facing the water. Deluxe Double Rooms have ensure views of Mazzaro with their private balconies or terraces. Junior Suites add sitting areas, Nespresso machines, and La Via del Te teas from Florence (English breakfast, jasmine, mint), plus separate rainfall showers and bathtubs in some of the Deluxe Junior Suites. Executive Junior Suites are the top room category. Connecting suites are available.

All rooms have flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, air-conditioning, beach bags with flip-flops, and minibars with butter cookies, fruit candies, chips, and liquors. Marble bathrooms feature a full array of Sicilian Ortigia bath products (bar soap, lotion, shampoo, shower gel); certain suites have copper tubs with Sicilian or mosaic tiled walls. Rooms are cleaned twice a day by housekeeping. Wi-Fi is free in the rooms.

As expected, Sant’Andrea has a fabulous lineup of hotel amenities. Its indoor/outdoor restaurant Oliviero has waterfront seating and serves all meals daily, including a free breakfast. (Guests can also commute up to Timeo via the free shuttle to try breakfast there.) Oliviero serves an upscale lunch and dinner menu with items like pan-fried lemony scallops, spaghetti with local clams, and Mediterranean fish couscous. There is also a tasting menu with seafood salad, Sicilian “Nebrodi” black pig ham, goat cheese ravioli, tuna with Sicilian red wine jam, and almond-crusted rack of lamb. The hotel’s outdoor bar with a bay-facing terrace serves drinks like Etna reds and Negronis and lunch options like pizza, seafood, and gelato. As in the restaurant, prices are quite high, though drinks do come with potato chips, olives, and snack mix. Round-the-clock room service is also available.

The hotel’s private beach has sun loungers with food and drink service and, for a fee, luxury four-person cabanas with minibars, waiter service, and a shaded veranda. Water sports like paddleboards and kayaks come at a fee, and, during the summer, the hotel offers a free boat tour three times a day -- the hour-and-a-half trip goes to the Blue Grotto, Isola Bella, and nearby bays. If the ocean water is cold, then Sant’Andrea’s heated pool, complete with its own bar serving gelato and drinks, is an appealing alternative. The wellness has open-air rooms for massages and other treatments, all using beauty products made locally from Sicilian ingredients, such as kumquat, orange, and lava stone. There is no sauna, but guests can use the one at Timeo, and Sant’Andrea has a steam bath and fitness center with Technogym equipment. For little guests, the hotel runs a supervised kids’ club with activities like cannoli-making and outdoor exploration. 

Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea is available for weddings for up to 200 guests, as well as professional conferences. The hotel offers a free shuttle bus to Timeo, the sister hotel in Taormina center right next to the ancient Greek theater. Guests have access to the amenities at Timeo, including the breakfast. Wi-Fi is free throughout Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea.