Grand Hotel San Pietro

Set on the hill leading up to Taormina, this seven-story hotel was originally built as a private villa in the 1930s. In the mid-aughts, it opened as Grand Hotel San Pietro, a luxury hotel that attracts couples (including honeymooners), businesspeople, and some families looking for a quiet resort near the town's historic center. The lobby is furnished with overstuffed sofas and chairs and heavy wooden furniture. The lack of background music is telling about the type of hotel this is -- quiet and classy -- the only sounds are the occasional talking of guests or Rimowa suitcases gliding over the marble floors. The hotel likely doesn't bother with much lobby ambience because why compete with what's outside, where the balconies and terraces provide incredible views the Ionian Sea and Isola Bella below. Shaded by cypress trees and landscaped with Mediterranean flowers and cacti, the main terrace features restaurant seating, on its lower level, a large swimming pool and a pool bar with snacks and cocktails. The sea-facing terrace off the lobby features tables made from Etna stone and painted with lemons and pomegranates. When guests aren't on in town or on excursions (Mount Etna is the most popular, as are trips to Syracuse and Agrigento), they're usually found here, dipping in the pool or drinking up the views (and an Aperol Spritz). The hotel remains mostly full throughout high season, with European, American, and Asian guests staying for at least four days. The hotel is part of the Relais & Chateaux hotel collection. 

Grand Hotel San Pietro sits off of Via Luigi Pirandello, the road full of switchbacks leading up to Taormina's historic center. The hotel's mountainside position affords commanding views of the Ionian Sea and Isola Bella. It is within walking distance of many of Taormina's sights: from the hotel, it is an eight-minute walk to Villa Comunale Di Taormina (the beautiful public gardens), a 13-minute walk to the Teatro Odeon (Roman Odeon), a 15-minute walk up to the Teatro Antico di Taormina (Greek Theater), and almost a 20-minute walk to the Duomo di Taormina. Getting to Corso Umberto, the "main drag" of Taormina town, takes 12 minutes on foot from the hotel. The drive between the hotel and Catania Fontanarossa Airport takes about an hour.

Grand Hotel San Pietro's 63 nonsmoking rooms come in five categories: Executive (20 rooms), Deluxe (30), Junior Suite (8), Garden Suite (4), and Regal Suite (1). Certain amenities appear in all room types: minibars, satellite flat-screen TVs, safes, bathrobes/slippers, and A/C (activated by the key card, as is the rest of the electricity). All rooms have marble bathrooms with shower/tub combos, Etro toiletries, hairdryers, and heated towel racks. Rooms also share classical decor; expect to see parquet hardwood floors, brocaded bedspreads, traditional wood furnishings, and an earthy marigold color scheme.

Executive rooms are located on the back side of the hotel; these lack balconies and sea views, and overlook the road leading up to Taormina. The Deluxe category (and all others) comes with a spacious furnished balcony (between 100 and 130 square feet) and straight-on views of the sea. Junior and Garden Suites add living rooms and even larger balconies, plus space for an extra bed. The top-floor Regal Suite is the largest on offer: it is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite with panoramic views.

Wheelchair-accessible rooms are available, and cots are free to add to the rooms. In-room Wi-Fi is free.

For a 63-room hotel, Grand Hotel San Pietro has an impressive number of features. The best of which, for most guests, is its large, landscaped terrace with restaurant seating, a large pool, and a pool bar for snacks and cocktails, all with views of the sparkling sea below. The pool and pool bar are on the lowest level of the terrace, closest to the sea. The hotel's restaurant, Il Ristorante Giardino degli Ulivi, serves a breakfast buffet each morning (free for all guests), which can be taken to the terrace. The restaurant's a la carte lunch and dinner is served on the terrace during the summertime. Room service is also available 24 hours a day. In addition to the pool bar, there is an indoor lounge bar open every evening, where guests can order a glass of wine or an Aperol Spritz and take it to the terrace. 

The hotel has a small spa for massages, manicures, pedicures, and other beauty treatments. Along with two treatment rooms, the spa has a sauna, Turkish bath, and hot tub. There is also a small, free fitness room with cardio equipment, strength-training gear, and free weights. Accessing the hotel's private beach area comes at an extra charge, but that charge includes loungers, parasols, and towels.

The hotel's reception desk is open 24 hours a day. Guests can book excursions to Isola Bella, Mount Etna, and other destinations across Sicily. There is a wood-paneled library off of the lobby for reading and relaxing, and two meeting rooms for conferences, private meals, or other functions. Both rooms can accommodate up to 20 people U-shape or up to 40 people theater-style.

There is a free, unattended parking lot directly next to the hotel with 50 spaces. Wi-Fi is free throughout Grand Hotel San Pietro.