Top Italian Hotels & Resorts 2024

p a l a c e This is a building that stands on ancient foundations that welcome guests after a short flight of steps that rises from the crowded Corso Umberto I. Leaving behind the glamor of the street par excellence of the small town, in a few meters guests thus reach a new dimension of privacy and calm. Once across the threshold of this new all-suite boutique hotel, a secluded and discreet luxury envelops them. After the quick check-in, the ascent to the floors with the panoramic glass lift offers a taste of that view that will characterize their entire stay. From the suites as well as from the panoramic terrace on the top floor, in fact, thanks to the elevated position, the view sweeps over the town and loses itself in the infinity of the Ionian Sea. The architecture and some elements of the décor are inspired by the Catalan Gothic, created from the fusion of the French monastic style with the Arab one which spread to the Iberian peninsula with the arrival of the latter. However, the arabesque references are combined with the Sicilian tradition and its grand hotels and noble residences of the early twentieth century, hence guests will find rattan furnishings and a large orangery with palm trees and other essences in the center, witnesses to the great variety of Sicilian flora. It is in the airy space of the orangery that the Monsù restaurant is housed, so named in homage to the celebrated chefs of the kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Next to it, opening onto the orangery, we find the bar, characterized by walls covered with wallpaper with tropical gardens where tall palm trees stand out and interact well with the real ones in the center of the restaurant. The menu was designed by executive chef Giuseppe Privitera that has transformed the restaurant into a new gourmet destination. A fine dining that celebrates Sicilian tradition, based on the excellence of the raw materials. The service deserves a separate comment: attentive, discreet, flawless. The dining room staff go even beyond the experience gained in luxury hotels, helping to make this boutique hotel a top-class destination. At the top-floor terrace, we find the Blue Sky Bar. This panoramic space atop a tower floats between the azure sky, the sea of Taormina Bay, and the spectacle of Mount Etna. An ideal destination for “view-enhanced” aperitifs, it aspires to soon become the quintessential meeting point in the center of Taormina. Palazzo Vecchio Taormina 262