Taormina’s ancient Greek theatre sits right next to The Belmond Grand Hotel. There’s a sense of the theatrical at the hotel too, with sumptuous rooms and staggering views around every corner, with the dramatic coastline and Mount Etna always within vision. Paintings and antiques feature in all the rooms, which have vast bathrooms and private terraces or balconies for soaking up the Sicilian sun.
The pool is surrounded by gardens almost as elegant as the hotel itself. A shuttle bus is on hand for visits to the Belmond’s sister hotel on the beach for lounging beside the sea instead. Back at Timeo, there’s a sauna and steam bath, and a hairdresser’s parlour for glamming up for the evenings. The Literary Terrace is the perfect place to have a cocktail as the sun sets, and the main restaurant serves up fabulous views as well as fine Sicilian specials.