Hotel San Domenico Palace Taormina

On a beautiful sunny morning in May this year I had the pleasure of being invited to breakfast at the Hotel San Domenico Palace in Taormina.

I was super excited as it is one of my favourite hotels in Taormina. 

My first experience of visiting was a beautiful Sicilian wedding on Christmas Eve four years ago. The wedding was beautiful. The hotel boasted a wonderful festive atmosphere with Christmas poinsettias everywhere and we stood in front of an open fire in a grand fireplace sipping prosecco and nibbling on yummy Sicilian canapes whilst the beautiful bride and groom had their wedding photos taken in the hotel complex before enjoying a delicious wedding feast.

The complex of the Hotel San Domenico is an important part of Taormina’s history, culture and tourism. The hotel occupies a commanding position on the edge of the old Jewish ghetto of Taormina, close to Porta Catania and is easy to find from Piazza Duomo. It has breath taking views and is set in magnificent natural surroundings. Visible from its beautifully kept gardens and hotel rooms are Mount Etna, the bay of Naxos and the sparkling Ionian Sea.

The San Domenico is a top class luxury hotel which has preserved some elements of the original monastic furnishings and decorations and was, until 1866 still a large religious complex.

San Domenico was built in the second half of the 14th century on the wishes of a local nobleman, Girolamo de Luna.

Later the Prince of Cerami, who had taken up religious orders, left all his property and possessions to the monastery. In his will he stated that everything was to be returned to his family if they had a use that was not religious. In 1866 a law revoked the agreement with the Holy See, the religious orders were abolished and their possessions expropriated. The complex and it’s the buildings were then returned to the Cerami family, who decided to convert it into a prestigious hotel residence.

Of the old group of buildings the original monastery has survived, including the splendid cloister of the 16th century. Of the original church only the bell tower has survived, the rest having being destroyed during bombing in the Second World War.

The cloisters now serves as an alfresco bar with soft piano music, sharp dressed waiters and flickering votive candles.

The beautiful gardens, situated at the back of the hotel are stunning for the variety of plants and flowers they contain. In the flowering season it becomes one of the most stunning landscapes in the Mediterranean with a glistening swimming pool set within.

The gardens and interior still preserve signs of the hotels great guests of the past. 

Each of these guests signed the infamous “Libro d’ Oro”, the golden guest book of the hotel. Countless writers, artists, composers, actors, royal families, head of states and movie stars have stayed at the San Domenico Palace.

The hotel is also included in Taormina Cult, a cultural trail of 21 places in Taormina where the muses found their home.

The designers Dolce and Gabbana chose the hotel for several of their advertising campaigns with images being shot in the cloisters and on the hotels terrace. The cloisters also became a stage upon which they presented their Alta Moda collection in 2012. 

It has also played host to many glittering parties for the Taormina film festival.


The hotel boasts three outstanding restaurants with spectacular views serving fine Sicilian cuisine, Les Bougainvillees, Il Giardino dei Limoni and Prinicipe Cerami which has been awarded two Michelin stars.

Breakfast is a feast and is served in the hotels main mirrored hall, there is every kind of pastry, fresh fruits and more than you can ever imagine all to be enjoyed on the hotels magnificent terrace. The breakfast is absolutely scrumptious.

If you love history this hotel is for you. The hotel is perfect for romantic holidays, honeymoons and a spectacular venue for luxury weddings.

A big thank you to Renee Strauss at Wedaways Destination Weddings and Simona at Tripping Sicily for their kind invitation to breakfast. A delightful morning in wonderful company.

Links:
www.san-domenico-palace.com
www.wedaways.com
www.trippingsicily.com

If you enjoyed this post search my Blog archive for my posts;
"Taormina Cult ... 21 places where the muses found their home" August 2015
"Taormina ... The Story and 18 Historical Places you must see" November 2015

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