Best Hotels Sicily [2024] Guide

Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean, is a fascinating destination rich in history and natural beauty. It is no surprise that a lot of movies and tv shows (like white lotus) have been filmed on the island considering how breathtaking every corner of Sicily is.

With a complex tapestry of civilizations that include ancient Greek temples, Roman ruins, and Norman castles, each one tells a tale about the island's diverse history.

Its dramatic coastline is studded with lovely beaches, while rocky mountains and fertile valleys provide a breathtaking backdrop for exploring. Sicilian cuisine is a gourmet treat that includes fresh fish, savoury pastas, and sweet cannolis. From the bustling streets of Palermo to the lovely towns of Taormina, the island is rich in experiences for all types of visitors.

Best Hotels in Sicily

Villa Igiea

A little village on the outskirts of Palermo, noted for its fresh winds and healing springs, surrounding the villa when it was erected by Sicilian business magnate Ignazio Florio and his socialite wife, Franca. All of that has changed, and the hotel now stands in a run-down suburb above a tiny harbour.

The village of Arenella, ten minutes' walk away, has an audacious charm all its own, but you come to this hotel to enjoy the opulence within. There is a free shuttle bus service to the centre on a regular basis for people who wish to explore Palermo.

Ernesto Basile, a fin-de-siècle architect, created the Villa, which is an Art Nouveau fantasy with a model of brilliant elegance inside and a castle-like outside with turrets, towers, and crenellations. While Art Nouveau forms and themes are highlighted in the all-white corridors without taking centre stage, fabrics, plants, and other items in the restaurant—which opens directly onto a magnificent terrace overlooking the sea—maintain an indoor-outdoor feeling.

The gardens offer a breathtaking sight, with tamarisk, bananas, hibiscus, pines, and palms. Sleek pathways surrounded by fragrant plumbago, box, and jasmine hedges are ideal for elegant strolls following dinner, and colonial-style rattan loungers invite lazy days, or far niente as the Italians say.

Ernesto Basile, a fin-de-siècle architect, created the Villa, which is an Art Nouveau fantasy with a model of brilliant elegance inside and a castle-like outside with turrets, towers, and crenellations.

While Art Nouveau forms and themes are highlighted in the all-white corridors without taking centre stage, fabrics, plants, and other items in the restaurant—which opens directly onto a magnificent terrace overlooking the sea—maintain an indoor-outdoor feeling.

The gardens offer a breathtaking sight, with tamarisk, bananas, hibiscus, pines, and palms. Sleek pathways surrounded by fragrant plumbago, box, and jasmine hedges are ideal for elegant strolls following dinner, and colonial-style rattan loungers invite lazy days, or far niente as the Italians say.

The staff is almost perfect; they are considerate, observant, amiable, sympathetic, and have a talent for making everyone feel comfortable. The majority are locals who have a strong affinity for Palermo and the hotel, and the concierge desk is incredibly knowledgeable.

The Irene Forte spa offers restorative treatments that combine hot and cold volcanic rocks with organic skincare products derived from fruit, almonds, olives, and pistacchios from Sicily. Together with tennis courts and a private dock, there's a kidney-shaped pool. The hotel offers a tempting menu of day tours and adventures that may be reserved on any of its various boats.

With 72 rooms and 28 suites ranging from cosy Classics to opulent Forte Suites, Villa Igiea is a listed property. There are eleven distinct categories of rooms, each with a different size, perspective, and balcony or patio availability.

Every apartment in a structure like this has a distinct atmosphere, whether it's the vast sophistication of the Donna Franca suite, the easygoing vibe of a ground-floor suite with a private terrace, or the romance of a room in the tower. Bespoke services such as packing, unpacking, and ironing are included in a lot of suites, along with excellent wines and airport transportation upon arrival.

Together with the Igiea Terrazza bar (which boasts an excellent, sophisticated and distinctive drink menu), there are two dining options: the Florio and the more laid-back Alietta beside the pool. Breakfast is served at the Florio and consists of a delicious, constantly restocked buffet with a wide variety of savoury and sweet dishes, including several regional delicacies.

Hot food is prepared to order; my omelette with ricotta, mint, and courgettes was perfect. Both eateries place a strong emphasis on using excellent main ingredients in simple recipes. One such dish is the grouper, which is served raw and is unforgettable. It is accompanied by tiny pops of candied orange and chopped sun-dried tomatoes, capers, olives, and pistacchios.

Belmond Villa Sant'Andrea

The hotel is located on a gorgeous pale sand beach dominated by a rugged promontory, which it shares with a few other hotels. Although it is accessible from a busy coastal road, it is located well below the road and has no traffic noise.

The hotel provides a free hourly shuttle to its sister hotel, the Timeo, in Taormina, making Sant'Andrea an excellent alternative for anyone looking to combine beach time with sightseeing, shopping, and dining in town.

Mount Etna, the magnificent Alcantara gorge, the towns of Savoca and Forza d'Agro, where The Godfather was filmed, and Siracusa, with its islanded mediaeval core, are all nearby and easily accessible by day trip.

Sant'Andrea exudes old-fashioned class and style while without feeling stuffy or out of date. Despite its size (71 rooms), the hotel offers an intimate and personal vibe, reminiscent of an English country house by the Sicilian sea.

The hotel's core is the original 1919 villa, with opulent - but never ostentatious - marble floors and staircases, while Baroque paintings and family heirlooms scattered throughout the light airy lounge, reception hall and bar serve as conversation starters rather than recreating a stately home atmosphere.

Ortigia's glorious but faint scents of amber, citrus blossom, and prickly pear along the corridors complete the experience.

From the head waiter and sommelier to the beach sweepers, gardeners, and chambermaids, every member of staff was alert, efficient, kind, and inviting; there is a sense that the crew is proud of their property. Restaurant workers accurately identified which visitors wanted to converse and which preferred formality.

There is a small heated outdoor swimming pool with loungers and bar service, as well as bar service on the neatly groomed beach. A little playground for children is nestled among the grounds.

There is a spa on-site, complete with sauna, Turkish bath, and treatment rooms, and guests can also use the larger spa facilities of the Grand Hotel Timeo.

All guests receive a complimentary boat excursion, and fantastic literary tours of Taormina may be arranged on a traditional three-wheeler Piaggio Ape.
Imagine classic Italian elegance in subtle neutral tones. The majority of rooms have balconies or terraces that overlook the bay, while a few enjoy views of the subtropical gardens.

The most recent additions are three lovely Junior suites, each softly fragrant with Ortigia's room scents: Neroli (bitter orange), Zagara (orange blossom), and Gelsomino (jasmine).

Krups coffee machines, Alessi kettles, and loose tea caddies offer sophistication. Beautiful bathrooms including Sicilian ceramics, brass fittings, and copper baths.

In fine weather, dinner and breakfast are served on a terrace facing the beach; on cooler days, the dining room lacks character.

Breakfast is a substantial and well produced buffet, as well as a tantalising selection of à la carte alternatives. The food for lunch and supper is Sicilian with some deft and innovative tweaks and a well-assured layering of tastes; try the melted goat cheese with roast artichoke, wild fennel, and a sauce of blended fava beans and peas.

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The views of Noto's Duomo and San Carlo's elaborate cupola are spectacular, yet despite the hotel's location on the busy main Corso, double-glazing eliminates street noise. All of the town's attractions, shops, pubs, and restaurants are within easy walking distance, and there is free parking on the plaza outside.

The ruins of Noto Antica (with a magnificent trek down the canyon of Cava Carasello), the Roman villa of Tellaro (with a pair of splendid mosaics of wild animals), and the beaches and salt-lagoons of the Vendicari natural reserve are all less than 30 minutes distant by car. Siracusa, Ragusa, Modica, and Scicli are a little further away but still fairly accessible for day vacations.

An beautiful apartment designed to be aesthetically pleasing, with 'shared spaces' that feel like rooms in a private home, including the elegant reception lounge. The walls are a deep Pompeiian red, a tribute to the Romans' favoured wall colour as well as the traditional grey, cream, and oxblood encaustic tiles retrieved from the Aeolian islands and installed throughout the hotel.

The salone, which opens onto a terrace overlooking the Duomo, is the hotel's heart, with slate-blue velvet drapes lined with tangerine silk (very Michelangelo), linen-upholstered sofas, a Venetian glass chandelier, a beautifully lit cabinet of glassware, and, on the walls, a series of 19th-century nudes, as well as prints and casts of Classical sculpture.

Coffee tables are scattered with art books, all of which are related to the inspiration for the décor and are ideal for perusing while sipping a cocktail.

A few steps above is the breakfast room, which features another patio, an eye-catching collection of cranberry glass, and tabletops adorned with Classical equestrian images. Downstairs, a charming tiny room furnished in a botanical motif overlooks a small courtyard garden with a plunge pool and honesty bar.

Friendly workers behave like hosts rather than employees, exuding joy and excitement, putting everyone at rest. All are informed about the area and can recommend restaurants and day trips, organise cooking lessons and wine tastings, and even reserve a sunbed at one of the lidos, if that's your thing.

There are just nine rooms, each different, ranging from spacious doubles to three huge master suites – all of these have balconies; one has an original Baroque frescoed ceiling.

As the hotel was full when we stayed, we only saw the Master Suite we slept in, which had China blue walls, a black floor, trompe l’oeil medallions, and a freestanding cast of a Classical torso, two balconies, a vast black velvet sofa and armchairs, and two bathrooms, with beautiful wallpaper. Toiletries are by Etro.

Breakfast is beautifully presented in the glass cabinet, with guests helping themselves to small bowls of fresh fruit, an assortment of tarts (crostate) filled with jam, ricotta, chocolate, and pistachio cream, as well as miniature cornetti. Savoury options include tomato salad, gammon and salami, a variety of local cheeses and scrambled egg and bacon.

Throughout the day, tea and coffee are offered, as well as some excellent cocktails and a choice of local liqueurs, including Elorì with bitter orange, wild thyme, and wild asparagus. Although there is no restaurant, Noto does have several excellent dining options. Il Crocifisso, where Marco Baglieri prepares complex and delectable meals influenced by Sicilian cuisine and produce, is not to be missed.

San Domenico Palace

The hotel is centrally placed yet set back from Taormina's lovely tiny streets, where pottery shops compete with concept stores. It is only minutes away from the town's Belvedere viewpoint and the Piazza Duomo, and around 15 minutes' walk from the Greek theatre.

While the façade of the hotel faces the town, stroll inside the historic walls to uncover the lush, bougainvillea-clad gardens that lead down to the cliff's edge and view the sea. An outstanding location.

Although Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts added a healthy dose of 21st-century luxury when they took over San Domenico, redecorating the rooms in the 19th-century wing and adding private plunge pools to some of the terraces, they were careful to preserve the many impressive historical elements, from the statue-filled courtyards to the stone doorway you enter through.

Sip a beverage at the Grand Cloister, Bar & Chiostro and feel the weight of history. Peek into one of the monastery cells, the smallest of the bedrooms, and you can envision the monks' lives, fragrant with the lemon trees and lavender they planted, which are still flourishing today.

The hotel's allure that drew Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, Greta Garbo and Humphrey Bogart, and many other celebrities of their time endures, as does its connection to the screen, most recently as the backdrop for the Netflix series The White Lotus.

Service is always good in a Four Seasons hotel, and it is made even better in warm Sicily by the charming way it is presented. The facilities are outstanding, from the planned activities like as a starlight safari on Mount Etna to the boats that can take you out to explore Taormina from the sea. There is a 21-meter infinity pool, one of the most gorgeous pools anywhere, a Botanica pop-up spa, and a well-equipped gym.

Out of the 111 rooms and suites, the modest bedrooms in the historic wing that used to be the monks' cells provide an unrivalled feeling of place and ambience. A fresco of a saint hangs above each entry, with views of the magnificent gardens. The 19th-century wing, which was added when the building became a hotel, has had all of its rooms totally refurbished.

They come in muted, neutral tones, with high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows that let in the dazzling blue sea. Many have terraces where you may enjoy breakfast with a view, and others have plunge pools inset.

Chef Massimo Mantarri is in charge of Michelin-starred Principe Cerami restaurant. Enjoy risotto with anchovies, fennel, and Bronte pistachios, or braised ox cheek with Sicilian vermouth, mashed potatoes, Etna juniper, and white truffles.

For lunch, head to Anciovi, which overlooks the magnificent bay and serves Sicilian tuna tartare with avocado or linguine with lobster.

Breakfast is served on the terrace and in the main restaurant, with both buffet and à la carte options. Don't miss the classic cassata (ice cream cake), which moves around the dining room on its own trolley.

Monaci delle Terre Nere

It's halfway between Taormina and Catania, high up on Etna's eastern flanks, where ancient bush-trained vines emerge from the black, lava-rich soil on dry stone terraces. It's well located for both beach days and guided walks through the Etna crater zone.

Families with land on Etna's lush slopes would leave Catania in the summer for ochre-washed palmento structures that resembled a wine press and an estate mansion.

Guido Coffa's stunning boutique hotel is based on an old palmento that has been renovated with a keen eye for detail and a respect for traditional materials, with floors made of Etna chestnut or cocciopesto (lime mortar with crushed terracotta). The vibe is daring, barefoot eco-chic, and the looming volcano adds a particular energy.

The service feels very much like the place, and it's kind and genuine, with just the occasional delay in responding to minor difficulties and problems, however the appointment of a dedicated guest services director should alleviate these minor complaints. Since my last visit, the most popular activities have expanded to include regular wine tastings, cooking workshops, and a twice-weekly coastal yacht excursion.

As one of only three Eco-Bio certified hotels in Sicily, it takes its environmental responsibilities seriously - so don't expect single-use bathroom amenities; all goods (chemical-free, of course) are simply replenished when they run low.

This rustic retreat had only six guest suites when it initially opened. There are now 27 rooms and suites dispersed across the main house and a variety of scattered out buildings that fit into the landscape thanks to the careful use of traditional materials and vernacular designs.

I'm still a big fan of the original main-villa suites (such as the dramatic Amabile), which are a great off-season option - this is one of the few Sicilian rural hotels that is open all year.

The farthest villas are a 10-minute walk from the main structure, pool and dining area, however there is a golf cart service. They're chic dens that combine rustic elements (lava stone walls, wooden ceiling beams) with 20th-century furniture design classics and vivid contemporary artworks.

Except for the two entry-level Superior rooms, the bathrooms are spacious and feature thick, plush organic cotton robes and towels, as well as a new line of eco-friendly toiletries from Swiss brand Anyah.

Much of the food served at breakfast or supper at the elegant, artsy in-house restaurant, Locanda Nerello, is grown on the estate, with the remainder carefully obtained from smaller, primarily organic growers. At dinner, the approach is polished but local, with inventive twists on traditional foods.

Owner Coffa is an expert in the burgeoning Etna wine sector, and the estate now boasts its own 15-acre winery, where two in-house sommeliers lead tastings of its own produce and other Sicilian wines. The Convivium Bar, run by brilliant barman Alberto, who creates his own infusions and herbal syrups, is a terrific venue for cocktails, with live jazz music three times a week adding to the energy.

Breakfast, served al fresco when the weather permits, is based as much as possible on the estate's own fruit, honey, eggs, and other produce, while freshly baked breads are produced from Sicilian heirloom wheat.

ADLER Spa Resort SICILIA

The resort is set on a 32-acre (13-hectare) private estate in the breathtaking Torre Salsa nature reserve, overlooking white limestone cliffs and virgin beaches near Siculiana on Sicily's south-west coast. It's a pristine location, undisturbed by urban growth and with no blemish on the horizon.

While it's difficult to leave the resort (many visitors don't), the famed Valley of the Temples in Agrigento and the surrounding 'garden of pleasures' Kolymbethra are also only a 40-minute drive away. Segesta, an ancient Greek city and acropolis, is about an hour north-west, while Palermo, with its international airport, is less than two hours away.

The resort, with its large grassy lawns situated against a backdrop of white chalk cliffs, could almost be in Dover, though the mild temperature and warm sea waves are more Mediterranean.

Hugo Demetz's super-stylish, contemporary bio-architecture is sensitively integrated into the natural landscape: low-rise structures feature Sicilian cedar wood decorated with motifs from the Valley of the Temples, sundried terracruda clay, and floor-to-ceiling glass that captures the glistening sea view.

Many rooms are sunk into the hillside, and rooftops are covered with green flora to keep them naturally cool and lessen their environmental impact.

Five-star in every way. Daily activities are included in the accommodation price, including wellness and fitness classes, gym and E-bike use, trekking, gastronomic experiences, and a superb kids' club, allowing parents to enjoy all of the facilities. Staff may also arrange for car rental, airport transfers, cultural and literary excursions, horseback riding, boat trips, cooking workshops, wine/cheese tastings, and other local activities.

In terms of amenities, water is the star. The resort is surrounded by a large bay; you can stroll down in five minutes or ride one of the regular electric buggies that transport guests around. One section of the beach is lined with sun loungers and parasols, while the Torre Salsa natural reserve's unspoiled sands stretch beyond it.

Back at base, there are two interconnected indoor-outdoor pools: a 25-metre sports pool and a tranquil Thalasso infinity pool with ocean views.

The resort's heart is its expansive spa, which includes wet, dry, and bio-saunas, a Thalasso whirlpool, sea-view relaxation and workout rooms, and an outdoor Yoga area. The wellness clinic provides a variety of health and beauty treatments inspired by the island's natural resources, including seawater, algae, organic oils, and volcanic ash.

The 90 beautiful Junior and Family suites, which are more like studio apartments than rooms, fan out throughout the resort, ingeniously choreographed so that everyone has a sea view.

Each light-filled apartment features a whole wall of glass, with sliding doors leading to private patios and sea-fringed gardens. The décor makes use of natural materials and hues, such as timber floors and partitions, earthy terracruda walls, and burnt-orange soft furnishings that provide a Sicilian touch.

En-suites are spacious and elegant, with large walk-in rain showers, cutting-edge fixtures, and a plastic-free, environmentally responsible policy.
The main restaurant, Seaview, is a scenographic room surrounded by decorative pools and softly lit with floating lanterns. The buffet breakfast here is a true banquet of great sweet and savoury, hot and cold foods, with live cooking.

The main restaurant, Seaview, is a scenographic room surrounded by decorative pools and softly lit with floating lanterns. The buffet breakfast here is a true meal of delicious sweet and savoury, hot and cold items, with live cooking stations.

The four-course meal (included in the accommodation price) begins with a delicious buffet of antipasti, salads, and Sicilian specialties. Then select from the daily à la carte menu, which includes refined Italian cuisine, often with a Sicilian twist, such as pasta with sardines or 'alla Norma', platters of raw fish, spiced squid, or grilled prawns, slow-stewed wild boar with berries and almonds, live cooking stations, and an abundant buffet of desserts and cheeses.

Many components are sourced from the resort's own biological fruit, vegetable, and herb gardens, as well as bio wines from the Sanoner family's Tuscany farm. For lunch or afternoon snacks, the airy Osteria restaurant serves a vegetarian buffet, fire-grilled fish and meat, pizzas, pasta, and salads.

The Sunset Bar is a nice place to linger over a cocktail, and you can enjoy the calm sea views from the outdoor terrace. In the winter, a wood-burning brazier warms the atmosphere.

La Foresteria Planeta Estate

Don't think about coming without a car. This western region of Sicily was nearly destroyed by an earthquake in 1968, thus the nearest town, Menfi, is modern and operational. Several hill villages have been beautifully rebuilt, including Sambuca, which has an evocative Arabic district, and Santa Margherita Belice, which is home to Tomasi di Lampedusa, the author of The Leopard.

The great Greek temples of Selinunte and Segesta are both easily accessible by day trip, and the picturesque Belice estuary natural reserve is located along the coast. You will awaken to the sound of birdsong and little else.

The hotel is housed in a simple contemporary architecture that rises over tiered terraces planted with scented herbs and lavender. An infinity pool is colourless except for the reflections of the sky.

The open-plan lounge/reception space is inviting and soothing, with contemporary art and textiles expertly intermixed with pottery, plentiful flowers, and family antiques. There are also plenty of books to read and beautiful sights. Everything appears to be meant to make guests feel at ease and comfortable.

The service style is to host rather than serve, which is ideal for the hotel's tiny nature. The majority of the workers are locals who are knowledgeable about the area and eager to discuss their preferred sites.

The pool includes a bar area, which is ideal for evening cocktails; the restaurant extends onto a long terrace; and there is a charming tiny wine tasting room. In the summer, the Casa al Mare, a 1970s beach house nestled on the sands beneath a pine grove, serves lunch and aperitivi. The chef leads cooking classes, and wine tours with samples are provided every day.

The 14 rooms are extremely wide, with French windows that lead onto terraces, terracotta tiled floors, delicate kilims, and classic Sicilian iron beds draped in white, hand-stitched Indian eiderdowns.

All rooms feature kettles and a range of locally harvested herbal teas in miniature kilner jars with tea bags for you to fill. Bathrooms are spacious and comfy, with excellent showers over deep bathtubs, and robes are extremely fluffy.

In good weather, supper and breakfast are served outside; in bad weather, you sit inside at a communal table that is long and wide enough to make conversation with other guests unnecessary. There are various menu options, but the chef will also customise a meal to your preferences and appetite.

Cauliflower with almond béchamel and black olive tapenade laced with candied citrus peel shards, as well as a classic fish and shellfish soup with broken spaghetti, were also delicious. Breakfast is typically Sicilian, with homemade jams, cakes, and bread, seasonal fruit, and local cheeses and hams. Hot foods made to order.

Casa Talía

A beautifully peaceful spot, midway up the banks of one of the valleys occupied by the massive, jumbled Baroque town of Modica. Cars must be parked 100 metres (330 feet) away, although staff can assist with luggage, and twisting tiered pathways connect the hotel to the town centre below.

Modica is a wonderful city to explore, with 100 churches and three cathedrals, much of which remains undisturbed by tourism, but it also serves as a great base for exploring southeast Sicily's Baroque towns and coastline.

Highlights include the numerous chocolatier shops where you may sample and purchase Modica's famed chocolate, as well as classic osterias such as Osteria dei Sapori Perduti.

Casa Talìa, designed by Milan architects, combines a residence and a boutique bed and breakfast, reimagining abandoned hovels dug into Modica's rocky slope. The bed and breakfast celebrates Sicily's varied history by mixing Moroccan and Italian Baroque influences. The proprietors are frequently available and eager to discuss architecture, design, and Modica's fascinating customs and history.

One of the most thought-provoking elements of the hotel is that its stylishness does not detract from its humble beginnings; traditional materials and methods are used in renovations.

The small, internal secret garden features fruit trees that offer the hotel with fresh fruit and nuts all year, which are provided to guests every morning as part of a traditional Italian breakfast. The b&b's elegance and simplicity make it ideal for creatives and other adults seeking a calm, refreshing break in the spirit of'slow living'.

Traditionally, a b&b with only eight rooms has provided limited services, but this summer guests will be able to enjoy a swimming pool, a solarium, and a spa with a massage room (constructed in a former water cistern). Another water cistern has been turned into a white Zen-inspired grotto, ideal for reading or relaxing.

The proprietors' attitude was that, in order to pay homage to the past, each room should occupy exactly the same space as the hovel it replaced, resulting in unique rooms. Consider exposed limestone walls, wattle and daub ceilings, and unconventional spaces with creative solutions.

The rooms are basic without being sparse: some have private terraces, but all offer outdoor space for reading in the sun or drinking an aperitivo in the evening. They have also refurbished numerous tiny houses in the vicinity, which are accessible for self-catering.

Breakfast is served in the small garden in good weather, and on cooler days in a magnificent white, light-filled room with a floor tiled with sparkling stripes of gaily patterned Sicilian encaustic tiles. It contains homemade cakes, local crusty bread, jams, fresh garden fruit, yoghurt, and homemade cereal. There are also plans to open a restaurant serving Sicilian home food later in 2024.

Hotel Gutkowski

The hotel is located at the entrance of the Lungomare Levante, which runs along the island's eastern side. It's a short walk to the bustling morning fruit, vegetable, and fish market, as well as the secret crumbling maze of the Graziella Quarter, with its Mahgreb-style courtyards. Less romantically, there is inexpensive parking in the Talete car park just up the street. Nowhere in Ortigia is more than a 15-minute walk away.

The ideal boutique hotel - completely unique, strongly connected to Ortigia, and painstakingly developed and made by a trio of talented Sicilian residents: Bohemian aristocrat Paola Gutkowski, furniture designer Herbert Weinand, and interior designer Maria Vittoria Sesta.

Everywhere you look, you will find something interesting and unexpected. From Caroline Van Riet's quirky breakfast plates and the traditional Sicilian worker's ladder entwined with fairy lights to mirrors framed with wood salvaged from a shipwreck, a miniature Venetian chandelier, mid-century classic furniture, and Sesta's urban-chic metal wardrobes.

Excellent, dedicated reception. Staff members live locally and are enthusiastic about Ortigia and the Gutkowski. There is a small restaurant, bar and roof patio, as well as a few bikes available for guest use. There is a continual battle between the stucco and the salty sea air, but most guests believe it adds to the beauty.
​Soft heritage greys, whites, slate blues, exposed sandstone, and biscuit-colored terracotta tiles.

Every accommodation is unique and has its own special charm; even the inner-facing rooms and singles are so appealing that returning guests request them. But if you're visiting Ortigia for the first time, the sea-facing rooms have the most impact.

Sitting on your balcony in the late fall sun as the water becomes opalescent, or watching lightning crack above crashing waves from the comfort of your room, are exactly the memories you need to bring home to get you through the long British winter.

Breakfasts include local honey, homemade yoghurt and jams, miniature cornetti, fresh fruit, and Giancarlo, the reception manager, makes cakes whenever he has time. There is a modest restaurant - with tables inside in the winter and on the terrace in the summer - that serves vegetarian dishes influenced by traditional Sicilian country cuisine. The portions are big, but the service can be slow at times. Mount Etna's risotto with garlic, chilli pepper, olive oil, and finger lime is a must-try.

Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo

Taormina may be inundated with tourists during peak season, but there's no doubting how beautiful it is, and the Timeo is just a few minutes' walk from the main drag and right near to the entrance to the famous third-century BC Greek amphitheatre. The vistas down the deformed shoreline to the ever-puffing Etna are some of the most remarkable in Italy.

The Timeo opened in 1873 as a five-room guest house in what is now the hotel's main structure, and was popular with young men 'doing' the Grand Tour, artists, writers and European aristocracy. Oscar Wilde, DH Lawrence (who is claimed to have written Lady Chatterley's Lover here), and Truman Capote have all admired the views from the terraces.

The main part of the hotel has an old-fashioned atmosphere, but tempered by 21st century conveniences and top-notch services. It has lovely old polished parquet flooring, antiques, and paintings. It's far from stuffy, though; the immaculately dressed staff are pleasant, and the atmosphere is relaxed.

Belmond purchased the hotel in 2010, bringing its extremely high service standards with them. From the porter who handles your luggage upon arrival to the front desk personnel, everyone is reassuringly nice and courteous.

The gorgeous gardens feature a Jacuzzi and a heated pool, as well as plenty of terrace space and sitting rooms with large windows from which to enjoy the magical views.

A complimentary shuttle service will whisk you down the hill to the coastal sister hotel, the Belmond Sant'Andrea, where Timeo guests can enjoy a private beach, sun loungers, and other amenities for free. In the summer, there are free boat rides along the shore, or you may join up for a trip to the Silvestro crate on Etna for an aperitivo followed by a cooking class.

The 70-odd rooms and suites are divided between the main hotel structure and the adjoining Villa Flora, which contains the entry-level classics; it's worth paying the more for a room with a view in the older building if available.

The original villa's 40 rooms all enjoy sea and volcanic views, as well as private patios or balconies, and are decorated in a classic, restrained style with antiques, gilded mirrors, beautiful fabrics, and polished parquet flooring. Wonderfully comfy beds are dressed with lovely embroidered linens, and the magnificent marble bathrooms are outfitted with the softest robes, fluffiest towels, and orange-blossom-scented Ortygia products.

Executive chef Roberto Toro's menus are fresh, seasonal, and modern, with dishes like spaghetti with clams on a grouper carpaccio and seared tuna steak with a zesty orange sauce. The flavours are mostly Sicilian, and the bother is kept to a minimum. The patio bar is the perfect place to start the evening with a trademark Etna Spritz (prepared with local orange liqueur).

Breakfast includes volcano views and a sumptuous table of goods such as freshly squeezed juices and granitas, oatmeal, French toast, and even cooked-to-order fillet of steak. There is also a healthy breakfast menu option ('Detox' or 'Energetic'), or you can choose the typical Sicilian brioche.

Conclusion

As you wrap up your tour of Sicily's best hotels, keep in mind that the adventure does not end with check out. These hotel rooms are more than a place to rest they are also doorways to remarkable experiences that will last a lifetime.

Sicily's hotel options range from luxurious resorts overlooking crystal-clear waves to small bed-and-breakfasts tucked away in historic villages, providing a taste of the island's charms.

Chose the right fit for you and embark on a dream holiday in one of the most beautiful islands in the world.