Eurostars Monte Tauro

Eurostars Monte Tauro is a cliffside Taormina hotel dating back to the early 70s, when it was opened by Italian actor Nino Manfredi and his wife Erminia. The hotel’s modernist cement architecture defines the era of its 1971 opening. In 2017, the hotel came under the Eurostars umbrella. The Spanish hotel group made improvements throughout the property, including repainting the facade; updating curtains, awnings, and furniture in the common areas; and improving the infinity pool.

The hotel is located down a short side road off of one of the main road’s of Taormina; there is a private villa to the south of the hotel and Taormina’s stunning public gardens to the north, so the immediate area feels quiet and remote, though it is minutes from the heart of town. Guests enter the lobby on 8th floor, where there is a sky deck and a glass elevator leading to the the rest of hotel (seven floors) below. Thanks to the hillside design, every guest room has a private balcony with views of the Ionian Sea, as do the infinity pool deck and glass-walled breakfast room.

Eurostars Monte Tauro sits on Via Madonna della Grazie, a short side road below Via Roma. The hotel is built into the rocks of the steep hill Taormina sits upon, so it commands fabulous views of the sloping land and the Ionian Sea. The hotel is minutes from Taormina's charming center and sights: from Eurostars, it is a six-minute walk to Corso Umberto (the town’s “main drag”) and to the Teatro Odeon (Roman Odeon) and an eight-minute walk up the Teatro Antico di Taormina (Greek Theater). Best of all, the hotel is directly next to (and a two-minute walk from) Giardini della Villa Comunale, Taormina’s beautiful clifftop public gardens. The drive between the hotel and Catania Fontanarossa Airport takes about an hour.

Rooms at the Eurostars Monte Tauro are special for two big reasons: unlike most area hotels, where only half of the rooms face the sea, all of Eurostars’ 100 rooms overlook the ocean. On top of that, all feature a private balcony. A neutral color scheme of beige and chocolate brown is found throughout, with dark hardwood floors, lighter wood furnishings, and light tan bedding. All rooms feature minibars, flat-screen TVs, free Nescafé and Dilmah tea (there are Nespresso machines in the Junior Suites), Hierbas de Ibiza toiletries, and closets with safes. Upgrading to suites gets you a double-width balcony, a living area with a sofa and work desk, a walk-in closet with cubbies for storage, and extra toiletries. A pillow menu is available and Wi-Fi is free in the rooms.

While room-only rates are available, most guests opt for the bed and breakfast package. These rates include access to Eurostars’ impressive breakfast buffet, which features the usual array of cheesy scrambled eggs, bacon, and frankfurters, plus more thoughtful additions like green and black olives, pickled tomatoes, sliced Sicilian cheeses, ricotta and mozzarella, and pastries like almond cakes and torts. There is a gluten-free section plus a huge variety of fresh fruit and juices. Room service is available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and, in the summer, light lunch and snacks like pizza, hamburgers, pasta, salads, sandwiches, and gelato are served at the seasonal pool bar. The infinity pool itself, like the rest of the hotel, offers incredible views of the sparkling sea below. 

There are no other wellness facilities, though the hotel does partners with nearby spa that will send technicians for massages. There is a large conference room that can accommodate up to 30 people classoom-style, or up to 70 people theater-style. Be aware that there is no on-site parking, but the hotel does partners with a nearby deck at a steep discount. Adaptors and plugs are available at the front desk (24 hours) if guests’ electronics are not compatible. Babysitting, laundry, and dry-cleaning services can all be arranged. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.