Hotel Metropole Taormina Maison d'Hotes

After nearly four decades of sitting derelict in the heart of town, the family-owned Hotel Metropole Taormina Maison d’Hotes opened in 2010 as a luxuriously renovated boutique hotel. (During renovations, columns dating back to the ancient Greek era were discovered.) The hotel attracts an international clientele -- mostly well-off couples and middle-aged travelers -- hailing from Europe, Asia, and Australia. Actors and directors often stay here during the Taormina Film Festival. Past guests admire the hotel for its sensational views of the bay, central location in the heart of Taormina, and the staff’s attention to detail. Note that the hotel closes in the off season, usually from January through March.

Hotel Metropole Taormina Maison d’Hotes sits right on Corso Umberto, the main pedestrian thoroughfare of Taormina. It’s immediately next to Piazza IX Aprile, a large, lively cantilevered plaza and big attraction in Taormina for its uninterrupted panoramic views. Both the Church of Saint Augustine and the Church of San Giuseppe face the square. The hotel is within easy walking distance of everything historic Taormina has to offer, including the Duomo (four minutes by foot), Villa Communale (eight minutes), and the Greek Theater (nine minutes). The trip between the hotel and the airport should take a little under an hour.

Metropole’s 25 rooms and suites are upscale and beautifully designed, with top-of-the-line furnishings from Italian houses such as Minotti and Poltrona Frau. As the hotel is built into the hillside, the majority of its rooms face the sparkling Ionian Sea, with private balconies furnished with tables and chairs, and views of the sparkling Ionian. The Intimate Spa room has a large terrace with a hot tub, and the bi-level Deluxe Junior Suites are especially popular for their sleek, sexy design. Two Design Suites (also two-story) feature round beds and chromotherapy in the bathrooms. The singular Metropole Room has more traditional furniture, an ethanol fireplace, and a large bathroom with a separate rainfall shower and freestanding tub overlooking the Clock Tower of Taormina, the gateway separating medieval Taormina from its ancient Greek and Roman side. All rooms have minibars, flat-screen TVs, and stylish, modern bathrooms with fantastic showers (some rooms also have tubs) and upscale Acqua di Parma toiletries. Wi-Fi is free in the rooms at the Metropole.

Metropole Hotel’s main feature is its gorgeous terrace restaurant, which serves free breakfast (made-to-order dishes, plus pastries, cakes, cereal, yogurt, cheese, fruit, and Prosecco) and a la carte Mediterranean cuisine for lunch and dinner. In the summer months, live jazz music plays on weekend nights, further enhancing the already romantic atmosphere. Twenty-four-hour room service is available. Below the restaurant is another terrace with similarly hypnotic views and a small infinity pool. On this level is a romantic spa with a hammam and an indoor massage pool, which is set between two ancient stone columns discovered during renovations and dating back to the Greek era. The hotel also offers free shuttle service down to the beach. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.