david55

4 adults. 2 in their 80's. We have some lovely rooms at Villa Schuler for a 4 night stay in May. Recently a friend suggested we may want to look at Villa Sant' Andrea. A bit more expensive but doable. Any thoughts to one over the other..... considering the age of the guests and the hotel locations? ( not really looking for any other Taormina hotel suggestions.) This is our first trip to Sicily. Thanks.

KLouis

Villa Schuler is "up there" at the edge of the town, thus great views, while Sant' Andrea is on the beach: a much briefer walk if you prefer swimming in the sea, but the water may be too cold for you in May. As for the price, "bit more expensive" is a clear understatement. If it were me, I'd go for the Schuler.

david55

Thanks.... appreciate the feedback. And you are right.... what I thought was the rate for all 3 junior suites in the correspondence from the Andrea ( 11K) .... I looked again and I realized it was for just one room. 33K vs. 4K and some change at the Schuler...... I don't know what I was thinking.

Kacee

Also much more convenient to Taormina itself.

mreynolds767

You likely already made your decision as I realize I am late replying but just adding if you want to visit Taormina you want somewhere in town NOT on the beach so Villa Schuler 100%.
On the other hand you want a luxury beach resort hotel and plan on mostly relaxation, some beach time and occasional trips into the town than the Sant' Andrea is more fitting with that.

Really 2 completely different properties. The town is way up on a cliff top so feels quite far and different than the beachfront area.
If one wants the Belmond luxury and is ok with the price point ; I would recommend Belmond's other hotel in the town Grand Hotel Timeo. Out of my budget but in my opinion the very best location in Taormina.

JMN57

Chiming in here. It's not cheap but the San Domenico is a great property. Wonderful views overlooking the sea from a height. Just outside the south arch of the centro so easy to drive to (if you are driving). A converted 14th century convent. In the winter, sitting at the large fireplace with a cocktail is a joy. As a point of reference, it was the hotel in season 2 of White Lotus. We stayed there 10 years ago and I fear that if we ever go back to Taormina, my wife will insist that we stay there again.

mreynolds767

I have no doubt it is an incredible hotel but have you seen the in season rates since White Lotus has come out? If you have not stayed in 10 years you may be in for quite the shock!
As someone who has not stayed at either the Belmond Timeo seems a similar property and equal or better location at half the cost as there is not the White Lotus premium BUT both are very expensive even for 5 star hotels with base rooms at either in the 4 figures per night.

JMN57

That's why I said "I fear that if we ever go back to Taormina, my wife will insist that we stay there again"

Ironically, we've stayed at both the White Lotus hotels. We stayed at the Four Seasons in Maui in the 90's for the President's Club (sales) for a company I was running. And 10 years ago, we spent 4 days at the San Domenico when we spent 2 weeks touring Sicily. Frankly, I'm too cheap to pay rack rate for a top tier hotel. In Maui, it was a corporate expense (I didn't pick the hotel, my SVP of Sales did) and in Taormina I think we were staying on points (it was a Starwood property then if I recall correctly).

KLouis

Four years ago we stayed, as guests of very dear friends, in one of the top hotels in Crete. Our "room" was a two-story hotel with two bedrooms, and a private swimming pool. Oyr big question was which of the pools to use, ours or that of our friends' "room". The most overwhelming thing about our stay was the price shown on one of the doors: ~2500 €/night (incl. breakfast). Mind you, the bill for my friend was Zero, as he was "paying" with points that he had collected over the years. It was nice, I'm not denying it, but would I ever pay for that experience? No!

Kacee

Have you priced 5*s in popular European destinations lately? San Domenico Palace pricing is not out of line given the quality of the property and service and the sky-high demand following White Lotus. We stayed there last March and it is a truly remarkable hotel and overall experience.

mreynolds767

Was there in late August 2023 which I think is prime time and the San Domenico was over $2500 a night
Belmond was half that

i suspect pre White Lotus they were priced the same

Kacee

They were not. FS commands a premium.

bw68

Building on the discussion above, I'd love to get your opinion on San Domenico vs. Grand Hotel Timeo. We are planning a 2-night trip there in early October. Would love to stay in town and have nice views overlooking the beaches and cliff towns. San Domenico is indeed a bit more pricey than Grand Hotel Timeo (premium at ~$400), but would be willing to pay for the updated rooms and potentially better views/F&B. Also booking with Virtuoso, so any intel on willingness to upgrade also welcome!

Kacee

We did not stay at the Belmond, but the FS was absolutely amazing - the grounds are stunning and the service impeccable. We booked through a FS preferred partner advisor who has a relationship with the property and would highly recommend doing same, as they assigned us personal concierge for our stay. The FS upgrade policy is one room type, which may or may not be meaningful depending on what you book. We booked a Sea View JS and were upgraded to the Sea View JS with plunge pool, which was nice enough, but actually a slightly less desirable location on the property, as they are located immediately over the road and you can occasionally hear loud vehicles passing.

I think the locations are a wash - the FS is at one end of the commercial district, the Belmond is at the other end and a bit farther away, but immediately adjacent to the amphitheatre.

obscure2k

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