Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo, Taormina
The Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo is a legendary destination in Taormina, holding the distinction of being the city’s very first hotel. Opened in 1873 by Francesco La Floresta, it began as a five-room guesthouse and quickly became a magnet for European aristocracy, writers, and artists embarking on the Grand Tour. Its history is deeply intertwined with literary giants like D.H. Lawrence, who is said to have penned Lady Chatterley’s Lover while staying there.
The property is famously situated right on the doorstep of the ancient Greek Theatre, a 3rd-century BC landmark. This proximity defines the hotel’s atmosphere, as the dramatic views of the theatre, Mount Etna, and the Ionian Sea have captivated visitors for over 150 years. The interiors are a masterclass in Sicilian Baroque, filled with polished parquet floors, antiques, and gilded mirrors that evoke a sense of timeless, opulent grandeur.
A recent highlight is the redesign of “Villa Timeo,” an exclusive residence within the estate, reimagined by acclaimed interior designer Laura Gonzalez. She blended traditional Sicilian craftsmanship—like hand-decorated maiolica tiles and marble marquetry—with contemporary, warm earth tones, creating a space that feels both historic and fresh.
Beyond the hotel’s walls, you are perfectly placed to explore. You can wander into the charming town center, visit the bustling Corso Umberto, or take a quick shuttle to the hotel’s beachside sister property. Whether sipping a cocktail on the terrace where Truman Capote once sat or exploring nearby Mount Etna, it remains a bucket-list sanctuary.
Expert reviews
“The first hotel in Taormina, Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo still dazzles guests with views and history that have been here for more than a century. The hotel overlooks the terra-cotta rooftops of the medieval village and, beyond that, the coast toward Mount Etna.”
“For nearly 150 years, Grand Hotel Timeo, A Belmond Hotel has reigned from its beautiful perch in Taormina, on Sicily’s eastern coast. As one of the original stops on the Grand Tour and the first hotel in the city, the Timeo infuses history with resplendent style. The result: a Slim Aarons dream for the 21st century.”
“The luxurious Timeo, set in one of Sicily’s prettiest towns, not only offers exceptional services and facilities, but also one of the best views in Italy, straight onto Europe’s largest active volcano. Use of the beach facilities at sister hotel the Sant’Andrea is the icing on the cake.”
What guests liked
- Top location
- Friendly staff
- Swimming pool
- Comfortable beds
- Sea views
- Garden
Location
Recent guest reviews
14 September 2024
The location is to die for. A wonderful place with very attentive and helpful staff, excellent food.
21 August 2024
Nice but definitely not worth the price
Location
Concierge very helpful
Room not cleaned. Pigeon faeces on terrace despite asking several times to remove
Breakfast in room was wrong both mornings
Pool area small and overcrowded
23 April 2024
Very luxurious indulgent 2 night stay
Amazing location.
14 April 2024
Very pleasant and memorable experience with The Grand Timeo Belmond, Taormina.
Super location, beautiful view and tasty food! The staff at hotel are wonderful people, they try their best to meet every single guest’s needs, very friendly which is genuine.
I have to thank Stefania particularly who helped me a lot and gave me a lot of good
suggestions . I am very grateful to meet her! Also the other staff like a girl who can speak Chinese, work at main building usually help to welcome guests for dinner there. She has a
beautiful and warm smile, another young guy who wearing glasses, he also was very kind and helpful. Too bad I forgot to ask for their names. In fact, all those people made my stay memorable!
God bless Italy! God bless Italian!
None
12 April 2024
This holiday far exceeded any of our expectations because the hotel was so outstanding.
The staff were outstanding, the location incredible, the food and bar excellent, the decor and design of the property classic and elegant (and quiet and peaceful) - the whole aesthetic of the hotel was incredible.
There is nothing negative at all that I can say - it was pure perfection.
6 October 2023
We had a wonderful time, taormina is beautiful, hotel is 5 stars
Beautiful views, great food, great location
Villa flora is a separate building with no views
Our room backed into the mountain
22 September 2023
Perfection. A dream.
The staff were incredible and the level of service was unmatched. I can not fault this place, we are coming every time we’re in Italy!
Absolutely nothing.
16 September 2023
The staff was amazing front desk, bar, wait staff, concierge. And the 24 staff in the Flora Villa building. Sorry I don’
The property was very beautiful and the views amazing. This property is very peaceful and like home.
The bees at breakfast. This was the only thing I didn’t like. Maybe burning candles or cedar would help?
No bees at dinner which was great.
11 September 2023
Beautiful luxury stay at the top of Taormina.
Perfect location. Great view from gym. Stunning property with amazing balcony lounge area.
Very slow and confused service in bar and restaurant.
8 September 2023
One of the world’s best hotels — from staff to facilities to location.
Everything!
* Impeccable service - kind, welcoming, professional. * Stellar food - breakfast and poolside.
* The view of Etna from the room and balcony was unbelievably
After decades of travel in all levels of hotel, this was my best hotel experience ever.
11 August 2023
The Belmond hotel is stunning with exceptional customer service. I will be back Im sure.
I loved this hotel so much. They take customer experience to the next level. The property is gorgeous and the views at Aperetivo hour on the terrace are breathtaking. Loved every minute.
We had a small issue with booking restaurants with concierge so we were left with no booking for 2 nights. There was no follow up with us to keep us updated on bookings.
8 August 2023
A perfect vacation
Idyllic stay. Wonderful staff, perfect location and gorgeous facilities. Truly, could not have been better.
Hotel facilities
Food & Drink
- - Restaurant
- - Bar
- - Breakfast in the room
- - Snack bar
- - Special diet menus (on request)
- - Kids' meals
- - Wine/champagne (additional charge)
- - Fruits (additional charge)
- - Coffee house on site
General
- - Room service
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Facilities for disabled guests
- - Barber/beauty shop
- - Family rooms
- - Lift
- - Safety deposit box
- - Packed lunches
- - Car hire
- - Heating
- - Air conditioning
- - Shuttle service (free)
- - Airport shuttle (additional charge)
- - Grocery deliveries (additional charge)
- - Pet bowls
Business facilities
- - Meeting/banquet facilities
- - Business centre
- - Fax/photocopying
Reception services
- - 24-hour front desk
- - Express check-in/check-out
- - Currency exchange
- - Tour desk
- - Luggage storage
- - ATM/cash machine on site
- - Concierge service
- - Private check-in/check-out
- - Invoice provided
Activities
- - Sauna
- - Fitness centre
- - Fishing (additional charge)
- - Spa & wellness centre (additional charge)
- - Massage (additional charge)
- - Windsurfing (additional charge)
- - Canoeing (additional charge)
- - Hiking (additional charge)
- - Cycling
- - Hammam
- - Diving (additional charge)
- - Horse riding (additional charge)
- - Snorkelling (additional charge)
- - Private beach area
- - Open-air bath
- - Beauty services
- - Facial treatments
- - Waxing services
- - Make-up services
- - Hair treatments
- - Manicure
- - Pedicure
- - Haircut
- - Hair colouring
- - Hair styling
- - Body treatments
- - Body scrub
- - Body wrap
- - Light therapy
- - Spa facilities
- - Foot bath
- - Spa/wellness packages
- - Fitness
- - Yoga classes
- - Fitness classes
- - Personal trainer
- - Fitness/spa locker rooms
- - Beach
- - Walking tours (additional charge)
- - Bike tours (additional charge)
- - Tour or class about local culture (additional charge)
- - Live music/performance
- - Bicycle rental (additional charge)
Outdoors
- - Garden
- - Terrace
- - Outdoor pool
- - Sun terrace
- - Outdoor furniture
- - Picnic area
Entertainment & family services
- - Babysitting/child services (additional charge)
- - Board games/puzzles
Cleaning services
- - Laundry (additional charge)
- - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
- - Ironing service (additional charge)
- - Trouser press (additional charge)
- - Daily housekeeping
Parking
- - Accessible parking
Transport
- - Airport pick up (additional charge)
- - Airport drop off (additional charge)
Pool and wellness
- - Sun loungers or beach chairs
- - Sun umbrellas
- - Swimming pool
Miscellaneous
- - 24-hour security
- - Key card access
- - Security alarm
- - Smoke alarms
- - CCTV in common areas
- - CCTV outside property
- - Fire extinguishers
- - Breakfast takeaway containers
- - Delivered food is securely covered
- - Access to health care professionals
- - Thermometers for guests provided by property
- - Face masks for guests available

More photos

17 September 2024
Great, but maybe a bit overrated
The restaurant and bar has a spectacular views. The atmosphere in the bar around the sunset was incredible.
The concierge and people were really responsive and great.
Another major bonus we enjoyed is the shuttle to the sister property to the beach, had a wonderful beach day there.
The pool restaurant was really understaffed. It started to rain, and many people moved from pool to restaurant to have lunch, and there was only one waiter. We waited for an hour, because she didn't have enough hands to clean the tables for guests who have left. So that moment also felt like -at this price point, you should not be waiting in a queue for the table for an hour.