Pros

  • Historic villa hotel near the historic center of Taormina
  • Spacious rooms and suites with minibars, Etro toiletries, and A/C
  • Upgraded rooms have furnished balconies with sea views
  • Swimming pool overlooking the Ionian Sea and Isola Bella
  • A la carte restaurant and two bars (one a pool bar on the terrace)
  • Breakfast buffet included in all rates
  • 24-hour room service available
  • Spa with a Turkish bath, sauna, and hot tub
  • Free fitness room has cardio equipment and strength-training gear
  • Beach club with sunbeds and umbrellas (fee)
  • Wheelchair-accessible rooms available
  • Two conference rooms, both with space for up to 40 people
  • Free parking (in a good-sized lot) and free Wi-Fi throughout
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Cons

  • Beach club costs a fee
  • Not all rooms have sea views or balconies
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Bottom Line

Occupying a 1930s villa, the 63-room Grand Hotel San Pietro is a luxury hotel overlooking the Ionian Sea in Taormina. Rooms and suites feature flat-screen TVs, minibars, bathrobes/slippers, and free Wi-Fi, and upgraded rooms have large balconies facing the sea. A large sea-facing terrace contains a pool, bar, and seating for San Pietro's restaurant, which serves a buffet-style breakfast (free for all guests) and a la carte lunch and dinner. On the wellness front, there are a beach club (fee), a small gym, and a spa with a sauna and Turkish bath. The hotel is about a 10-minute walk from the historic town center; for a beachfront stay in Taormina, consider VOI Grand Hotel Mazzaro Sea Palace.

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Amenities

  • Cribs
  • Fitness Center
  • Internet
  • Pool
  • Spa

Oyster Hotel Review

Grand Hotel San Pietro

Scene

Upscale and traditional hotel with a quiet atmosphere and fantastic sea views

Set on the hill leading up to Taormina, this seven-story hotel was originally built as a private villa in the 1930s. In the mid-aughts, it opened as Grand Hotel San Pietro, a luxury hotel that attracts couples (including honeymooners), businesspeople, and some families looking for a quiet resort near the town's historic center. The lobby is furnished with overstuffed sofas and chairs and heavy wooden furniture. The lack of background music is telling about the type of hotel this is -- quiet and classy -- the only sounds are the occasional talking of guests or Rimowa suitcases gliding over the marble floors. The hotel likely doesn't bother with much lobby ambience because why compete with what's outside, where the balconies and terraces provide incredible views the Ionian Sea and Isola Bella below. Shaded by cypress trees and landscaped with Mediterranean flowers and cacti, the main terrace features restaurant seating, on its lower level, a large swimming pool and a pool bar with snacks and cocktails. The sea-facing terrace off the lobby features tables made from Etna stone and painted with lemons and pomegranates. When guests aren't on in town or on excursions (Mount Etna is the most popular, as are trips to Syracuse and Agrigento), they're usually found here, dipping in the pool or drinking up the views (and an Aperol Spritz). The hotel remains mostly full throughout high season, with European, American, and Asian guests staying for at least four days. The hotel is part of the Relais & Chateaux hotel collection. 

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Location

On the winding road leading up to Taormina town

Grand Hotel San Pietro sits off of Via Luigi Pirandello, the road full of switchbacks leading up to Taormina's historic center. The hotel's mountainside position affords commanding views of the Ionian Sea and Isola Bella. It is within walking distance of many of Taormina's sights: from the hotel, it is an eight-minute walk to Villa Comunale Di Taormina (the beautiful public gardens), a 13-minute walk to the Teatro Odeon (Roman Odeon), a 15-minute walk up to the Teatro Antico di Taormina (Greek Theater), and almost a 20-minute walk to the Duomo di Taormina. Getting to Corso Umberto, the "main drag" of Taormina town, takes 12 minutes on foot from the hotel. The drive between the hotel and Catania Fontanarossa Airport takes about an hour.

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Rooms

Classically elegant rooms and suites, most with sea-facing balconies

Grand Hotel San Pietro's 63 nonsmoking rooms come in five categories: Executive (20 rooms), Deluxe (30), Junior Suite (8), Garden Suite (4), and Regal Suite (1). Certain amenities appear in all room types: minibars, satellite flat-screen TVs, safes, bathrobes/slippers, and A/C (activated by the key card, as is the rest of the electricity). All rooms have marble bathrooms with shower/tub combos, Etro toiletries, hairdryers, and heated towel racks. Rooms also share classical decor; expect to see parquet hardwood floors, brocaded bedspreads, traditional wood furnishings, and an earthy marigold color scheme.

Executive rooms are located on the back side of the hotel; these lack balconies and sea views, and overlook the road leading up to Taormina. The Deluxe category (and all others) comes with a spacious furnished balcony (between 100 and 130 square feet) and straight-on views of the sea. Junior and Garden Suites add living rooms and even larger balconies, plus space for an extra bed. The top-floor Regal Suite is the largest on offer: it is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite with panoramic views.

Wheelchair-accessible rooms are available, and cots are free to add to the rooms. In-room Wi-Fi is free.

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Features

A sea-facing pool and terrace, a main restaurant open for all meals, and a small spa

For a 63-room hotel, Grand Hotel San Pietro has an impressive number of features. The best of which, for most guests, is its large, landscaped terrace with restaurant seating, a large pool, and a pool bar for snacks and cocktails, all with views of the sparkling sea below. The pool and pool bar are on the lowest level of the terrace, closest to the sea. The hotel's restaurant, Il Ristorante Giardino degli Ulivi, serves a breakfast buffet each morning (free for all guests), which can be taken to the terrace. The restaurant's a la carte lunch and dinner is served on the terrace during the summertime. Room service is also available 24 hours a day. In addition to the pool bar, there is an indoor lounge bar open every evening, where guests can order a glass of wine or an Aperol Spritz and take it to the terrace. 

The hotel has a small spa for massages, manicures, pedicures, and other beauty treatments. Along with two treatment rooms, the spa has a sauna, Turkish bath, and hot tub. There is also a small, free fitness room with cardio equipment, strength-training gear, and free weights. Accessing the hotel's private beach area comes at an extra charge, but that charge includes loungers, parasols, and towels.

The hotel's reception desk is open 24 hours a day. Guests can book excursions to Isola Bella, Mount Etna, and other destinations across Sicily. There is a wood-paneled library off of the lobby for reading and relaxing, and two meeting rooms for conferences, private meals, or other functions. Both rooms can accommodate up to 20 people U-shape or up to 40 people theater-style.

There is a free, unattended parking lot directly next to the hotel with 50 spaces. Wi-Fi is free throughout Grand Hotel San Pietro.

See More Features

Oyster Hotel Review

Grand Hotel San Pietro

Scene

Upscale and traditional hotel with a quiet atmosphere and fantastic sea views

Set on the hill leading up to Taormina, this seven-story hotel was originally built as a private villa in the 1930s. In the mid-aughts, it opened as Grand Hotel San Pietro, a luxury hotel that attracts couples (including honeymooners), businesspeople, and some families looking for a quiet resort near the town's historic center. The lobby is furnished with overstuffed sofas and chairs and heavy wooden furniture. The lack of background music is telling about the type of hotel this is -- quiet and classy -- the only sounds are the occasional talking of guests or Rimowa suitcases gliding over the marble floors. The hotel likely doesn't bother with much lobby ambience because why compete with what's outside, where the balconies and terraces provide incredible views the Ionian Sea and Isola Bella below. Shaded by cypress trees and landscaped with Mediterranean flowers and cacti, the main terrace features restaurant seating, on its lower level, a large swimming pool and a pool bar with snacks and cocktails. The sea-facing terrace off the lobby features tables made from Etna stone and painted with lemons and pomegranates. When guests aren't on in town or on excursions (Mount Etna is the most popular, as are trips to Syracuse and Agrigento), they're usually found here, dipping in the pool or drinking up the views (and an Aperol Spritz). The hotel remains mostly full throughout high season, with European, American, and Asian guests staying for at least four days. The hotel is part of the Relais & Chateaux hotel collection. 

See More Scene

Location

On the winding road leading up to Taormina town

Grand Hotel San Pietro sits off of Via Luigi Pirandello, the road full of switchbacks leading up to Taormina's historic center. The hotel's mountainside position affords commanding views of the Ionian Sea and Isola Bella. It is within walking distance of many of Taormina's sights: from the hotel, it is an eight-minute walk to Villa Comunale Di Taormina (the beautiful public gardens), a 13-minute walk to the Teatro Odeon (Roman Odeon), a 15-minute walk up to the Teatro Antico di Taormina (Greek Theater), and almost a 20-minute walk to the Duomo di Taormina. Getting to Corso Umberto, the "main drag" of Taormina town, takes 12 minutes on foot from the hotel. The drive between the hotel and Catania Fontanarossa Airport takes about an hour.

See More Location

Rooms

Classically elegant rooms and suites, most with sea-facing balconies

Grand Hotel San Pietro's 63 nonsmoking rooms come in five categories: Executive (20 rooms), Deluxe (30), Junior Suite (8), Garden Suite (4), and Regal Suite (1). Certain amenities appear in all room types: minibars, satellite flat-screen TVs, safes, bathrobes/slippers, and A/C (activated by the key card, as is the rest of the electricity). All rooms have marble bathrooms with shower/tub combos, Etro toiletries, hairdryers, and heated towel racks. Rooms also share classical decor; expect to see parquet hardwood floors, brocaded bedspreads, traditional wood furnishings, and an earthy marigold color scheme.

Executive rooms are located on the back side of the hotel; these lack balconies and sea views, and overlook the road leading up to Taormina. The Deluxe category (and all others) comes with a spacious furnished balcony (between 100 and 130 square feet) and straight-on views of the sea. Junior and Garden Suites add living rooms and even larger balconies, plus space for an extra bed. The top-floor Regal Suite is the largest on offer: it is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite with panoramic views.

Wheelchair-accessible rooms are available, and cots are free to add to the rooms. In-room Wi-Fi is free.

See More Rooms

Features

A sea-facing pool and terrace, a main restaurant open for all meals, and a small spa

For a 63-room hotel, Grand Hotel San Pietro has an impressive number of features. The best of which, for most guests, is its large, landscaped terrace with restaurant seating, a large pool, and a pool bar for snacks and cocktails, all with views of the sparkling sea below. The pool and pool bar are on the lowest level of the terrace, closest to the sea. The hotel's restaurant, Il Ristorante Giardino degli Ulivi, serves a breakfast buffet each morning (free for all guests), which can be taken to the terrace. The restaurant's a la carte lunch and dinner is served on the terrace during the summertime. Room service is also available 24 hours a day. In addition to the pool bar, there is an indoor lounge bar open every evening, where guests can order a glass of wine or an Aperol Spritz and take it to the terrace. 

The hotel has a small spa for massages, manicures, pedicures, and other beauty treatments. Along with two treatment rooms, the spa has a sauna, Turkish bath, and hot tub. There is also a small, free fitness room with cardio equipment, strength-training gear, and free weights. Accessing the hotel's private beach area comes at an extra charge, but that charge includes loungers, parasols, and towels.

The hotel's reception desk is open 24 hours a day. Guests can book excursions to Isola Bella, Mount Etna, and other destinations across Sicily. There is a wood-paneled library off of the lobby for reading and relaxing, and two meeting rooms for conferences, private meals, or other functions. Both rooms can accommodate up to 20 people U-shape or up to 40 people theater-style.

There is a free, unattended parking lot directly next to the hotel with 50 spaces. Wi-Fi is free throughout Grand Hotel San Pietro.

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Babysitting Services

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Cabanas

  • Cable

  • Concierge

  • Cribs

  • Dry Cleaning

  • Fitness Center

  • Free Breakfast

  • Internet

  • Kids Allowed

  • Laundry

  • Meeting / Conference Rooms

  • Pool

  • Poolside Drink Service

  • Room Service

  • Spa

  • Swim-Up Bar

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.