Ancient Monastery, now Luxury Hotel on the Sea

Location	In the heart of Taormina - 5 minutes from the center of shopping and best restaurants.
Our Rating	A superior 1st class hotel with every comfort.
Setting	One of a kind and for decades considered the most famous hotel in Taormina. A former monastery built in the 15th century. The imposing structure was built directly on a promontory over the ocean. Surrounded by a huge tropical park with flowering trees and shrubs. It is a wonder to behold.
Interior	The hotel is a very large property. Various medieval courtyards magically appear as you wonder through the hotel's corridors. They are open letting in the sunshine and allowing the visitor a glimpse of blue sky before even leaving the structure. They are filled with flowering bougainvillea bushes, palm trees and original statues. The many medieval halls have original furnishings, sumptuous drapery and vaulted ceilings some with frescoes. Terraces on various levels allow you to fully take in the spectacular panorama from different angles.
Accommodations	The 108 rooms and suites have views over the sea, gardens or the various cloisters.
Reception	Yes, of various kinds depending on size of group. No minimum. Maximum 400++.
Facilities	Two restaurants, pool overlooking the ocean, huge park and gardens to walk through. Private rooms for the receptions.
Types of Ceremonies	Symbolic in the garden by prior approval. About 5 incredible Catholic churches in Taormina and a beautiful wedding hall in the main piazza with medieval cloister.
Activities	Every kind of water sport is available, tours to nearby Catania, Messina and Siracusa as well as Mt. Etna and the Greek ruins.
Entertainment	Music and dancing. There is a curfew.
Price to rent	No rental, price is determined by number of guests and size of reception room.
Best time of year	Taormina has a microclimate! You can enjoy the sun in the winter too! All year round.

Special Features of the Ancient Monastery of Taormina

Few palace hotels can boast being a former monastery. Sweeping views extend from the Greek Theater to the snow capped peak of Mount Etna, this palace hotel overlooks a luxuriant garden and is a large structure built right over the sea.

The inside courtyard leading to the lobby is beautiful and sunny and beckons the visitor into a very exclusive but relaxed ambiance.

After the lobby you will be entranced by a winter garden enclosed in a cloister, lying right in the heart of the hotel with columns and corridors with vaulted arches. You can circle the cloister and in every direction explore the extraordinary public halls and rooms decorated with original paintings and antiques dating over 400 years. The statuary contributes to a feeling of history and beauty which reaches its apex as you step into the amazing park.

The park offers 360 degree views of the bay, as far as the eyes can see and the mountain behind Taormina. It is bursting with every kind of tropical plan and flowering bush. Clouds of bougainvillea dazzle the eye and the blue waters of the sea are the perfect frame for such beauty. What a place to have your wedding photos taken! There are various small and large terraces that could be perfect for a sunset aperitif or dinner for your reception. The main reception hall is huge and best for a minimum of 100 guests. For smaller wedding parties there are other possibilities. Talk with your personal wedding coordinator.

The rooms used to be the former cells of the monk but don't worry...there is nothing monastic here, this is a luxury hotel. But the layout and history of the location do make for some very unusual and memorable accommodations.

Wake up in the morning and take your buffet breakfast on the terrace overlooking the incomparable views, then walk down to the park and go for a swim in the large pool. Later in the evening, Taormina comes to life, shops stay open till the wee hours and the restaurants offer the finest in Sicilian food.