Villa Sant'Andrea, A Belmond Hotel

“The most extraordinary experience”

Where does one start? We stayed a week in early May in this exquisite property. From the arrival and personal greeting with a granita to the departure and the little ceramic gift to farewell you the attention to detail in the presentation of the property, the service, the rooms, the food, those i... more

Where does one start? We stayed a week in early May in this exquisite property. From the arrival and personal greeting with a granita to the departure and the little ceramic gift to farewell you the attention to detail in the presentation of the property, the service, the rooms, the food, those incredible views it was just superb. I had a largish room on the ground floor of the newer extension it was beautifully decorated and had a large bathroom. The plus was a large terrace where each morning I would wake, open the french doors and sit and watch dawn rise over the beach and the bay. The staff in every department were just excellent. At breakfast they always remembered your coffee preference at the bar they recalled your drink preference. The housekeeping staff were a gem and sorted out any little issue. The little gifts at turn down each day were a pleasant surprise if not adding to the weight of my carry on luggage. The property is beautifully decorated like a sophisticated and chic beach house. You really won't want to leave it as you will enjoy sitting in the beautiful garden or on the beach but you can access Taormina by a shuttle which you should book as it has limited seating or you can take a cable car up to Taormina. If you are deciding between the Timeo and Sant Andrea they are very different in atmosphere. We visited the Timeo and believe we made the right choice as Sant Andrea was less formal and had the beach and incredible views plus you were away from the heaving mass of humanity that is in every square inch of Taormina the town. Once you walk out of the Timeo's gates there is no escaping those crowds where as at Sant Andrea all was calm and peaceful. You really could sit on the terrace at days end and hear the waves lapping and watch dusk settle on paradise. Sure its expensive but to us it was worth every cent as it was one of the loveliest Hotel experiences we had ever had.

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“Sicilian Summer Paradise”

Stunning property right on the beach. Amazing restaurants and bars. Brizza is a phenomenal dining experience for true foodies. Staff are the best in the business. They make you feel like family and ensure every experience is amazing. An incredible vacation overall. We will definitely be back again.

“Charming hotel”

We spent 4 nights here and loved every moment. All the staff couldn’t have been nicer and went out of their way to way to make our stay enjoyable. Very good restaurant overlooking the bay. Very spacious bedroom with balcony again overlooking the sea. Would highly recommend

“Superb!”

This is an excellent hotel with excellent staff and service. The location is wonderful with views of the sea and its own private beach. The rooms are very well equipped, almost too much as there was not a huge amount of space for your own belongings! Super comfortable bed and exquisite linens wit... more

This is an excellent hotel with excellent staff and service. The location is wonderful with views of the sea and its own private beach. The rooms are very well equipped, almost too much as there was not a huge amount of space for your own belongings! Super comfortable bed and exquisite linens with lovely little touches like a small wellness gift or chocolate at turndown. The Dyson hairdryer in the room was much appreciated however my only small gripe was there was not enough hangers in the wardrobe, it seems most people stay only a few days but as we were there a week the hangers weren’t reflective of this. We had a terrace rather than a balcony which was lovely with Sun loungers and a bistro table and chairs, giving us the option of where to relax and catch the sun. However, the beach was great, yes it’s shingle but the service is impeccable and the addition of flip flops and a beach bag in the room was a really nice surprise. We had a hire car and had already read about the valet parking being expensive, it was, but it’s a good option for the first day until you find your bearings, but alternative parking is also expensive, however if you’re prepared to check first thing or last thing you might find a free option on the road, which we did. Due to the free shuttle bus into Taormina and the cable car you really don’t need a car,the shuttle bus takes 20-25 minutes and the cable car a little over 5, so we used the bus to go up and the cable car back. A separate word about the breakfast, if you’re thinking about missing it, don’t! The service is exceptional and the food is not only superb but mini works of art, particularly all the pastries and mini patisseries, and try the pan fried brioche with vanilla custard, it is amazing! Also, a huge mention to Roberta the hostess at breakfast, she made you feel like you were dining in her house and wanted you to be relaxed and had everything you needed without being overbearing. However, every member of staff we encountered was friendly and helpful without it being forced which was the difference.

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