Villa Sant'Andrea, A Belmond Hotel, Taormina Mare

Where the Ionian Sea Sets the Rhythm

The east coast of Sicily has long divided into two distinct hospitality registers: the clifftop town of Taormina, with its ancient Greek theatre and year-round crowds, and the quieter shoreline below at Taormina Mare, where the bay curves into a quieter arc of pebble beach and clear water. Villa Sant'Andrea occupies that lower register, sitting directly on the Bay of Mazzarò rather than above it. The approach from the water's edge — or from Via Nazionale 137 — sets an immediate tone: this is a hotel oriented toward stillness and the sea, not toward spectacle.

Built in 1919 as a private summer residence for the Cornish Trewhella family, the property was converted into a hotel in the 1950s and went on to host figures including Winston Churchill, Elizabeth Taylor, and Al Pacino. That history matters less as a celebrity roll call and more as an indicator of the property's longstanding position in Sicily's upper tier of coastal accommodation. Today, as part of the Belmond (LVMH) portfolio, it sits alongside sister property Grand Hotel Timeo, A Belmond Hotel, Taormina , which occupies the clifftop position next to the Greek Theatre , and competes for a different kind of traveller: one who wants the sea directly outside the window rather than far below it.

Third-party recognition places Villa Sant'Andrea firmly in the upper bracket of its peer set. La Liste awarded it 93 points in its 2026 Leading Hotels ranking, and Condé Nast Traveller listed it 48th globally among its 2025 Best Hotels. Star Wine List awarded the property in 2026. The hotel is currently closed for its seasonal off-season and reopens on 19th March 2026, making late March through October the operational window for prospective guests. Pricing is available on request.

The Retreat Logic: Wellness Without Distance

The wellness proposition at Villa Sant'Andrea is built around proximity rather than facility scale. Most high-end wellness destinations require guests to travel to the spa; here, the sea, the garden, and the alfresco treatment spaces compress that journey to a matter of steps. The subtropical gardens, fragrant with Mediterranean blooms, serve as the primary setting for open-air wellness treatments , a format better suited to Sicily's climate than any indoor spa architecture could be.

The alfresco garden spa draws on Sicilian and Mediterranean treatment traditions and uses Sothys products. For guests who want a broader facility footprint, the hotel's arrangement with sister property Grand Hotel Timeo provides access to the more comprehensive spa there, reachable by the property's complimentary shuttle in approximately ten minutes. That shuttle runs to Taormina town, placing the ancient Greek Theatre, hilltop gardens, and the town's dining and shopping within easy reach without requiring guests to manage the coastal road themselves.

At water level, the recently launched Lido Villeggiatura beach club extends the wellness and leisure offering across the property's private pebble beach. Private cabanas, a bar, live music, cinema evenings, and beach games occupy the same stretch of shoreline that guests access directly from their rooms. A heated infinity pool overlooks the bay for those who prefer the pool's controlled environment. The gym is well-equipped for guests maintaining a training regimen. Among the Italian coastal hotels that occupy this price tier, the combination of direct beach access, alfresco spa, pool, and shared sister-property facilities makes the wellness envelope here broader than what most single-property competitors can offer. Properties such as Borgo Santandrea on the Amalfi Coast or Il San Pietro di Positano operate in a comparable coastal-retreat register, though Villa Sant'Andrea's Sicilian setting and beach-level positioning give it a distinct character.

The Rooms: Sea View as Architecture

All 66 rooms are oriented toward the water. The design language draws from several sources simultaneously: Mid-Century Modern bones, Sicilian ceramic craft, Moorish geometric patterning, and local artistic output. Walls carry oil paintings by Taormina-based artist Alessandro Florio alongside vintage works by Mimmo Rotella, giving the interiors a coherent regional identity rather than the international-hotel neutrality that often accompanies Belmond's larger properties in other markets.

Room sizes run from 212 to 860 square feet. The two-bedroom pool suite anchors the leading of the range, adding a private heated pool, solarium, and separate living area to the sea-view formula. Across all categories, rooms include private terraces draped in geraniums, marble bathrooms, and Sicilian ceramics. Welcome amenities include local almond milk and cookies; suites are scented with LabSolue tangerine fragrances. Technogym training kits are available on request, a detail that signals the property's awareness of wellness-oriented guests who don't want to leave fitness equipment to chance.

Dining at the Water's Edge

Four dining outlets serve the property, each occupying a different register. Ristorante Sant'Andrea handles the main hotel dining , Sicilian recipes grounded in seasonal, local sourcing, with a terrace breakfast spread that includes frutti di mare, handmade pasta with shellfish and Verdello lemon (when in season), pastries, charcuterie, smoked fish, and prosecco. The kitchen's wine program was strong enough to earn Star Wine List recognition for 2026.

The most distinctive outlet is Brizza, a fine dining experience limited to 16 covers positioned at the water's edge , a format that trades volume for proximity to the Ionian Sea. Advance booking is recommended, and the seat count alone positions it as one of the more intimate fine dining settings in Sicily's coastal hotel circuit. Brace Grill takes a looser approach, pairing grilled dishes with jazz. Bar Sant'Andrea handles cocktail service. Across this range, the property covers everything from a casual aperitivo to a structured dinner without guests needing to leave the grounds.

Beyond the Property: Volcanic and Nautical Sicily

Villa Sant'Andrea's activity programming moves between sea and volcano. Sailing trips to the Aeolian Islands, including the quieter island of Filicudi, and Mount Etna wine-tasting excursions form the core itinerary, alongside candlelit beach dinners and culinary programming. The funicular connecting Taormina Mare to Taormina town is nearby, offering an alternative to the shuttle for guests who prefer to make the climb independently. For Taormina town itself, the property advises early morning or late evening visits during summer to avoid peak congestion around the Greek Theatre and main corso.

Within Taormina's broader hotel market, Villa Sant'Andrea's beach position sets it apart from clifftop competitors including San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel and the Belmond sister property Grand Hotel Timeo. Other options in the local market include Atlantis Bay, Mazzarò Sea Palace, Hotel Villa Carlotta, Hotel Villa Ducale, and The Ashbee Hotel. See our full Taormina restaurants and hotels guide for broader context across the area.

For those considering how Villa Sant'Andrea sits within Italy's wider luxury coastal and estate hotel circuit, reference points include Il Pellicano in Porto Ercole, Passalacqua in Moltrasio, Castello di Reschio in Lisciano Niccone, Casa Maria Luigia in Modena, Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, Bulgari Hotel Roma, Portrait Milano, Rosewood Castiglion Del Bosco in Montalcino, Borgo Egnazia in Savelletri di Fasano, Corte della Maestà in Civita di Bagnoregio, Aman Venice, and JK Place Capri. For comparable retreat-led properties further afield, Amangiri in Canyon Point, Aman New York, and The Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City illustrate how the retreat hotel format operates across different geographies.

Planning Your Stay

Villa Sant'Andrea reopens on 19th March 2026. Rates are available on request through Belmond's booking channels. The property is at Via Nazionale, 137, Taormina Mare, 98039. Guest reviews on Google average 4.7 from 397 ratings. Given the Brizza fine dining outlet's 16-cover limit and its direct water-edge setting, booking that experience at the point of reservation rather than on arrival is advisable. The complimentary shuttle to Taormina town and Grand Hotel Timeo runs approximately every ten minutes travel time, though schedules should be confirmed with the hotel directly on booking.