The credentials:
‘A landscape in which you can find all that seems to be created on earth to seduce the eyes, mind and fantasy,’ was Guy de Maupassant’s description of Taormina in 1885. D.H. Lawrence called it ‘the dawn coast of Europe.’ Goethe and Oscar Wilde were also fans, waxing lyrical about its impossibly idyllic (and seemingly permissive) lifestyle. Today the poets of the DK tourist guidebook proclaim it the ‘St Tropez of Sicily’. But whichever description tempts you there, Taormina is a resort town of undoubted beauty and designer glamour.
And foremost among Taormina’s many luxury resorts (literally in fact, as it was the first hotel to be built in the town) is the Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo. It commands the single most stunning view of any establishment; the sparkling blue bay of Giardini Naxos beneath the lush green slopes of Mount Etna. Located directly beside Taormina’s main tourist attraction—the ancient Teatro Greco, built by the Greeks specifically to capitalise on the selfsame view—the Timeo boasts 70 luxury suites and rooms, an impossibly beautiful ‘Literary terrace’, panoramic swimming pool, wellness centre and gym.
Dine:
It is rare and wonderful when a restaurant’s setting—or to be more specific the view—as good as upstages the food. Whether your dinner is taken early, with the sun over a pink-tinged Etna, or you prefer to eat late with the lights of Cape Taormina twinkling in the dark; that VIEW (it needs capitalising so my joy can be properly expressed in print) really is worth the price of dinner alone. In fact we could well have been served a McDonald’s cheeseburger on a paper plate and declared dinner a success. Thankfully this was not the case.
What we were served was a Sicilian feast, as faultless as the view was breathtaking. I cannot recommend our starter highly enough; a feast-platter of fish, from tuna carpaccio to shell-on langoustines, all served entirely raw and as fresh and delicate as if they’d just been plucked from the sea.
What followed in our pasta course and mains was the essence of traditional Sicilian cuisine with inventive twists peppered throughout; I have never come across swordfish rolls with breadcrumbs, pine nuts and sultanas in an orange sauce before, but I’ll be sorry if I never do again!
Aside from tasting delicious, our food was served by staff who were warm, obliging and effortlessly good-humoured. The background to dinner was a live pianist, so unobtrusive and light-fingered you felt transported to a world where Gloria Swanson and Ivor Novello might just swan up to the table next to yours.
Sleep:
The rooms at the Timeo are traditional, pared back and timeless; almost as if the hotel knows not to compete with its stunning view by being unnecessarily showy. Small hints of gilding are offset by white walls and high ceilings. No ostentation here, just a comfortable elegance. If you are lucky enough to bag a suite you will be treated to your own private balcony—easily big enough to sunbathe, away from the busyness of the pool side.
And if it all feels a little too yesteryear, we were thrilled to discover our television was hidden in the foot of our bed, to be electronically raised and lowered at will. Hours of entertainment for the other half!
Who goes there?
Families! The Timeo makes a point about being a family-friendly establishment, with a range of activities and facilities catering specially for its younger guests. Plenty of couples as well; from young honeymooners to retirees on their very own Grand Tour.
Out & about:
Fans of Italy’s ancient history will be in seventh heaven with the Teatro Greco almost closer than the breakfast buffet. The shopping arcades of Taormina are an equally short amble away, with designer brands dominating every window in sight. The Timeo also has a sister hotel—the Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea—with its own private beach, and in season a shuttle between the two hotels is complimentary. It is also possible to rent boats for private excursions, and for the more active guest there are plenty of hiking trails with further stunning views as a reward.
The worst thing:
In theory I applaud an establishment that tries to be as family-friendly as the Timeo, I truly do. But in practice it can threaten the otherwise idyllic calm that the place gives off. Whether it was sitting by the otherwise wonderful pool, or during the earlier part of our dinner, the screams and tantrums of our younger fellow guests I could have done without.
The best thing:
The Timeo has capitalised on the view (I literally have), but the real stars of the Timeo are its staff. Without exception everyone we encountered was not only accommodating and warm, but they really went above and beyond to make our stay exceptional.
I will be briefly anecdotal to prove the point; it was my partner’s birthday the night we checked in. I didn’t mention it to the concierge, they realised it when we handed in our passports. Not only did they lay on all manner of extras during our evening meal (free champagne and nightcaps) but they created a birthday dessert especially for him (complete with candles) and the waiters then performed, with help from the restaurant’s pianist, a 50s rockabilly Happy Birthday at our table. That is a unique experience I simply can’t thank them enough for!
