Hotel Metropole Taormina

Behind a Grand-Hotel Facade, Forty Years On

Metropole Taormina keeps its eighteenth-century grand-hotel exterior on Corso Umberto exactly as Taormina has always known it, and then breaks from it entirely inside. The building sat closed for the better part of four decades before reopening as a twenty-three-room maison d'hôtes, furnished with Poltrona Frau pieces, generous marble and a contemporary Italian palette rather than a period restoration. The contrast is the point: a historic shell that gives nothing away about the sharply modern rooms, pool deck and spa waiting on the other side of the door, a reveal few hotels on this stretch of the Corso can match.

Why It Works

We kept this hotel for the rarest kind of address: real architectural history on the outside, and a genuinely current design hand on the inside, rather than one in service of the other. Most of the sea in Taormina, meanwhile, is a view the landside hotels have to work for; here, most of the twenty-three rooms face it directly, and the rooftop infinity pool turns that same view into the hotel's social centre rather than a private perk for a handful of suites.

Why This Location

Corso Umberto is Taormina's pedestrian spine, running the length of the old town past its shops, churches and viewpoints, and Metropole sits directly on it rather than on a side street requiring a detour. The address puts some of Taormina's most serious dining within walking distance — Otto Geleng, Principe Cerami, St. George by Heinz Beck — without needing a taxi after dinner. The Teatro Greco and the funicular down to Mazzarò and the sea are both reachable on foot from the same stretch of street, which keeps a car unnecessary for the length of a stay.

Fast Facts

• Price: Luxe

• Vibe: grand-hotel facade, contemporary Italian interiors, adults-only

• Rooms: 23, mostly sea-facing, furnished with Poltrona Frau pieces

• Best For: design-minded travellers who want Corso Umberto's address with a current interior

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: the rooftop infinity pool over the Bay of Naxos

• Dining: on-site restaurant and bar; walking distance to Otto Geleng, St. George by Heinz Beck and Principe Cerami

• Amenities: rooftop infinity pool, spa with Turkish bath and steam rooms, gym, yoga, rooftop terrace bar

• Attractions: Corso Umberto (on the doorstep), Teatro Greco (walking distance), Mazzarò funicular to the sea

The Rooms and the Rooftop Pool

Rooms lean into the contemporary rebuild rather than echoing the building's grand-hotel past: clean lines, a restrained palette, and sea views from most categories thanks to the building's position directly on the Corso. The rooftop is where the hotel makes its clearest case, with an infinity pool positioned to put the Bay of Naxos directly ahead of swimmers rather than off to one side, backed by a bar for guests who want the view without the water. Downstairs, the spa adds a Turkish bath, steam rooms and a gym, rounding out a wellness offer that's unusually complete for a twenty-three-room address, with yoga sessions filling the gap between pool time and dinner.

Before You Book

The adults-only policy is firm, and worth noting for anyone travelling with children. The rooftop pool is listed as seasonal and outdoor, so travellers visiting outside the warmer months should confirm access before counting on it as a daily fixture. Corso Umberto's dining scene is dense and some of its best tables book out early in high season, so reservations at places like Otto Geleng or St. George are worth arranging as soon as travel dates are fixed, particularly for a stay built around the hotel's walking-distance dining case.