I recently stayed at the Four Seasons San Domenico Palace for four nights in late May with my wife and one-year-old, and we had a very nice stay overall. The historic property is beautiful, well-preserved, and perched on a cliff with dramatic views. We stay at Four Seasons properties often, and this one truly is a distinctive gem within the Four Seasons portfolio based on its physical characteristics and facilities. We also experienced several instances of truly thoughtful, bespoke service, which are exactly what I hope for from the brand.||||That said, while there were highlights, some inconsistencies left us a bit disappointed. Specifically: (a) food and beverage offerings were hit-or-miss, and at times subpar; (b) service varied greatly, sometimes being exceptional, but sometimes being cold and impersonal; and (c) the post-White Lotus popularity of the property brings an unusual vibe that impacted the guest experience more than expected. I’d still recommend the hotel and might return, but next time, I’d give the Belmond options in Taormina more serious thought.||||Trip Planning/Pre-Arrival:||||We booked through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel agent to access perks like a complimentary room upgrade (if available at check-in), daily breakfast, a $100 resort credit, and priority late checkout. Given the hotel’s popularity, we booked nearly a year in advance to lock in one of the more “affordable” room types, but the rates here are exorbitant for any room during the peak season.||||About six months before our stay, our travel agent informed us that the hotel reached out to tell her they couldn’t accommodate us on our first night due to a full property buyout. We were told this was a booking glitch, though I suspect the hotel later accepted a buyout offer and decided to cancel previously confirmed reservations. As frustrating as it was, especially with our full trip itinerary already set by then, we appreciated how professionally and generously the hotel handled the situation, particularly in working with Arianna Giordano, the Reservations Manager for the Four Seasons properties in Italy.||||The Four Seasons paid for us to stay in a Junior Suite at the nearby Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea for the night they had cancelled (a value of around €2,500 per night), and also arranged a complimentary private van transfer to San Domenico Palace the next day. In addition, they let us extend our Four Seasons stay so we’d still have four nights in total there (even when there no longer seemed to be availability to do so), matched our original rate, and proactively confirmed a complimentary upgrade from the Deluxe Room we had reserved to a Sea View Premium Room with Terrace, a generous upgrade of multiple categories.||||I thought all of that was excellent, and inquired about how early we could arrive at the hotel after our night at the nearby Belmond. I expressed that since we were traveling with a small child, getting our room as soon as possible was key. They said we could arrive anytime from noon onward, and that they would expedite our room for cleaning. This prompted them to then also offer us a complimentary lunch at one of the hotel restaurants upon our arrival to ensure we’d have a place to go while waiting for our room (even offering to open the restaurant early just for us if needed). ||||Before our stay, we also had contact with the concierge team to reserve airport transfers, dinner reservations, and a tour of Mount Etna. Especially as compared to concierges I worked with at other luxury hotels in Italy on this trip, the team at San Domenico Palace lagged behind. There were multiple occasions in which my messages went ignored and I had to follow-up to get a response, or responses took very long for simple requests. I also found it annoying that when I inquired about dining reservations at the hotel, instead of just taking the lead and making the reservation for us, the concierge team would copy the in-house restaurant on the email chain to assist directly, but the restaurants would simply not respond, so the request was essentially lost. This again required extra follow-up on my part.||||Arrival:||||Our arrival at San Domenico Palace from Villa Sant’Andrea was extremely positive and smooth. The driver to take us to the Four Seasons arrived right on time, and we were up the hill to the hotel within 15 minutes. Upon arrival, the valet team was very helpful and friendly, immediately assisting with our luggage and guiding us to the lobby. The hotel makes a lovely first impression from its arrival courtyard (an area made especially famous from the White Lotus), and we saw right away that the hotel didn’t let just anyone enter even that front courtyard. Non-hotel guests were not allowed in without a hotel or dining reservation, but as guests, we were always recognized and welcomed back. We did ultimately appreciate the tight control so the property didn’t feel like a tourist attraction, but as mentioned below, the way outside guests are handled also adds a somewhat odd feel to the hotel overall.||||When we entered the building, Pasquale, the Director of Sales, was waiting to greet us personally and promised a complimentary round of drinks later in our stay, which he very nicely followed through on. Rosella at the front desk handled our check-in and was incredibly kind, informative, and gracious, escorting us through the property and delivering the welcome news that our room was already ready, including an additional upgrade, now to a Sea View Junior Suite with Plunge Pool. It was one of the best Four Seasons arrival experiences we’ve ever had.||||The property itself is a fascinating blend of history and luxury. The original Convento building is a restored convent, filled with preserved architectural features, historic art, and a peaceful, almost sacred ambiance. The newer Grand Hotel building is seamlessly integrated and maintains the cohesive elegance of the whole. It’s a larger property than I would have expected, but all of it is meticulously maintained and very nice.||||Room:||||Our room (260) was located at the furthest possible end of the Grand Hotel wing, a long walk from the main amenities. This wasn’t ideal with a toddler in tow, though the upside was a high degree of privacy and quiet.||||The outdoor space of our room was the highlight, including an enormous terrace with a plunge pool, grassy area with orange trees, a dining table, couch, lounge chairs, and a huge umbrella for much needed shade. Though we looked down onto other rooms’ terraces below in the foreground of our sea view (giving them very little privacy), it still felt serene and beautiful. Since this part of the hotel is on the far end directly adjacent to the town, some noise filtered in from adjacent restaurants and from the busy Piazza IX Aprile, including very loud music playing on speakers from street performers, but it luckily wasn’t constant. Considering we had originally booked a room with no sea view or terrace, this upgrade was extraordinary, despite its quirks.||||Inside, the room was lovely, tastefully decorated in a style I’d describe as “museum-chic” with dark woods, high ceilings, and lots of nice moldings. That said, the space was surprisingly small for a “junior suite”, and it didn’t help that it was over-furnished and didn’t flow especially well. A table and two chairs sat awkwardly in the middle of the room, and the placement of a sofa and bench that were mostly unusable made movement cumbersome, especially with a toddler.||||The bathroom was similarly elegant but poorly designed. While it was actually large and clad in beautiful marble, it had a disproportionately large water closet (so large that we used it for storing luggage and still had extra space), but then had limited counter space with only one sink. The shower/tub were in a “wet room” layout, where you entered into the shower, and had to walk through the shower to get to the tub. I personally hate these, as the entire room ends up being wet, and if someone takes a shower first, it’s hazardous trying to use the tub after. The bathroom could have easily accommodated a more traditional layout with double sinks and a separate tub, had it been designed better.||||Housekeeping was excellent, always arriving exactly when requested via the Four Seasons app. They were also very friendly when passing by in the hallway, and some even recognized us by name, despite never having formally met.||||We were very impressed by the in-room amenities that were waiting for us upon our arrival. We were celebrating both our wedding anniversary and our daughter’s first birthday, and the hotel left thoughtful gifts for each: a bottle of local white wine, a celebratory cake for each occasion, fresh fruit, and small locally-crafted ceramic gifts. They also did a good job with baby amenities, offering a crib, diaper pail, sound machine, toiletries, bib, and stuffed animal, and also gave us a high chair and a mini fridge to use for the entire stay when we inquired about them.||||Pool & Grounds:||||The stunning gardens and infinity pool are among the property’s standout features. You walk through the vibrant, well-maintained gardens to reach the tiled infinity pool, which overlooks Naxos Bay and Mount Etna. The pool is comfortably shallow throughout and surrounded by lounge chairs, umbrellas, and a few covered daybeds (which are complimentary and first-come, first-served). Additional seating is available on a higher level by the gardens, which is ideal if you want more serenity. It was fun that during our stay, the pool turned over from its standard look to the Dolce & Gabbana summer décor that the hotel offered last year as well. The Dolce & Gabbana décor is fun and fits in well with the hotel and destination.||||The pool was a relaxing spot, especially with a small child, and one of the daybeds made a perfect home base for us. Although the pool is supposedly heated, it felt chilly in late May, and most guests seemed to react similarly. ||||At the pool, there is the usual pool service you’d expect, including setting up towels and food and beverage service, plus extras like sunblock, hats, and sunglasses. A fun complimentary granita cart is offered on the upper level by the garden, with a choice of multiple flavors. While the pool staff was professional and responsive, especially via a call button that was left at your chair, they felt distant and lacked the warm touch we expect at a Four Seasons.||||Dining: ||||Dining, which is typically a key aspect of a hotel stay for us, was inconsistent and underwhelming at this hotel. We found this very surprising for a Four Seasons.||||There are two main restaurants and a bar/lounge. The restaurant in the main building is open for breakfast, then called Rosso at lunch, and switches to Principe Cerami at dinner. Lunch at Rosso is à la carte and more casual, while dinner at Principe Cerami is a tasting menu. The setting is lovely, with large windows, chic decor, and a small terrace overlooking the gardens and bay. We enjoyed lunch at Rosso on the terrace, especially the burrata, classic spaghetti with tomato sauce, and shrimp risotto. Unfortunately, our veal milanese was raw inside, which it definitely was not intended to be. Our server was kind, if a little forgetful (we had to remind her multiple times of things we had already asked for, and it never seemed to click that we had already asked), but she seemed well meaning. This was also the meal that the hotel comped as part of our reservation issues, and they handled it so professionally, refusing to even let us see the bill, and happily serving us lots of champagne and whatever we wanted food-wise.||||Anciovi, the seafood restaurant by the pool, was a letdown. While the view was beautiful, and service was fine, our dinner there fell short. The tuna tartare and pricey lobster pasta were both overly fishy and unimpressive. Ironically, the fries with parmesan fondue were the best part of the meal. Given the high prices, this restaurant was a total disappointment.||||The Bar & Chiostro, which we visited multiple times, was an odd experience. We always love a good hotel bar, and were excited to visit this one due to its fame from the White Lotus. However, in reality, it felt disjointed, with disparate venues packaged as one. The main seating was in the cloistered courtyard outside of the lobby, which was where all non-hotel guests seemed to be sent, and we chose that area one time as well. The courtyard was fine, but oddly formal and staid. The other portion consists of the indoor bar and cozy seating in adjacent rooms, but all of that was almost always nearly empty, and the way the bar is set-up, it almost just feels like more of a pass-through and after thought, rather than a welcoming bar venue. It also seems that everything other than the courtyard is held back exclusively for hotel guests. That makes sense in theory, but it backfired, creating a cold, soulless atmosphere at the indoor bar/lounge. While I know the White Lotus was fictional, the vibrant indoor bar experience they portrayed, with live music nearby, was much closer to what we hoped it would actually be like. To find such a lifeless area, with the nearby grand piano always empty and unused, was disappointing. ||||Making the bar worse was that the cocktail list was incredibly basic, offering just classics, with no creative or unique options. Even then, many of the classics were poorly executed. I expect a high-end hotel bar to also have a variety of bespoke specialty cocktails to offer. Food offerings were tiny and overpriced, just trying a little too hard and not ultimately being crowd-pleasing, so they looked better than they tasted. Finally, service at the bar was similar to the pool in being professional, but not warm. With the exception of one woman who helped us on our last night, the servers were oddly formal, not particularly friendly, and just unimpressive for a Four Seasons.||||In-room dining, however, was excellent. We had breakfast on our terrace each morning, which was beautifully set up by the same kind, helpful staff member. We appreciated the large, varied menu that included Sicilian specialties. I was also really impressed with how in-room dining handled our early departure for the airport at the end of our stay. The night before, I asked if there was anything we could have around 5:30 am, since it’s before the standard breakfast time. They were incredibly accommodating, and said we could pre-order anything on the breakfast menu and they’d make it early.||||As an anniversary surprise for my wife, I also booked the in-room fine dining experience that is offered in any room with a terrace. For €600, it included a four-course tasting menu for two prepared by the chef at Principe Cerami, plus a bottle of Bollinger Champagne. It was well worth it for us while traveling with a toddler, since we were able to schedule it such that dinner started after she was asleep, and she could sleep in the room while we enjoyed our meal right outside on the terrace. Setup was coordinated discreetly as a surprise, and our server handled the evening with warmth and care. During the meal, she did an excellent job of being present, but also not hovering, and the courses were well timed. She was also so careful not to disturb our daughter, which we appreciated. The food was some of the best we had at the hotel, apart from one raw langoustine course we didn’t love. We don’t typically eat raw shellfish other than oysters, and that wasn’t clear on the menu.||||Activities:||||Through the concierge, we booked a Mount Etna tour in a Land Rover with a driver/guide. The length of this tour was quoted at anywhere from two hours to a full day at the guest’s option I specifically asked if we could actually get a good tour of Mount Etna completed in two hours, since a short tour would work best for us with a toddler. The hotel assured me that we could do the tour in that time, but also specified that it was flexible en route, which sounded fine. On the tour, the guide was absolutely wonderful, sharing so much passion and interesting information about Sicily, but it was clear from the start that he was under the impression we were doing a much longer tour. He repeatedly suggested various ideas to add on to the tour, such as stopping at a winery, having lunch in a local village, etc., all of which sounded great, but were simply not what we were planning for this day. It takes nearly an hour just to reach Etna, making a 2-hour tour unrealistic. The whole experience lasted about 3.5 hours, and even with the undesired extra time, we spent more time driving than exploring, with just a couple of very short photo stops. While the views were striking and the terrain interesting, we didn’t get a ton out of it. The Four Seasons concierge could have done a much better job in being realistic about this tour. ||||Location:||||San Domenico Palace is perfectly located in Taormina, right in town, yet still maintaining some seclusion. You can walk to shopping and dining easily, but the hotel feels peaceful. Being up on a cliff, it lacks beach access (despite what the White Lotus suggests). If you want a beach, look at Belmond’s Villa Sant’Andrea, which sits by the sea, or Belmond’s Grand Hotel Timeo, which is in town like the Four Seasons, but has access to the beach at Villa Sant’Andrea with a shuttle between them. While we had some issues at Villa Sant’Andrea, its service was much stronger overall.||||Staff Service and White Lotus Influence:||||As mentioned previously, staff service is one area where San Domenico Palace felt inconsistent. When there was an issue or extraordinary situation to address, service was great, but day-to-day standard service was just ok. For the price and the brand, it needs to improve. Compared to other luxury properties we visited on this same trip, the service hiccups here stood out. ||||Our favorite Four Seasons property is the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat in the French Riviera, and this hotel reminded us of that one in many ways, being a grand historic property overlooking the sea. On paper, San Domenico Palace would seem just as good, if not better, but it didn’t quite reach the same level. The difference was absolutely related primarily to service, which just wasn’t uniformly at the same level here.||||The White Lotus connection is also not necessarily the positive that you’d think. While we visit Four Seasons properties often, and were aware of this property pre-White Lotus, I can’t deny that seeing it on the show made it top of mind for us too. However, the downside is that the hotel attracts a lot influencers as guests and tourists seeking photo ops, creating a staged, performative feel at times. Maybe that is why some staff members, especially in public areas, seemed disinterested. There’s also a noticeable “loud luxury” vibe from some guests, which isn’t our style. We would prefer a more understated crowd. None of this is really the hotel’s fault per se, but it’s a reality of staying here right now.||||Families with kids should also note that there’s no kids’ club, and fewer families in general than many Four Seasons properties. Our daughter was warmly welcomed, but we often felt like the only guests with a child, until our final day, when there were a good number of kids at the pool. We may have just hit it at the wrong timing our first couple nights, making us feel like the only family on property.||||Overall:||||We did enjoy our time at San Domenico Palace and loved discovering Sicily. The hotel is visually stunning and ideally located, with spectacular sea views and charming gardens. While we had memorable highlights, such as our private dinner and relaxing at the gorgeous pool and in the gardens with our daughter, service and food and beverage inconsistencies in particular kept it from reaching the Four Seasons standard we expect. I’m glad we had a chance to experience this iconic property, but there’s...
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