Justine Gosling

Perched dramatically on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea with Mount Etna occasionally smoking quietly or violently spewing molten lava in the distance, stepping foot in San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel, feels like a big screen cinematic moment. These views and plenty of drama were squeezed onto our small screens when the hotel was the setting for the wildly popular Second HBO series of the White Lotus. After years of restoration and meticulous care, the 14th-century former Dominican convent re-opened as a hotel in 2021 and has since become the island’s hottest spot. Now, hordes of tourists wait outside in the entrance in the hope of catching a glimpse of A-listers. Some looked a little disappointed when I walked in.  Why stay at San Domenico Palace?  During the five centuries when San Domenico Palace was a convent, its residents were focused on a life of quiet contemplation. But when the convent was expanded to become a hotel in 1896, it quickly became a lively and ultra glamorous destination for the world’s rich and famous, an atmosphere its sustained into the 21st century.  During the Taormina film festival, the Palace is where the big stars stay. Elizabeth Taylor apparently threw furniture at Richard Burton in their suite during a row, whilst Audrey Hepburn, Oscar Wilde, King Edward VIII, Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise are just a few of the big names who may have slept in the same room as you. Unsurprisingly, the hotel exudes exclusivity and glamour. The