Orient-Express Opens Two Hotels in Sicily

Orient-Express has extended its Italian collection of iconic hotels to Sicily, with two of the most prestigious hotels on the legendary island – the Grand Hotel Timeo and Villa Sant’Andrea in the coastal resort of Taormina.

Upon their acquisition in January 2010, Orient-Express closed both hotels, as it does its existing Italian properties over winter, in order to upgrade key facilities and enlarge guest rooms and bathrooms. The hotels have now reopened to Orient-Express standards.

The 72-room Grand Hotel Timeo is widely considered to be one of the most luxurious hotels in Taormina, perched on a 200-metre high outcrop called Monte Tauro overlooking the majestic Bay of Naxos on Sicily’s east coast.

The hotel is located next to an ancient Greek amphitheatre in an expansive private park and is famed for its “Literary Terrace” offering spectacular views. Famed authors such as Oscar Wilde, D.H.Lawrence and Tennessee Williams have all drawn inspiration from this romantic hotel.

Guests can enjoy a complimentary shuttle to the nearby beach of Mazzarò.

The 65-room Villa Sant’Andrea in Taormina Mare is nearby, but on the shore of its own private beach – considered one of the most beautiful in all Italy – the Bay of Mazzarò.

Built by an aristocratic English family in 1830 and surrounded by a landscaped park, Villa Sant’Andrea is also considered one of the most beautiful resorts in both Sicily and Italy, with an elegant yet informal atmosphere.

Most rooms & suites have balconies or terraces with a sea view. The hotel’s signature Oliviero Restaurant is renowned for seafood specialties. Villa Sant'Andrea also features an elegant Beach Bar, along with banqueting and meeting facilities.

Elsewhere in Italy, Orient-Express Hotels operates four other hotels: the former 15th-century Franciscan monastery Villa San Michele with sweeping views of the famous skyline of Florence; Hotel Cipriani in Venice, on the tip of Giudecca island, an oasis of calm just a short, spectacular boat ride from St Marks Square; luxurious Hotel Caruso Belvedere, a former 11th century palace on the Amalfi Coast; and Hotel Splendido and Splendido Mare, on the bay of Portofino in the heart of the Italian Riviera.

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