It’s

It’s
not hard to find a room with a view in Taormina because
every corner of the Sicilian seaside town is photogenic. With
narrow cobbled streets, soft light and a pastel palette, even if
you don’t score a room that’s sea-facing, you’ll be just as happy
with one that’s wall-facing – and draped in purple
bougainvillea.

You’d be happier still at Villa Ducale. From its vantage point
on a hill in uptown Taormina, the hotel opens out onto a sweeping
panorama of Mount Etna, the azure waters of the Ionian Sea and a
hillside scattered with terracotta-tiled houses and prickly pear
cactuses. So much more than a room with a view, Villa Ducale is
first and foremost a view – that just happens to have 19 rooms.

This family-run boutique is owned by Rosaria and Andrea
Quartucci, whose mother owned and lived in the property until 25
years ago. The villa has been lovingly restored and maintains a
sense of old-world charm with traditional service and classic
furnishings. The rooms are dotted about the property on different
levels but guests are invited to spend time on the sun deck and in
the dining and living rooms (a complimentary tea service from 5-6PM
and an antipasti buffet from 7-8PM makes the offer difficult to
refuse). Out of all the communal spaces,

Villa Ducale’s open-air dining room steals the show. The food is
exceptional and the space seems made for long lunches and even
longer dinners. You’re a little bit out the main town – but the
25-minute walk into Taormina is the least you can do towards
working off all that pasta and cannoli.

Rooms

With a cream palette and dark wood furnishing, Villa Ducale’s 19
rooms are classic and elegant. Bathrooms are spacious and equipped
with enormous showers. Suites comes with a living area and back
onto private terraces with a jacuzzi.

What’s for breakfast?

Breakfast is a lesson in Sicilian cooking. Begin with thick
slices of orange and grapefruit so sweet you’ll feel like you’ve
stocked up on Vitamin C for the rest of year. Follow with your pick
from a savoury buffet with local cheese, aubergine parmigiana,
stuffed tomatoes and more. To finish, a table groans under cakes
and pastries (starting with chocolate torte and ending in cannoli –
Sicilian pastry filled with ricotta and dusted with pistachios).
There’s a selection of cereals too but why bother?

How about lunch and dinner?

The food at Villa Ducale is more than worth staying in for. At
lunchtime, the hotel serves a pared down version of a seasonal
three-course menu, but one pasta dish is probably enough – the
spaghetti with Italian speck red chicory and Nero D’Avola DOC wine
is delicious.

The dinner menu is divided into antipasti, a pasta course and
then fish and meat mains. The caserecce pasta with sardines,
fennel, pine nuts and sultanas makes a nice intro before pistachio
crusted lamb chops with artichokes and caper berries. The white
fish timbale with aubergine, ricotta, dried tomatoes and orange
zest is also excellent.

Is there a bar?

Yes – it’s extremely well stocked and reasonable too. Between 7
and 8PM there’s a complimentary antipasti buffet (including
bruschetta, local cheese and hams) to accompany your aperitif.

Amenities

Rooftop terrace, complimentary tea from 5-6PM, complimentary
antipasti between 6-7PM, free wifi, concierge, shuttle bus service
to and from Taormina. The staff are extremely friendly and will
help craft your itinerary – don’t miss a day spent exploring Mount
Etna with Alternativetna and the beautiful Fishetti winery
on the volcano’s slopes.

Things you should know

Book your return shuttle bus from town. Villa Ducale has a
sister property called Villa Carlotta which is located just steps away from
the buzzy centre of Taormina and a short walk from Isola Bella
beach.

Within a short walk you can find…

Pizzeria Al Saraceno – for high-end modern Italian food to the
backdrop of Etna. Castelmola – a tiny village floating 1,800ft
above sea level with panoramic views over mountain, sea and sky.
Via Leonardo Da Vinci, 60, Taormina ME, Italy Villa Ducale is a
member of Hip
Hotels