I always love wandering into those fancy hotels that, well, frankly I can’t afford to stay at — but that doesn’t mean I can’t afford to grab a drink and soak in the over-the-top atmosphere. One of my favorite places I’ve ever wandered into is the Grand Hotel Timeo, located in Taormina, Sicily.
Taormina is located on the northeastern coast of Sicily and has been a popular tourist destination since the 19th century, when it was discovered by artists, who fell in love with the sea, mountains, and ruins that make the area what it is. All of that’s still there, and the area has retained a very ‘Grand Tour’ vibe.
The Grand Hotel Timeo embodies all of this and more, and is located cliffside, just beneath a Greek amphitheater, with breathtaking views out over the bay and Mount Etna in the distance. Sweeping terraces overlook extensive gardens, and the whole place is pretty romantic and unreal, if you ask me.
I spent the entire afternoon here, set up on their dinning terrace. See that picture up there? That was my view. Spectacular. I spent a few hours taking it all in, enjoying the quiet pace of things, and the key to my successful afternoon was really just pretending like I was supposed to be there.
Total cost of this “high class” experience? One iced tea.
Oh, and the view at night is equally spectacular — check it out:
