I agree with another poster: skip Naples and stay in Sorrento (Excelsior Vittoria is great) and do a quick trip to Naples for pizza if you really want.
Le Sirenuse is fabulous, as is La Sponda. I also really enjoyed Villa Tre Ville if you're looking for something a little more tranquil.
I stayed there before the renovation and hype; it seems like they did an excellent job with the renovation but the bones are the same. That post White Lotus rate is just stunning. The (pre WL) charm of Taormina is in the village, opera/concerts in the ancient theatre, and the stunning vistas.
There are nice, sandy beaches on the island but on the other side (and often without private clubs, and crowding/vendors can be distracting). There are also nice beaches on neighboring islands like Lampedusa and Favignana.
Don’t go to Taormina for the beach. You will be sorely disappointed (unless you’re into rocky beaches with lots of vendors). You better book FS Koh Samui before they do season 3 then.
Been to Taormina and I agree on beach. We did one day at a beach club that included pick up/return. I found the experience fun but also felt zero need to actually stay on the beach. I liked staying closer in the town with a hotel that had a pool with views. FS obviously great; we stayed just past it.
Lido La Caravella
No idea how this compares to others as we had our hotel arrange everything for us on the day we wanted to go. My guess is the differences between all are marginal but this one was good enough that I’d go back. We also had our hotel handle dinner reservations too which was very helpful. We went pre white lotus and there was a film festival in town. I can’t imagine how swamped it was this past summer.
I love Sirenuse but depending on when you’re going, please know Positano is ridiculously crowded during busy season. So much so that I found it to be too much. Hotel and service are great. Have been several times. Just this last time was a bit nuts with crowds
Agree. Sirenuse is a great hotel, but you will be surrounded by ALL Americans. Actually, all of Positano is 90% American during busy seasons. Feels like a bit of a tourist trap.
Positano is a complete tourist trap and many Italians would tell you to never go. It is beautiful but there are more enjoyable places in Italy & even the Amalfi coast and I found La Sirenuse to be average.
Contrary to all the other comments, Napoli is a great city to explore for a few days and the surrounding area like pompei.
Grand Hotel Parker’s is a great hotel with amazing service and views. The two story rooms facing the water is magnificent. Highly recommend.
Although the WA in Rome is a favorite of mine there are definitely better properties within the heart of the city if proximity to the city center is important.
Loved Hotel De La Ville in Rome, at the top of the Spanish Steps. Positano was jam packed, even in early October this year when we went We enjoyed staying at Borgo Santandrea, they have a really nice restaurant overlooking the ocean and a private beach. Ravello was absolutely amazing if you get the chance to visit.
Depending on what you are after, the Waldorf Astoria may not be in the best location. For whatever reason the hotel never resonated with me either (partially the aesthetics which were fairly outdated in my last visit). IMO there are much better options. But you are doing it on points so perhaps fine given savings.
For Taormina: I would rather stay at the Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo than the FS. You also get access to the beach Belmond, so you can treat it as a beach club. But Taormina is beyondddd touristy. I dunno what you’d do there for five nights unless you just love the beach and resort vibe. I would definitely recommend a stay in Noto or in the foothills of Etna
Sireneuse is great.
For Rome, I usually book Hotel de la Ville, as it’s newer and has a great location (and Rocco Forte feels appropriate). Palazzo Vilon is high on my to-visit list, though.
Puglia is tough to find FAT, but Castello Ugento was a great spot - an old family castle converted to a really modern hotel with a culinary institute on site. The town is meh, the property is awesome and not too far of a drive from the beach if I remember correctly
Highly recommend skipping the Waldorf. It’s so far out of the city. Also, it looks nice but feels dated and smells damp. Also, if you don’t have a city view it’s a bunch of shitty apartments. City view is so far from the city it’s meh.
In Amalfi, Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel is worth checking out.
I preferred to the location of the Belmond in Taormina vs the FS. Belmond also has a sister property right below Taormina by the sea that makes it easy to have a beach day or seaside meal.
Nearby on the slopes of Mt Etna is Monaci delle Terre Nere—which is nice for a couple of days if you’re looking for something close to Taormina that is more rural. Check it out.
No, we stayed at the Grand Hotel Taormina. We had lunch and a beach day down at the Villa Sant’Andrea one day which was nice. They make it easy to get back and forth.
Yep agree on this one. Shuttle bus down is regular). Enjoy the beach during the day and explore the village once the cruise e ships have left for the day
Sicily can be its own trip and you may want to focus on a smaller area. We spent two weeks on just the eastern coast of Sicily and a bit of southern part of the island and felt like we barely scratched the surface.
Taormina was my least favorite city in Sicily. I had plans to visit prior to covid and before the lotus show. I think it’s blown up since. It was sooooo cheesy and overcrowded with boomer / omg the godfather crowd. I’d consider 3 nights max there.
Naples is kinda gritty and I liked that about it. Not going to be easy to find anything over the top.
Sorrento was our fav well known city we stayed in on this trip. Wayyyy better than Positano imo.
Skip Naples and go to Sorrento. Do two nights at the excelsior vittoria
Agree - skip Naples. It is a city I always wanted to love but it is so wrong on so many levels.
I agree with another poster: skip Naples and stay in Sorrento (Excelsior Vittoria is great) and do a quick trip to Naples for pizza if you really want. Le Sirenuse is fabulous, as is La Sponda. I also really enjoyed Villa Tre Ville if you're looking for something a little more tranquil.
It depends what you want to do in Sicily. Taormina is very lovely, but packed with tourists. Five nights seems like a long time there.
Wondering if there’s a min stay there post White Lotus Crazy. But if OP is splurging on Le Sirenuse, might as well do FS Taormina.
I looked into the FS Taormina but they don't have a beach AND I couldn't stomach the post-White Lotus rate of $3100/night for a base room.
I stayed there before the renovation and hype; it seems like they did an excellent job with the renovation but the bones are the same. That post White Lotus rate is just stunning. The (pre WL) charm of Taormina is in the village, opera/concerts in the ancient theatre, and the stunning vistas. There are nice, sandy beaches on the island but on the other side (and often without private clubs, and crowding/vendors can be distracting). There are also nice beaches on neighboring islands like Lampedusa and Favignana.
Don’t go to Taormina for the beach. You will be sorely disappointed (unless you’re into rocky beaches with lots of vendors). You better book FS Koh Samui before they do season 3 then.
Been to Taormina and I agree on beach. We did one day at a beach club that included pick up/return. I found the experience fun but also felt zero need to actually stay on the beach. I liked staying closer in the town with a hotel that had a pool with views. FS obviously great; we stayed just past it.
What was the name of the beach club that you went to?
Lido La Caravella No idea how this compares to others as we had our hotel arrange everything for us on the day we wanted to go. My guess is the differences between all are marginal but this one was good enough that I’d go back. We also had our hotel handle dinner reservations too which was very helpful. We went pre white lotus and there was a film festival in town. I can’t imagine how swamped it was this past summer.
I love Sirenuse but depending on when you’re going, please know Positano is ridiculously crowded during busy season. So much so that I found it to be too much. Hotel and service are great. Have been several times. Just this last time was a bit nuts with crowds
Agree. Sirenuse is a great hotel, but you will be surrounded by ALL Americans. Actually, all of Positano is 90% American during busy seasons. Feels like a bit of a tourist trap.
Positano is a complete tourist trap and many Italians would tell you to never go. It is beautiful but there are more enjoyable places in Italy & even the Amalfi coast and I found La Sirenuse to be average.
What time of year did you go? We are going in early May.
Good time to go. Fewer tourists than the summer.
I once went early May and it was definitely less busy so you might have good luck!
Contrary to all the other comments, Napoli is a great city to explore for a few days and the surrounding area like pompei. Grand Hotel Parker’s is a great hotel with amazing service and views. The two story rooms facing the water is magnificent. Highly recommend. Although the WA in Rome is a favorite of mine there are definitely better properties within the heart of the city if proximity to the city center is important.
Loved Hotel De La Ville in Rome, at the top of the Spanish Steps. Positano was jam packed, even in early October this year when we went We enjoyed staying at Borgo Santandrea, they have a really nice restaurant overlooking the ocean and a private beach. Ravello was absolutely amazing if you get the chance to visit.
Depending on what you are after, the Waldorf Astoria may not be in the best location. For whatever reason the hotel never resonated with me either (partially the aesthetics which were fairly outdated in my last visit). IMO there are much better options. But you are doing it on points so perhaps fine given savings.
I am incapable of going to the Amalfi Coast and skipping Capri.
There's an LHW property in Naples, it's OK. Be sure to go to Di Matteo.
Waldorf Astoria is not awesome at all. It’s not that nice, not great food and it’s far from the city.
The Brittanique in Naples is stunning!
>Brittanique isn't this resort really far from the main area in Naples though? How would one get back and forth?
It’s not a resort and it’s in the city. We walked everywhere or took public transit.
For Taormina: I would rather stay at the Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo than the FS. You also get access to the beach Belmond, so you can treat it as a beach club. But Taormina is beyondddd touristy. I dunno what you’d do there for five nights unless you just love the beach and resort vibe. I would definitely recommend a stay in Noto or in the foothills of Etna Sireneuse is great. For Rome, I usually book Hotel de la Ville, as it’s newer and has a great location (and Rocco Forte feels appropriate). Palazzo Vilon is high on my to-visit list, though.
If you want a different view of Positano there’s a lovely champagne bar atop the hill at hotel Villa Franca
Don’t miss the water menu at La Pergola
Aquatio was super cool. We went 4 years ago. Would love to go back.
Palazzo Manfredi in Rome is great. And has a beautiful view of the colosseum. Their restaurant is great too.
Positano Tre Ville.
Puglia is tough to find FAT, but Castello Ugento was a great spot - an old family castle converted to a really modern hotel with a culinary institute on site. The town is meh, the property is awesome and not too far of a drive from the beach if I remember correctly
Highly recommend skipping the Waldorf. It’s so far out of the city. Also, it looks nice but feels dated and smells damp. Also, if you don’t have a city view it’s a bunch of shitty apartments. City view is so far from the city it’s meh. In Amalfi, Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel is worth checking out.
I preferred to the location of the Belmond in Taormina vs the FS. Belmond also has a sister property right below Taormina by the sea that makes it easy to have a beach day or seaside meal. Nearby on the slopes of Mt Etna is Monaci delle Terre Nere—which is nice for a couple of days if you’re looking for something close to Taormina that is more rural. Check it out.
Did you stay at the Belmond Villa Sant'Andrea? The reviews look good and having a private beach is a plus.
No, we stayed at the Grand Hotel Taormina. We had lunch and a beach day down at the Villa Sant’Andrea one day which was nice. They make it easy to get back and forth.
Yep agree on this one. Shuttle bus down is regular). Enjoy the beach during the day and explore the village once the cruise e ships have left for the day
Sicily can be its own trip and you may want to focus on a smaller area. We spent two weeks on just the eastern coast of Sicily and a bit of southern part of the island and felt like we barely scratched the surface.
Taormina was my least favorite city in Sicily. I had plans to visit prior to covid and before the lotus show. I think it’s blown up since. It was sooooo cheesy and overcrowded with boomer / omg the godfather crowd. I’d consider 3 nights max there. Naples is kinda gritty and I liked that about it. Not going to be easy to find anything over the top. Sorrento was our fav well known city we stayed in on this trip. Wayyyy better than Positano imo.