By Lucy Richardson, Editor
Let’s face it, despite all the shady characters and gritty murders, the latest series of The White Lotus has made us all want to drop everything, flee to Sicily, and lord it up at a lavish Italian palazzo. Season 2 of The White Lotus was filmed in a bunch of our favourite Sicilian places and, lo and behold, you can actually stay in some of the super-swish palazzi there. Just promise us you won’t get on any luxury yachts with questionable strangers, ok?
1 Hotel Villa Carlotta, Taormina
Hotel Villa Carlotta has all the best bits of The White Lotus: glittering Ionian views, candlelit dining, beach club access, and a bijou pool nestling in Taormina’s lushly forested cliffs. You get 270-degree views of Etna from the roof terrace, and rooms with Juliet balconies that survey the scene.
But, unlike The White Lotus, there is nothing snooty about this hotel; guests are treated as friends here, and its small size – a rare treat in Taormina – means you get warm, smiling service.
Handsome Taormina is the spectacular setting of The White Lotus hotel in season 2. The town’s flower-filled streets are an easy stroll from Hotel Villa Carlotta, as is the beautifully sited Greek amphitheatre and the golden sands of Isola Bella – sip Aperol spritz in the sunshine here like the cast of The White Lotus.
A short drive from town will take you to Castello degli Schiavi, the elegant mansion where the Di Grasso boys lunched with Portia, but which also features repeatedly in The Godfather films. It’s privately owned, but local guides offer tours.
2 Gagliardi Boutique Hotel, Noto
If, like Daphne, you’re just dying to see “No-doh” (Noto), then stay at the Gagliardi Boutique Hotel. It’s housed in an 18th-century palazzo, much like the one Daphne and Harper spent the night at on their girls’ trip. Sicilian art and design decorate the interior – every room features changing contemporary exhibitions. But the showstopper is the rooftop terrace-bar, directly in front of the cathedral, offering 360-degree views of Noto.
This UNESCO-listed town is one of our absolute favourites in Sicily. It’s packed with grand Baroque architecture, honey-coloured churches, sleepy cobbled lanes, and superb restaurants and cake shops. And the magnificent cathedral, which features in the show and is right next to Gagliardi Hotel, is a sight to behold.
3 Palazzo Natoli Boutique Hotel, Palermo
Palermo is the seductive Sicilian capital where Quentin and Tanya party in his palazzo.
If you want a slice of the fun (minus the narcotics and raunchiness), stay at Palazzo Natoli Boutique Hotel. It was here that prolific Sicilian writer Luigi Natoli built a sumptuous abode in which he penned his most famous works. Beautifully restored rooms have smart and stylish décor; some have chandeliers and frescoed ceilings, others gilded mirrors. And genuine effort goes into the lavish breakfasts.
You’re slap bang in the pulsing heart of Palermo, a city that is shaking the dust off its recent past and breathing new life into its crumbling palazzi. Admire the art in the pop-up galleries, drink in the pop-up bars, and wander the Vucciria, Ballarò and del Capo street markets. But remember: avoid the yachts.
4 Palazzo Marletta Hotel, Catania
Catania features briefly at the very end of the season, when Jack drops Portia at the airport. Sadly, this scene doesn’t paint the city in a kind light, but you’d be a fool to bypass it. It’s gritty, buzzy and authentic: a tonic to some of the more refined Baroque towns of the south-east.
Stay at the Palazzo Marletta Hotel, a boutique oasis that’s every bit as grand as its Baroque surroundings. The Deluxe rooms are the ones to pick; they hint at the old grandeur and history of the building, each with frescoed ceilings, chandeliers and balconies with Duomo views. The decor is flamboyant and lavish – just what you’d expect from an old palazzo. And host Renato is smiley, welcoming and a total delight.
A short stroll from the hotel will take you to the Cathedral of Saint Agatha, a host of museums, the world-famous fish market, a plethora of Baroque churches, and the eye-popping Teatro Massimo Bellini – channel your inner Tanya and catch an opera here if you can (avoid Madama Butterfly – let’s not tempt fate).
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