Four Seasons San Domenico Palace.

Perched on a rocky promontory 650 feet above the Ionian Sea, San Domenico Palace is a masterclass in historical layering. The property occupies a 14th-century Dominican convent, where original frescoes and vaulted ceilings now coexist with modern limestone finishes and an infinity pool cantilevered over the cliffside. The layout preserves the serenity of the medieval cloisters and fragrant citrus gardens, all while framing cinematic views of Mount Etna and the Bay of Taormina. While the hotel gained recent pop-culture fame as a filming location for *The White Lotus*, its substance lies in its sensory details—the scent of jasmine, the Michelin-starred Sicilian seafood at Principe Cerami, and the quiet drama of watching Etna’s silhouette from a private sea-facing terrace.