‘White Lotus’ Season Finale, Golden Globe Noms, and the Fab San Domenico Palace
The first season of the HBO series White Lotus took viewers to the luxe Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, and for the second season, armchair travelers were transported to the San Domenico Palace in Taormina, Sicily – where all the drama and steamy sex went down.
Oddly enough, I made a trip to Italy, which included a couple of days in Sicily, last September and spent a few days at the Grand Hotel Mazzaró Sea Palace, located on the bay with views of the Ionian Sea. But a travel advisor friend suggested I take a tour of the San Domenico Palace. Before going deepe
Before going deeper into the details about the Four Seasons Hotel, you should know that today, the second season of White Lotus received Golden Globe noms for Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. F. Murray Abraham got a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series, and both Aubrey Plaza and Jennifer Coolidge received nominations in the same category – Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series.
The second installment of the White Lotus had LGBTQ+-ally and actress Jennifer Coolidge reprises her role, but as newly married Tanya McQuoid-Hunt along with her beau turn husband Greg, played by Jon Gries. No spoilers, but there are definitely some interesting dramatic twists and turns for season 2, including the weird mindf*ck between hot eye candy Ethan Spiller (Will Sharpe), Harper (Aubrey Plaza), Cameron Sullivan (Theo James), and Daphne Sullivan (Meghann Fahey). The drama doesn’t stop there! Murder, a sex worker scam, a closeted hotel manager, and a questionable uncle and nephew relationship – all made this season of White Lotus better than its first.
If you haven’t seen the show, bare minimum, you should check out the season 2 trailer below, which shows off beautiful interior and exterior shots of the new White Lotus property and the beautiful town of Taormina. Get into it! And you can’t miss the main star, the San Domenico Palace, perched on a rocky cliff with panoramic views of Mount Etna and the ancient Greek theater – in real life of course.
With origins dating back to 1374, the classic Dominican convent was expanded in 1896 to become a hotel. For more than a century, San Domenico Palace has welcomed some of the world’s most famous guests, including Oscar Wilde, King Edward VIII, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, and Sophia Loren.
Now, as a Four Seasons-owned property, this hotel has started a new era, featuring three restaurants and two bars, including the Anciovi, Principe Cerami, and Bar & Chiostro; a clifftop infinity pool overlooking Taormina Bay; two cloistered courtyards and manicured and shaded Italian gardens; a fitness center; and Botanica Spa, which offers nature-based treatments.
As soon as you walk into the gated entrance of the hotel, you know you’ve entered a next-level travel destination. It was pretty quiet when I visited it because people were still a little nervous about traveling, but there were quite a few people at the pool soaking in the sun, taking a dip, or just enjoying some much-needed rest on a comfy lounger.
The hotel closes for the season between November 28, 2022, and March 13, 2023. Expect to pay around $800 per night in a guest room without a view. In addition to guest rooms, San Domenico Palace also has suites with separate sleeping and living spaces, and specialty suites perfect for extended stays with family and friends.
Check out more photos of the hotel below for more travel inspiration and plan your trip to Taormina, Sicily! And don’t forget to watch the premiere of the second season of White Lotus on HBO and HBO Max, Sunday, October 30, at 9 pm EST.
Now, that the season is over, there’s speculation that season 3 may take place in the Far East… we’re thinking Asia. What exotic travel destination or posh resort would you like to see guests check into or travel to next?
