Venue Spotlight · Taormina, Messina
Excelsior Palace TaorminaA Sea-View Hotel Wedding Venue in Taormina, Sicily
A historic hotel in a Mediterranean park above the Bay of Naxos, with Taormina, the sea and Mount Etna all around: dinner by the pool, dancing under the trees and rooms for your guests, a short walk from the town centre.
Plan your wedding at Excelsior Palace with usIndependent Venue Spotlight
An independent Venue Spotlight by Marry Me in Sicily. We’re wedding planners, not the venue: we don’t own, run or represent Excelsior Palace Taormina, and this isn’t its official website. We’re simply sharing a place we love and helping couples plan their day there.
Where
Taormina, Messina
Views
The sea, Taormina & Mount Etna
Stay
85 hotel rooms on site
Ceremony
Civil at nearby Palazzo Duchi
Sicily Wedding Venues We Love
A Hotel Wedding in Taormina
Our first three spotlights are countryside venues. The Excelsior Palace is something different: a historic hotel that has been welcoming guests in Taormina since 1904, set on a promontory just outside the old town, in a Moorish-style building surrounded by its own Mediterranean park.
The park is full of century-old cypresses, pines and ficus trees, with views over the Bay of Naxos, the town and Mount Etna, and a large panoramic swimming pool at its heart. For a wedding, that means a candlelit dinner under the stars or a reception by the pool, then simply head up to your room at the end of the night: everything in one place, with Taormina on your doorstep.
Where Is the Excelsior Palace?
A Wedding Venue a Short Walk from Corso Umberto
The hotel is on Via Toselli, at the edge of Taormina’s historic centre. Corso Umberto, the town’s main street, is about a six-minute walk away, and the Greek Theatre around ten minutes on foot, so guests can wander into town for a granita or an evening passeggiata between celebrations.
Most guests fly into Catania airport, about an hour away by road. Taormina is one of the most beautiful places in Sicily for a destination wedding, with Isola Bella, boat trips along the coast and day trips up Mount Etna for anyone who makes a holiday of it.
A Real Wedding We Planned Here
A Taormina Wedding by the Sea: Tia & Tom
Tia and Tom were married in Taormina in September 2025, and it is a real wedding we planned. Their civil ceremony took place in the gardens of Palazzo Duchi di Santo Stefano, one of Taormina’s most historic buildings and just a short walk from the hotel.
Then everyone made their way to the Excelsior Palace for the reception. There was music from Sicilian folk musicians, a long candlelit table beside the pool, a first dance in the gardens under the trees and lights, and the cake cut as the night went on, with the sea and the lights of the coast in the distance. You can watch it all in Tia & Tom’s wedding film.
Film stills: Master Photographers
Wedding Spaces
A Park, a Pool & a View
Most of the magic happens outdoors, in the hotel’s park, around the pool and on the terraces looking out over the coast.
The Mediterranean Park
A historic garden of century-old cypresses, pines and ficus trees: a beautiful, shaded setting for aperitivo, photos and dinner.
The Panoramic Pool
A large pool with views towards Etna, perfect for a reception or a candlelit dinner beside the water once the lights come on.
The Terraces
Views over the Bay of Naxos and the coast, lovely at sunset and magical once the lights of the coastline come on.
Etna on the Horizon
Mount Etna, the town of Taormina and Castelmola all form part of the view from the park.
Rooms for Your Guests
85 hotel rooms, with views of Taormina, the sea or Etna, so you and your guests can celebrate and stay.
An Indoor Events Room
The Etna room hosts events for up to around 100 guests, useful to know when planning a wet-weather back-up.
Gallery
Moments at the Excelsior Palace
Film stills: Master Photographers
A Hotel Wedding
Celebrate and Stay, All in One Place
This is the joy of a hotel wedding in Sicily: with 85 rooms on site, many of your guests can stay right where the party is, wake up to views of the sea or Etna and wander down to the pool the next morning.
There is no need for late-night transfers, and the hotel’s own team looks after rooms, restaurant and service under one roof. We will help you check availability for your dates and work out the best arrangement for your group.
Beyond the Wedding Day
Taormina on Your Doorstep
Because the hotel is a short walk from the historic centre, your guests can make a proper holiday of it: the shops and cafés of Corso Umberto, the Greek Theatre, and evenings in the piazzas above the sea.
Further afield there are the beaches below the town, boat trips to Isola Bella and day trips up Etna. We can help with welcome drinks, excursions and transfers from Catania airport, so the whole trip feels looked after.
Ceremonies
A Civil Ceremony at Palazzo Duchi, Nearby
Civil weddings in Taormina can be celebrated at Palazzo Duchi di Santo Stefano, a medieval palace with a garden owned by the town, just a short walk from the hotel. That is exactly what Tia and Tom did: vows in the Palazzo gardens, then on to the Excelsior to celebrate.
The hotel’s own wedding pages also mention symbolic ceremonies, and we will tell you what is possible for your date. We guide you through the legal paperwork, and our legal documents guide explains the basics.
Food & Wine
In-House Banqueting
The hotel has its own restaurant, serving traditional Sicilian and international dishes made with local, km 0 ingredients, and an in-house banqueting service for weddings and events. At Tia and Tom’s reception that meant a candlelit buffet and a long table by the pool. We will help you shape the menu, the wines and every moment around them.
Why We Love It
Sea Views and Taormina Charm
That View
The Bay of Naxos, the coast and Mount Etna, from a park on a promontory above the sea.
Celebrate and Stay
85 rooms on site make it easy to bring everyone together under one roof.
Walk into Taormina
The historic centre, Corso Umberto and the Greek Theatre are all within walking distance.
A Historic Ceremony Nearby
Exchange vows in the gardens of Palazzo Duchi, then celebrate at the Excelsior, just as Tia and Tom did.
Destination Weddings from the UK
Your Excelsior Palace Wedding, Planned from Start to Finish
We have been planning weddings in Sicily since 2010. Lina looks after you in English from the UK, while her aunt Sabina is on the ground in Sicily, so every detail is checked in person.
We take care of everything, from the legal paperwork and the civil ceremony to suppliers, flowers, music, photography, guest rooms and transfers, right through to coordinating the day itself. See how it all came together for Tia & Tom in Taormina, read more about Taormina weddings and browse Our Weddings.
Common Questions
Excelsior Palace Taormina FAQs
The Excelsior Palace is on Via Toselli, on a promontory at the edge of Taormina’s historic centre in the province of Messina, eastern Sicily. Corso Umberto is about a six-minute walk away, the Greek Theatre about ten minutes on foot, and Catania airport about an hour by road.
Yes. The hotel’s park looks out over the Bay of Naxos and the Ionian coast, with Mount Etna, the town of Taormina and Castelmola also in view. The hotel rooms have views of Taormina, the sea or Etna.
Civil weddings in Taormina can be celebrated at Palazzo Duchi di Santo Stefano, a historic palace with a garden just a short walk from the hotel. Tia and Tom had their civil ceremony in the Palazzo gardens and then celebrated at the Excelsior. The hotel also mentions symbolic ceremonies, and we will tell you what is possible for your date. Our legal documents guide explains the basics.
Yes. It is a hotel with 85 rooms, with views of Taormina, the sea or Etna, so you and many of your guests can stay where you celebrate. Contact us and we will check availability for your dates.
Receptions take place outdoors in the hotel’s Mediterranean park, by the panoramic pool and on the terraces. Tia and Tom had a candlelit dinner beside the pool and their first dance in the gardens. There is also an indoor events room, the Etna room, for up to around 100 guests.
The hotel has its own restaurant, with traditional Sicilian and international dishes made with local ingredients, and an in-house banqueting service for weddings and events.
Yes, if you want sea views, a historic setting and your guests staying in one place. With a park, a pool and rooms on site, all a short walk from the centre of Taormina, it is one of our favourite hotel wedding venues in Sicily.
Simply get in touch with your preferred dates and guest numbers. Contact us for current rates and availability; we will check dates with the hotel for you and plan every detail with you from there.
Explore More
Discover more wedding venues in Sicily we love, including La Chiusa Country House near Noto, Borgo del Carato near Siracusa and Casale degli Aranci near Castellammare del Golfo, read about Taormina weddings or browse Our Weddings.
Plan Your Wedding at Excelsior Palace with Us
Tell us your dates and guest numbers, and we will come back to you with current rates and availability and help you plan every detail.
Plan your wedding at Excelsior Palace with usAbout this page: this Venue Spotlight is an independent feature by Marry Me in Sicily, a wedding planning company. We don’t own, run or represent Excelsior Palace Taormina, and this is not the venue’s official website. For the venue’s own information, visit excelsiorpalacetaormina.it.