The White Lotus has finally returned for season 2, with HBO’s 10-time Emmy-winning social satire taking its talents to Sicily. This time, we observe a fresh group of holidayers and hotel staff at the fictional hospitality brand’s latest luxurious property, San Domenico Palace in Taormina. While the protagonists and their problems may be fake, this historic site is far from it. Now a Four Seasons Hotel, the deluxe clifftop retreat overlooks the Ionian Sea with stunning views of the active Mount Etna volcano and an ancient Greek theatre called Teatro Antico di Taormina, built in the early seventh century BC.
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The White Lotus Season 2 | Image: HBO
After transporting viewers to a fictional five-star hotel in Hawaii in its first season (filmed at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea), it’s easy to see why the Mediterranean hotel was chosen for the next chapter. The travelling cast checked into what was originally a 14th-century convent, first transformed into a hotel in 1986. Monk cells were converted into guest rooms in the Ancient Convent Wing, and a Grand Hotel Wing – designed in Italian liberty style – was added.
The glamourous digs quickly attracted European aristocrats, industrialists such as J.P. Morgan Jr and the second Baron Rothschild, and famous writers such as Oscar Wilde, Anatole France, and Thomas Mann. Over the years, Hollywood heavyweights – from Ingrid Bergman, Ava Gardner, and Audrey Hepburn to Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Sophie Loren, and Walter Matthau – have also vacationed at the exclusive getaway.
Image: Peter Vitale/Four Seasons
Four Seasons hospitality company assumed management of the Gruppo Statuto property in 2020. Since then, San Domenico has undergone a multimillion-dollar makeover by a team of Italian consultants. At the helm was architect Valentina Pisani, adding a modern take to its interiors with smoked mirrors, bronze details, and neutral tones with spots of colour in public spaces, as well as classic contemporary furnishings in the guest rooms with marble baths. Historical art restoration specialist Rosaria Catania Cucchiara guided a team that rehabilitated museum-quality artwork – frescos, status, and medieval paintings – plus architectural details, such as arcades, columns and vaulted ceilings.
Italian landscape architect Marco Bay created lush palm tree-filled spaces in gardens where monks once cultivated medicinal plants. He also added a citrus grove and sculptural succulents in terracotta vases in the front courtyard and a stone floor in one of two ancient cloistered courtyards. As for the new elevated 69-foot infinity pool, Bay used tiles in shades of blue and green to reflect the sea and sky.
Image: Peter Vitale/Four Seasons
The lavish 111-room hotel and spa boast numerous rooms with private terraces, plunge pools and volcano views. It also has three bars and three restaurants, including award-winning Principe Cerami, which serves local Sicilian dishes. “We saw a lot of properties in France and Italy,” the show’s creator, Mike White, told Architectural Digest. “Many of them were small and wouldn’t photograph very well. But when we went to the San Domenico…there was just something about it.” The converted convent “had a real vibe.”
For those keen to experience the historic site, rooms begin at USD$900 to USD$1435 per night; suites start at USD$1535 to USD$5200 per night. The first episode of The White Lotus season 2, starring Jennifer Coolidge, Michael Imperioli, Theo James and Audrey Plaza, is out now, with episodes dropping weekly on Binge. Check out more images below.
Image: Peter Vitale/Four Seasons
Image: Peter Vitale/Four Seasons
Image: Peter Vitale/Four Seasons
Image: Peter Vitale/Four Seasons
Image: Peter Vitale/Four Seasons
Image: Peter Vitale/Four Seasons
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