Hotel Sporting Baia - Villa Athena

We'd come back. The front desk kindly chilled a special bottle of wine for us when we asked. The rooms looked recently renovated, were very clean, and had nice finishes and a large bathroom. We loved the balcony views. It's close to the water, and the location made it easy to drive into and out of Taormina and Mt Etna.

The hard bed made for ten nights of barely resting, and beach parties went on until morning, so sleep was a real problem. Staff weren't very helpful either. We wanted to use the pool, but they only pointed us to an Italian phone number for information, which would have cost us extra to call, so we gave up. When I asked about an iron, the receptionist just said, "we don't have any," then turned back to other work. Odd for a place that calls itself a four-star hotel. The room was clean and the shower was great. Breakfast was okay, though not what I'd expect from a hotel claiming four stars, and the Wi-Fi was poor enough that my mobile data worked better. We paid €23 for two beach beds and an umbrella, but nobody told us we could only use the first five rows by paying extra at the Lido. We only found that out once we got to the beach. I wouldn't recommend it.

Aug 2025 - Couple I was nervous after seeing Google reviews that ranged from very bad to very good, but our stay was very positive. The location was excellent, our room was quiet, and it was already clean a little before check-in. Breakfast was good, and we had a great time at the SPA, including a massage, pedicure, sauna and pool. It would have been nice to have scrambled eggs at breakfast. The bacon also seemed more like another kind of ham. I'd recommend the hotel.

This was our second stay, and we'd be happy to visit again next year. We were very glad they honored the deposit we'd paid before Covid, when we couldn't travel from Australia. The hotel makes it clear at check-in that the lido isn't part of the property. We stayed a week with three friends. Our rooms were lovely and clean, with fresh towels every day, and the reception desk was always helpful. When I needed a doctor, they promptly suggested several in the Taormina area. There was plenty to eat at breakfast, with a good selection. It's budget friendly and well located, though it's not the Ritz. We especially liked the beautician in the building, who gave the best massage and pedicure.