UNAHOTELS Naxos Beach Sicilia is not a boutique hideaway and does not pretend to be one. It is a large four-star resort spread across a park of citrus trees on the bay of Giardini Naxos, a few kilometres below Taormina, with a private beach, four pools, padel and tennis under floodlights, kids clubs for every age and buffet dining for hundreds of guests. It traded until a few years ago as Atahotel Naxos Beach. My one-line verdict: arguably the most practical sporty family base near Taormina, as long as you accept resort scale and four-star finish rather than five-star polish.
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Quick facts: UNAHOTELS Naxos Beach Sicilia
- Location: on the beach at Giardini Naxos, province of Messina, about 6 to 7 km below Taormina on Sicily’s east coast.
- Rooms: around 640. The group’s 2026 factsheet lists 636 (189 sea view Premium rooms in the main building and 447 Superior rooms in garden villas); some booking platforms show 642.
- Category and price level: four stars, mid-range for the Taormina area, sold mostly with half board, full board or all inclusive.
- Season: a seasonal resort, roughly spring to autumn. Beach service runs from 1 May to 30 September 2026. Closing dates for 2026 and opening dates for 2027 are not published, so ask the hotel.
- Nearest airport: Catania Fontanarossa, about 60 km, roughly one hour by car.
- Best for: families, mixed groups of players who want padel and tennis daily, and travellers who want Taormina within reach without Taormina prices.
Check prices and availability
Sea view Premium rooms in the main building and family rooms in the villas go first in July and August. Compare dates and board options before you commit.
Location and getting there
The resort occupies a park of around 13 to 14 hectares planted with citrus trees, directly on the sand and pebble beach of Giardini Naxos. This is the bay you see from Taormina’s terraces. The centre of Giardini Naxos is about 2 km away.
Taormina is roughly 6 to 7 km up the hill. The hotel runs a shuttle to Taormina on request for a small extra charge, which saves you the notoriously difficult parking in town.
Catania Fontanarossa airport is about 60 km away. Allow around an hour by car in normal traffic via the A18 motorway, longer on summer Saturdays. The hotel does not publish its own airport shuttle, so book a private transfer or hire a car; our guide to Catania airport transfers to Taormina and Syracuse compares the options.
Rooms
With around 640 rooms, this is one of the largest resorts on Sicily’s east coast, and there are two very different room products.
- Premium rooms (main building): 189 rooms over four floors, all with a balcony and a front or side sea view. The 2026 factsheet describes them as renovated, and they are the rooms to book if the view matters. Interconnecting rooms are available on request, which is the main option for a family of four who want the sea.
- Superior rooms (villas): 447 rooms in low-rise villas of 9 to 12 rooms each, scattered through the gardens. They face the garden rather than the sea. Twins are on the ground or first floor, triples on the ground floor only.
- Villa family rooms: on the first floor, with two separate bedrooms and one bathroom, sleeping up to four plus a cot.
All rooms have air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, a safe, a fridge and a balcony or terrace. Expect functional, bright resort design rather than designer interiors, and note that guest reviews in 2026 praise renovated main building rooms while some still describe villa furnishings as dated. Small pets up to 25 kg are accepted in the villa rooms only, for a fee.
Dining
Most guests book half board, full board or the all inclusive supplement, and dining is organised around buffets. Board includes water and house wine with meals.
- Oasys: the main buffet restaurant in the main building, with a covered terrace, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Del Parco: a second buffet restaurant in the park, opened in high season.
- Stella di Mare: a seafood-focused restaurant by the beach, lunch only in high season, charged as a supplement.
- Casa del Massaro: Sicilian cooking in a traditional lava stone building, evenings only in high season, with a supplement and drinks charged separately.
- La Zagara: the pizzeria, open for dinner.
- Il Cucciolo: a dedicated dining space for children up to six, at lunch and dinner.
Bars include Calypso, the café and gelateria in the piazzetta, and the Olympus Café Lounge. The à la carte restaurants are not part of the all inclusive formula.
On Michelin: none of the resort’s restaurants appears in the Michelin Guide Italia 2026. For a starred evening, Taormina is a short taxi ride away and has several Michelin-starred restaurants; check the current guide and book ahead in summer.
Check rates at UNAHOTELS Naxos Beach Sicilia
Pools, beach and beauty
There are four pools in total: a main pool with an adjacent children’s pool, which opens at the start of the season weather permitting, and an Olympic-size pool with its own children’s pool, which opens around mid-June and usually runs to mid-September. Sunbeds and umbrellas at the pools are free. The pools are not heated, so in April and October the beach and the sun matter more than the water.
The private beach runs from 1 May to 30 September 2026, weather permitting. It is sand and pebble, and the water is generally calm. Loungers and umbrellas are charged in the front rows and free further back, but the 2026 factsheet is not consistent on exactly which rows are charged, and beach places cannot be booked in advance. Ask at the beach point on arrival.
There is no full spa with a sauna or thermal circuit. Instead, a beauty centre offers massages and beauty treatments at extra cost, and there is a hair salon and a free fitness centre. If a proper spa is a priority, this is the wrong hotel; the Taormina five-stars cover that far better.
Sport and activities
Sport is the reason this resort appears in our guide to tennis hotels in Sicily. Taormina’s clifftop hotels have little space for courts, so a resort on the flat land by the bay fills a real gap.
Tennis and padel
The 2026 factsheet lists one floodlit tennis court and two floodlit padel courts, all included in the rate, with reservation required for padel. One tour operator listing mentions two tennis courts, so our research turned up contradictory information on the tennis court count. It was not clear to us which applies, so if you travel as two pairs who want to play at the same time, confirm with the hotel before you book. The court surface is not published either; ask the hotel. Floodlights make a difference here: in July and August, play early in the morning or after sunset rather than at midday.
Water sports and beach games
A five-a-side football pitch, table tennis and the gym are included. From May, the programme adds beach volleyball, beach tennis, beach pétanque, aerobics, stretching and water aerobics at no charge. An on-site sailing centre rents windsurf boards, catamarans, canoes and paddleboards for a fee, and there is a diving centre in the resort. One honest note from recent reviews: in early summer 2026 a guest reported that water sports were briefly unavailable while the provider changed, so check what is running on your dates.
Golf
There is no course at the resort. The nearest championship golf is at Il Picciolo, on Etna’s northern slopes, which we cover in our guide to golf hotels in Sicily and in our Il Picciolo Etna Golf Resort review. From Giardini Naxos it is a scenic drive of under an hour inland. The hotel does not publish golf packages, so ask the concierge about tee times and transport.
Kids and family facilities
This is where the resort is strongest. Clubs are included in the rate: a Baby Club for ages 2 to 4, a Mini Club for 5 to 12 and a Junior Club for teenagers from 13. Kids club activities run mainly in high season, roughly from early June to mid-September, so families travelling in May or late September should check what is open. Cots and small beds can be requested at booking for a daily fee. High season brings evening shows and beach parties, so light sleepers should ask for a villa away from the central piazza.
What’s nearby
- Taormina: the Greek Theatre, Corso Umberto and the views. Use the hotel shuttle or a taxi. Our guide on where to stay in Taormina explains how the town and the bay compare as bases.
- Alcantara Gorges: basalt river canyons a short drive inland, good for a half day in summer.
- Mount Etna: summit tours, craters and wineries on the northern slope are all within a day trip.
UNAHOTELS Naxos Beach vs other east Sicily hotels
| Hotel | Location | Standout | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNAHOTELS Naxos Beach Sicilia | Giardini Naxos, below Taormina | Private beach, 4 pools, floodlit padel and tennis, kids clubs | Families and players on a mid-range budget |
| Mangia’s Brucoli | Brucoli, near Augusta | Big sports resort with tennis, padel and swim-up suites | Families who want more polish near Syracuse |
| Il Picciolo Etna Golf Resort | Castiglione di Sicilia, Etna | 18-hole course and spa among the vineyards | Golfers and wine lovers |
| Grand Hotel Timeo | Taormina, next to the Greek Theatre | Historic gardens, starred dining, views over the bay | Couples who want walkable Taormina luxury |
In short: Naxos Beach wins on beach access, sport and value for families near Taormina. For a more refined resort with similar sport, read our Mangia’s Brucoli review; for golf, Il Picciolo; for a classic Taormina splurge, our Grand Hotel Timeo review.
Who it suits, and who it does not
It suits:
- Families with children of all ages who want included kids clubs, children’s pools and a beach on the doorstep.
- Padel and tennis players who want to play daily near Taormina, with floodlights for cooler evening games.
- Travellers who want Taormina for day trips but beach life and lower prices for the rest of the week.
It does not suit:
- Anyone looking for five-star luxury, intimacy or design: this is a big four-star resort.
- Spa lovers, since there is a beauty centre but no full spa.
- Food lovers who want a destination restaurant in-house.
- Couples wanting quiet in August, when entertainment and families fill the resort.
Charlotte’s tip: pay for the sea view and come in June or September
Always book a Premium room in the main building here. The villas are fine, but at this scale the balcony over the bay is what lifts the stay above an ordinary holiday resort. Then aim for June or the first half of September: the Olympic pool is usually open, the beach is running, padel at sunset is pleasant rather than punishing, and you avoid August crowds and front-row beach prices.
Practical tips
- Booking: state children’s ages at booking, as room allocation is at the hotel’s discretion. Request interconnecting rooms or a villa family room early.
- Board: half board is usually enough if you plan dinners in Taormina. Remember that missed dinners are not refunded.
- Season: the resort is seasonal and closes in winter. Facilities open in stages from spring to high summer.
- Old name: older reviews and some booking sites still call it Atahotel Naxos Beach. It is the same resort, now run by UNA Italian Hospitality.
Check prices and availability
Compare sea view Premium rooms with villa family rooms, and check whether half board or all inclusive works better for your dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is UNAHOTELS Naxos Beach Sicilia a luxury hotel?
No. It is a four-star family and sports resort with around 640 rooms. It offers good facilities for the price, but not five-star service or design.
Does UNAHOTELS Naxos Beach have tennis and padel courts?
Yes. The 2026 factsheet lists one floodlit tennis court and two floodlit padel courts, included in the rate. One listing mentions two tennis courts, so confirm the number and the surface with the hotel.
Is the hotel open all year?
No. It is a seasonal resort, open roughly from spring to autumn, with beach service from 1 May to 30 September in 2026. Ask the hotel for exact opening and closing dates.
How far is it from Taormina and Catania airport?
Taormina is about 6 to 7 km away, with a paid hotel shuttle on request. Catania airport is about 60 km away, roughly one hour by car.
