Sporting Baia Hotel

arrived at this hotel and first thoughts were that it was in need of a coat of paint on outside and re-decorating inside with more up to date styling. rooms were cleaned thoroughlly each day, maids were very courteous, which is more than i could say for the rest of the staff apArt from one young waiter! receptionists found it hard to smile! the dining roOm was choatic if there were large amounts of people in one sitting. whilst on this subject. we were told that you could dine at 19.00 or 20.00 hrs and not to go in in between these times. problem with second sitting @ 20.00hrs was that the buffet was not re-plemished to its full amount. in other words you had to take what was left, which generally wasnt much apart form some cold spinach & some salad. So there was always a mad rush for 19.00hr sitting, when the waiters found it difficult to cope. food very mediocre. same thing each day, pasta or soup, for starters then fish or meat for main course. staff in restaurant not very friendly or at the height of their profession! I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS HOTEL WARRANTS 4 STARS!!!!

We enjoyed our stay in this hotel for one week in September 2003. It is situated in a bay just south of Taormina, 2.5 miles away. The hotel was clean with good sized rooms, some with sea views and a balcony. The shower was powerful and we had hot water throughout. There is a sun terrace on the roof and a swimming pool under construction in the basement. There is a private beach just over the road but at 5 euros per day per person, it is not economical for a short stay. There was a public beach nearby but it did not look enticing.There is a safe in most of the rooms, ours unfortunately did not have one but they were willing to put our valuables in their safe. The reception staff were helpful, friendly and all spoke good English.The food lacked imagination, so I would suggest bed and breakfast and eat out at one of the many restaurants around the bay, all within walking distance.The bus stop was a 5 minute walk away and the train station 35 minutes but only 10 minutes by bus. There are good connections to Catania and Messina but the highlights of our stay were Taormina and a trip up Mount Etna.I would recommend a stay at this hotel but eat out.