UNAHOTELS Capotaormina — Hotel in Taormina

Beautiful hotel with fantastic staff – but in need of a refresh and clearer identity

This hotel is beautifully located and has tremendous potential. One of its strongest assets is the service – from receptionists to cleaning staff, bar crew, and restaurant personnel – everyone was kind, attentive, and highly service-minded. They truly do a great job and made us feel welcome from day one.

The breakfast was decent, but it could be improved. Omelettes should be included in the buffet without extra charge, and offering American pancakes would add a nice touch. The breakfast tables themselves also need replacing – many looked cheap and worn down. Additionally, cleaning the tables while guests are still eating caused unnecessary noise and disturbance.

A very unique and cool feature of the hotel is the elevator that takes you down to the beach and pool area, as well as the beautifully lit tunnels that lead you there. These little details really stand out in a positive way.

Unfortunately, the overall impression is dragged down by how outdated many parts of the hotel feel. The interior design, rooms, beds, bathrooms, furniture, parasols, and sunbeds all seem like they haven’t been updated in over 20 years. There’s so much charm and potential here, but a proper renovation would dramatically improve the guest experience and elevate the hotel to match its surroundings.

Bar Svevo, for example, served great drinks – but the atmosphere felt tired, and the live entertainment didn’t add much. The same goes for the Naxos restaurant, which fell short of expectations. We dined at both Naxos and Le Grand Bleu, and while the food was fine, the menus were nearly identical and heavily focused on fish. A wider variety of dishes would have been appreciated – traditional Italian favorites like Neapolitan pizza, carbonara, salsiccia pasta, vodka pasta, or lasagna would have made a big difference. An international dining option with, for example, sushi, Asian fusion, Lebanese, Greek or Thai cuisine could also have added much-needed variety.

As a result, we only ate at the hotel twice. We chose to go into Taormina for dinner every night, but even there, the restaurant options were limited – almost every place served the same basic pasta and pizza menus. A big plus, however, was the hotel’s complimentary shuttle to and from Taormina – a very convenient and appreciated service.

One major drawback that affected the overall vibe was the number of children at the hotel. At times, the atmosphere was loud and chaotic – especially around the pool – which completely disrupted the relaxing, zen-like adult vacation mode we had hoped for. The hotel would honestly benefit from being adults-only or at least offering separate zones for families and adults. As it stands, it sometimes felt more like a busy family resort in Alicante than a peaceful Sicilian getaway.

The beach club had amazing staff and top-notch service – and the cocktails there were excellent. That said, the pool area could really benefit from new, stylish parasols and sun loungers that are more “Instagram-friendly” and in better condition. For example, D&B (Design & Beach) style furniture would elevate the aesthetic. Also, simply adding soft lounge music via poolside speakers would instantly create a more luxurious, Nikki Beach-like vibe.

In summary: This is a hotel with stunning surroundings, truly fantastic staff, and a lot of untapped potential. With an updated interior, a clearer concept (preferably adult-focused), and a more diverse culinary offering, it could become something truly...

I have traveled to Italy many times and have always been impressed by the warmth and professionalism of hospitality there. Unfortunately, our experience at UNA Hotel Capotaormina was the exact opposite. It was embarrassing and disheartening, especially as an American of Italian heritage, to be treated with such disregard.The pool area is chaotic and poorly managed. On a very busy afternoon, two chairs near the pool had been “reserved” with towels by a couple who had left. We waited, checked for their return, and then sat at around 1:00 pm. The hotel’s own posted sign at the entrance clearly states that chairs may not be held for more than two hours. The couple did not return until 4:00 pm and said they had been at lunch. Despite the rule and the fact that the beautiful beach is unusable after 1:00 pm due to shade—making the pool the only real option—the pool attendant in a red shirt insisted that we get up. My brother-in-law explained in Italian that the chairs had been left unattended for several hours and referenced the two-hour rule. It made no difference. We were forced to move, with no attempt to find a reasonable solution or offer an alternative. The attitude was dismissive and frankly humiliating.I went to the front desk to speak to a manager and calmly explained what had happened. I was told the manager would call me on my cell. No one ever called. No apology. No follow-up. Nothing. That complete lack of accountability and guest care was the most disappointing part of the entire stay.To add insult to injury, it felt like we were overruled in favor of the couple who appeared to be local, which left me with a very sour impression. Whether or not that was the intention, the optics were terrible. We paid a premium to stay here and expected basic fairness and courtesy. Instead, we were made to feel unwelcome and disregarded.We didn’t let it ruin our trip, and we went on to Ischia where Hotel Miramare was flawless—professional, kind, and attentive in every way. That contrast says everything. Never again at UNA Hotel Capotaormina. I cannot recommend it, and I would urge management to enforce their own policies consistently, treat all guests with equal respect, and take responsibility when staff mishandle situations. This was an avoidable and deeply...

Firstly, the hotel is in a fantastic location - probably the best in Taormina. Built on the cliffs overlooking the sea with a private pebble/rocky beach. Great pool area. Well equipped gym and great roof top bar. The views at breakfast are stunning - looking over the bay and out towards Etna. Rooms are large and well equipped - we had a garden / partial sea view. There is a shuttle service to and from|Taormina in the mornings and late afternoon/evening but spaces are very limited and you need to book first thing in the morning (we were a group of 6). The staff were fantastic. We had an issue with a dirty terrace area (due to seagulls) on arrival which was immediately rectified (within minutes) for which we were offered complimentary drinks. BUT …..the hotel is tired and in need of a refurbishment. Moreover - while breakfast was OK/good, the beach and pool bar restaurants were poor - €22 for a basic salad served in a cardboard or plastic tub was a rip off. Even the sandwiches/panini at €10 were poor quality. The menu is really limited and unadventurous and is not in keeping with such a fantastic location. We ate in The Grand Bleu restaurant one night as we had been out on a day excursion and didn’t want to go up into the town. While the staff were great once they engaged we were ignored for 20-30 minutes and then starters and mains were brought out at such speed that it felt like they were rushing us and desperate to close (our table booking was for 21:00). |The bill was bought to the table even though we hadn’t asked for it and it wasn’t particularly late !! To cap it all, the food was poor and ridiculously expensive. Appetisers, First and Main courses were all at c €30 plus. An average bottle of wine was €38-40. I ordered the Sea Bream in an almond crust as a main which on paper looked delicious. When it came - it was 4 small fish gujons with no accompaniment. The need for a refurb and the quality/value for money of the food really let the hotel down. If the location and the staff hadn’t been so great, I’d...