Hotel Portum

Hotel Portum is a 60-room address for a Sicilian stay where the useful things are close at hand: air-conditioned rooms, a proper restaurant, a pool, a spa and the beach within walking distance. The hotel was renovated in 2023, so you get a more recent setting without being sent off into the hills every time you want food, a drink or a little sea air.

You will be understood in English, French, German and Italian by the hotel team. That matters when you are discussing an early breakfast, a transfer or the small practical details that become surprisingly important when your kit bag is still damp and your appetite has got ahead of you.

The tone is more useful than theatrical. You can have breakfast on site, retreat to the room with its air conditioning and fridge, or put the day back together with a massage at Portum Spa. Families are catered for, while couples can keep things simple with the beach, the restaurant and the pool all within the same daily orbit.

The address is in Giardini Naxos, on Sicily's coast, rather than in Taormina itself. That distinction is worth keeping clear when you are planning your evenings and transfers. The hotel sits by the sea, with Recanati Beach around 50 metres away: a sandy beach stretching for about 100 metres, with loungers, parasols and a beach bar.

Giardini Naxos is the practical part of the equation. The town centre is about a five-minute walk away, and you have restaurants such as La Tortuga Pub and Pastificio U Maccarruni within roughly a mile. Mojito Lounge Bar is about 1.1 miles away on foot, while Alcantara railway station is around 1.6 miles away.

For land-based days, the Parco Fluviale dell'Alcantara is about 8 miles away by road. Catania Fontanarossa Airport is around 30 miles away, and the hotel can arrange an airport shuttle. Isola Bella is about 5 miles from the property, making the location useful for combining a coastal base with the sights around Taormina.

The room choice is mainly about who is travelling and how much separation you want once the day is over. Couples can keep things straightforward with a double room and a king-size bed, while the family-oriented layouts add single beds or a sofa bed. Family rooms are available, but there are no extra beds; cots can be requested for children aged two and under, subject to the room option.

Air conditioning is the first item you will notice properly when you return warm, salty and ready to stop moving. Rooms also have a private bathroom with a shower or bath, bidet, toiletries and hairdryer, plus a kettle and refrigerator for tea, coffee and something cold. A desk, free WiFi and a flat-screen TV cover the less glamorous but useful parts of a travel day.

The view listed for the rooms is over the inner courtyard, so choose this address for its location and facilities rather than booking on the promise of a sea view from your pillow. Soundproofing is available, and the rooms include a clothes rack and drying rack for ordinary clothing. Daily housekeeping, room service and luggage storage make the changeover between diving days less fiddly.

Ristorante Portum handles breakfast, lunch and dinner on its terrace, with Mediterranean cooking built around fresh local ingredients and traditional flavours. The restaurant works to a smart-casual dress code, which is a polite way of saying that your oldest dive T-shirt may need to wait in the room. Local wines take a prominent place on the list.

Breakfast is a buffet from 7:00, with continental, Italian, American, vegan and gluten-free choices. Special diets can be catered for, including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free requirements, and breakfast can also be served in your room. The half-board formula keeps the main meals organised while leaving you room to eat elsewhere in Giardini Naxos when you fancy a change.

There is one bar: the Pool Bar, beside the outdoor swimming pool. It serves cocktails and light snacks, which covers the important middle ground between leaving the water and committing to a full meal. Room service is available during limited hours, so it is worth treating it as a useful option rather than a round-the-clock substitute for the restaurant.

The Main Pool is outdoors, with a pool bar and views towards the sea. It is the obvious place for a low-effort afternoon when your legs have already done enough work, while the nearby sandy beach gives you another option with loungers, parasols and a beach bar. Kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkelling and boat excursions are also available for days when you want to stay on the water without putting on a cylinder.

Portum Spa covers the more sensible recovery plan. Its treatments include massages, facials, a hammam and a sauna, and couples' massages are available. The hotel also has a fitness centre and offers yoga sessions, so you can stretch without pretending that a heroic workout is what your body requested.

If you want to leave the property, bicycles, hiking, cooking classes and cultural excursions are available. The organised outings include Etna and a Taormina city tour. Live music and themed evenings are arranged regularly, giving you something to do after dinner without requiring a second expedition. Babysitting and a children's menu add practical help for families, while the shared lounge and TV area offer a quieter fallback.

Catania Fontanarossa Airport is about 30 miles away, and an airport shuttle can be arranged with the hotel. Car hire is available, while private parking is located nearby and may carry a charge. The hotel also offers concierge help, luggage storage, laundry, dry cleaning and a 24-hour front desk, all useful when flights and dive schedules refuse to cooperate.

Check-in starts from 14:00 and requires photo identification and a payment card. Check-out runs from 07:00 to 11:00. The minimum age for check-in is 18, and early check-in or late check-out can be requested. Express check-in and check-out are available, as is room service during limited hours.

WiFi is free throughout the hotel. The property is non-smoking throughout, with a designated smoking area, and pets are allowed on request. Cash and major cards including Visa, Mastercard and American Express are accepted. A doctor can be requested through the hotel, and the concierge can help with arrangements beyond the basics.