in Sicily, Italy
Hotel Caesar Palace
- Toddler
- Kid
- Teen
The Caesar Palace is the value play on the Taormina coast: a 220-room family hotel with a serious pool (33 m by 22 m, two infinity edges) and, crucially, a large separate children's pool with its own sunbeds, playground and shade. There is a mini club and a junior club, an entertainment team, and a small theatre for the evening shows. It sits up on the Recanati hillside, so what you get is a view across the bay to Taormina and what you pay is a free shuttle down to Lido Naxos beach, 1.2 km away. Nobody would call the rooms stylish. But for a family of four who want a pool, a club, Taormina twenty minutes away and change left over for Etna and Etnaland, it is the most sensible booking in eastern Sicily.
Our verdict
Book it for the children's pool, the club and the position. Do not book it expecting a beach or a beautiful room. Best value family base on the Ionian coast.
The rooms
220 rooms in a large block on the Recanati hillside above Giardini Naxos. Rooms are simple and dated in places, family rooms and triples are widely available, and the ones facing the sea are worth the small supplement because the view down to the bay and across to Taormina is the best thing about the building. This is a hotel you book for the pool and the price, not for the decor.
At a glance
- Pools
- 33x22 m main, large kids pool
- Kids club
- Mini and junior club, included
- Beach
- Free shuttle, 1.2 km
- Taormina
- 4.4 km
How the KidProof Score works
Every hotel is rated on eight things families actually care about, then weighted by how much each one drives your choice. Room setup counts the most. The little touches break the ties.
Sleeps how many? Connecting rooms, family suites, a real extra bed?
Clean travel cot, high chair, bottle warmer, changing table, kit to borrow.
Shallow pool or paddling area, playground, kids club (free or paid).
Quick breakfast, kids menus, allergy options, snacks on hand.
Secured windows, protected corners, watched pool, well kept grounds.
Laundry, in-room fridge, stroller access, parking, reliable Wi-Fi.
Close to family attractions, easy transport, park tickets or access.
Welcome gift for the child, staff who talk to kids, themed rooms.
Why families love it
- A large separate children's pool with playground, sunbeds and shade
- Main pool 33 m by 22 m with two infinity edges over the bay
- Mini club and junior club included, plus evening shows in the hotel theatre
- Free shuttle to Lido Naxos beach, and Taormina 4.4 km away
🗓️A day here with kids
- 8:00
Buffet breakfast
Go early. At 9:30 in August it is a scrum.
- 10:00
Kids pool and mini club
Playground, shade and sunbeds all in one corner, away from the main pool.
- 14:30
Shuttle down to Lido Naxos
Photograph the return timetable before you get off the bus.
- 20:00
Show in the little theatre
Cheerful, loud, over by 21:30. Everyone sleeps.
Family things to do nearby
Mount Etna from the Rifugio Sapienza
About 90 minutes' drive. Walk the Silvestri craters even with small children: black gravel, real steam, no ropes needed.
Etnaland
Water park and theme park near Belpasso, roughly an hour away. Best slides need 120 cm, so check heights before you promise anything.
A day that never leaves the pool
Kids pool in the morning, mini club at eleven, infinity edge for you. The reason this hotel works.
Is it right for your kids?
Baby
0 to 1 yr
Manageable rather than good. Cots are available and family rooms are easy to get, but there is no baby club, no beach on site and the hillside setting means slopes with a pram.
Toddler
1 to 3 yrs
The large children's pool with its own playground and shade is exactly what this age needs, and it is right there. The shuttle to the beach is the only friction.
Kid
4 to 11 yrs
Mini club, big pool, evening shows and Etna within reach. Six to twelve year olds get the most out of this hotel, by some distance.
Teen
12 yrs and up
The junior club is thin and the hotel is up a hill away from the action. Works if you have a car and plan to spend days out at Etna, Taormina and the gorges.
Plan your stay
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Live prices & availability
Stays near Hotel Caesar Palace, Giardini Naxos, Sicily, Italy
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Parents also ask
Is the hotel on the beach?
No, and this is the thing to be clear about. It sits on a hillside and runs a free shuttle to Lido Naxos beach 1.2 km away. If beach-out-the-door matters, look at Campofelice or Brucoli instead.
Can we get to Taormina without a car?
Yes. Local buses run from Giardini Naxos up to Taormina and take about twenty minutes. For Etna and Etnaland you will want a car or a tour.
Are the rooms as tired as reviews say?
Some are. Book a sea-view room, expect functional over pretty, and judge the hotel on the pools and the club, which is where the money clearly goes.
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