Bouganville Palace Hotel

The breakfast was very good, especially the range of homemade cakes, though more vegetables and a start before 8:00 would be nice. The hotel sits on a pleasant terrace above the sea, with sea views and, from some rooms, views of the old town and mountains. Staff were friendly and helpful, mostly spoke English, and reception was open around the clock. The terrace pool is small but nice. The location worked well for getting around: 15 minutes on foot from the railway station, 10 from the beaches and a good supermarket, and another 20 to the old town. Some of the equipment is dated, so I’d rate it closer to three stars than four. In my room, 222, there was hardly any cold water. The air conditioning was a bit noisy, hard to regulate, and not something I could use all night.

This worked well for a cheap, quiet few days of sunbathing, swimming, and doing very little, as long as you know what to expect. After a busy year that included Morroco, the USA, and Berlin, that was just what I wanted. The region is comparatively poor and doesn’t have much luxury. The village itself seemed to have little beyond local residents who live there and work elsewhere. That suited me perfectly. The best parts were the cleanliness, the pool, and the views. Our room was really clean. I left a bottle of instant glue under the bed, and the next day it had been carefully put on the desk. The pool was cleaned daily and was probably the cleanest I’ve seen at any hotel: clear and not smelly. The hotel is high up, so the walk to the sea took five minutes and the climb back took seven, but the views were gorgeous. The rooms also had quiet air conditioning, which I couldn’t hear running. The weak shower pressure was irritating. Meals filled me up, but didn’t make me happy. Breakfast was simple, boiled eggs, coffee of your choice, an assortment of meats, and tomatoes. It was exactly the same every day. Lunch and dinner meant a small first plate with a bit of cheese or something similar, noodles, some kind of meat, then dessert, plus half a liter of wine. The presentation was poor, and if you like noodles, you’ll be happy. The restaurants below were great, and the seafood there tasted as it should. Only one waiter knew English, but the staff were all really helpful. The pool and rooms get five stars from me, the food three. It’s worth spending some money on local restaurants. The city itself was great too, with trains to nearby cities, a great city on the mountain, and cheap, tasty restaurants. I really appreciated all of that. Bought cheaply and with the downsides in mind, it was a great place to visit.

We spent two weeks here and would definitely stay again. The grounds are beautiful, the pool is lovely, and there are mountain and sea views from almost everywhere. Breakfast was delicious, and Arain, the super friendly waiter, can make whichever kind of coffee you like. Many great restaurants are a short walk away, and Conad is a really nice grocery store just downhill. Getting to Italy was rough for us, with multiple flights cancelled. When we arrived, the lovely and kind Maria Therese met us at the door and was so accommodating. Everyone at the desk was kind, spoke English, and was happy to help with our Italian.

The panorama is wonderful, but I can’t say this is a four-star hotel. The rooms are old and need renovating. Ours had ants on the tables and chairs while we were eating breakfast. Disgusting. When the room was cleaned, the floor was done, but you could still see dust on the tables. They also changed the linens for ones with holes, so unfresh. One day the cleaner left our room door open. We went straight down to tell reception, and the receptionist said, seemingly without concern, to let him know if anything was missing. He didn’t seem to care. At checkout, nobody asked how our stay had been. The air conditioning in the room didn’t work. I think the four stars on the signs are just decoration under the hotel name.