Hotel Montecristo

The pasta dishes were wonderful and the desserts were awesome. Staff were great too. The rooms and shared areas were very clean, and the pool was large, kept clean, and had all the comforts.

Top-notch.

The staff are what made this a five-star stay for me. I was torn between four and five stars, but the people here tipped it toward five. We stayed at Hotel Montecristo as a family, with our au pair and toddler, in a suite made up of a twin bedroom linked to a queen bedroom, each with its own bathroom. A pack and play was ready for our toddler when we arrived. The room felt quite small and wasn't especially impressive, but the rest of the experience made up for it. The hotel is essentially on the beach, and town is an easy walk or bike ride away. Guests can use the bikes for free, which was lovely. The pool is beautiful, but since it isn't heated, it may only be usable for a month or two each year. We were told May was unusually cold, and the water was freezing, so we couldn't swim. Our toddler had a great time drawing the markets in the little kids' area in the basement. There is a massage room on site, and Carla, the masseuse, was AMAZING. The rate was very reasonable, €60 for an hour, and my husband and I both felt wonderful afterward. It wasn't a style either of us had tried before, but we'd love to experience it again. Breakfast was a bit disappointing. It had the usual Italian breakfast foods, though the quality wasn't great. The scrambled eggs were extremely soupy and the baked goods were nothing special. I mostly stuck to yogurt, which was good. Staff were quick to come by and bring whatever caffeinated morning drinks we wanted. The big problem was how hot the room got. With the mini split off, it was around 75-77F (24-25C), miserable for sleeping. The AC function wasn't available. At reception, we were told it was shut off for that time of year and couldn't be turned on without a technician doing something on the roof. We tried sleeping with the window open because it was cool outside, but our room faced the street and the cars and birds kept us awake, so we ended up putting up with the heat to get some sleep. Even with the room temperature and breakfast as downsides, we'd return and recommend the hotel because the rest of the experience was so good.

I booked after being told the room was accessible and quiet. It was near the lobby and directly opposite a restaurant less than a meter away, so there was lots of noise from dishes. One evening, worn out by children constantly screaming and dogs barking, I called reception. They answered the first time but not the second. There was no luggage rack. The French window onto the ground floor wouldn't close, but once I reported it, they fixed it right away. The most serious concern for me was the placement of the power outlets, right where your head rests when sitting, as the photos show. I don't know if that's legal. I also had to ask for a cabinet in the bathroom to put my things on. I told them I have gluten intolerance and was assured it wouldn't be a problem. They could serve gluten-free food, but didn't have a separate kitchen because of contamination. Still, for three nights in a row they gave me penne rigate. When I asked the restaurant manager for a different pasta shape, he said they wouldn't serve spaghetti because it broke. I said any other shape would do, as long as it was different. That evening they gave me hard spaghetti, obviously to stop it breaking. The next day, exasperated, I bought pasta at the supermarket and brought it to them. The hotel is nice and the staff are kind, but they let things like this slip. The bicycles are available to guests, though they aren't maintained, with broken bells and rusty spokes. It wouldn't take much to improve them. The sauna needs an hour's notice so they can turn it on. Based on my experience, I wouldn't return. I'd read good reviews and decided to go.