Villa al Parco

The food was better than I expected, especially the first courses, and the staff in the dining room were attentive to the international guests. Mrs. Silvana was always smiling and looked after what people needed. At reception, Mrs. Luisa was very polite, and my namesake Giovanni was always around to help. It’s a small, welcoming hotel with a very professional team. My room, 212, was small but in good shape, with simple furniture, and it was cleaned efficiently. The only real drawback was the mosquitoes and flies, probably because of the thick greenery around the hotel. Pest treatment might help. Overall I was satisfied. Ad maiora.. 🙋‍♂️

Getting around was easy from here: the location is excellent, near a bus stop, and we could leave the car safely in the handy parking lot while exploring the island. The common areas are spacious and well kept, and the outdoor pool is lovely. The indoor hot pool was a bit dirty, and the closing times were a shame, though spending time outside after dinner was nice. Our room was clean and roomy enough, but there was no safe. We kept finding only one towel, even though there were three of us. We asked reception for more and they brought them right away, but for the first few days the cleaner said there weren’t any more. The shower curtain looked like it was from the 80s and flooded the whole bathroom. We mentioned it to reception the next day. The woman with glasses had welcomed us kindly on Sunday afternoon, given us a quick tour of the shared spaces, dining room and pools, then shown us room 226. Breakfast was the biggest letdown: two empty trays, toast with jam, and three dried-out croissants, with nothing else. I travel often for work and pleasure, and I’ve never had such a meager breakfast, not even in a hostel. Lunch and dinner portions were tiny too, to the shock of other diners. The food tasted good, but we got used to asking for seconds from the waitresses Lori and Maria, who were the hotel’s real gems. The table setting was unusual, and even the glasses on the menu table didn’t match in shape or size, odd for a three-star hotel. Still, we had a good time. It feels like a family-run place, and everyone from housekeeping to the dining room was friendly. Breakfast needs serious improvement for this kind of hotel. Lori and Maria are the best!

We stayed with the family for the first two weeks of September. The grounds were well kept and green, with two pools, and the price was great for what we got. The food went beyond our expectations, so kudos to the kitchen. Big thanks to Veronica for looking after us so well throughout those two weeks, and to the receptionist who answered our questions and suggested some great places to visit.

The staff were all friendly and ready to help with requests. Mr. Gianni at reception was especially kind, attentive and always impeccable. He made the welcome feel warm. The place suited a quiet, relaxing and unpretentious holiday, and I’d recommend it to anyone who likes simplicity. The hotel is spread over several levels and has lovely, well-kept greenery. My room was a bit cramped but fine for an overnight stay. The pools were clean, and the restaurant was spacious, clean, with good and varied food.