TH Gioiosa Marea – Capo Calava Village

The grounds are spacious, beautifully maintained, and surrounded by lovely nature, so the hotel never felt crowded. Our room was neat and clean, with housekeeping every day. The food was excellent, and the staff were friendly and professional. They really deserve another mention. There were a few small issues with water pressure and temperature, and the evening entertainment could make things a little noisy. Nothing serious, though. My overall impression is very positive.

The location is beautiful, and you can take trips from here, though they seemed a bit expensive, or rent a car. There's not much around the small village, no shops or anything, so it can be hard with kids if there's nowhere to go and the entertainment isn't in your language. The rooms were okay and clean, if a little dated. Very few people spoke English. The receptionist spoke a bit, but the entertainment was only in Italian, as were the bar staff, which made it hard for us to ask for things. Italians also had different colored wristbands from guests from other countries. The food was home-style only, with no international options for children. Our young daughter ate only vegetables for all seven days because she didn't want to try unfamiliar dishes.

The staff were great, the rooms clean, and the air conditioning worked. We ate really well, and the hotel grounds are large with lots of sports options, including tennis, football, and beach volleyball. The beach and sea were clean, though the coarse sand and pebbles in the water bothered me. Plenty of other people liked it. There was a hotel van to Gioiosa Marea, three kilometers away. Getting around on foot was the biggest drawback for me as an active person. You can walk to one beautiful viewpoint, 1.5 km away, if you have sturdy shoes, but I wouldn't recommend walking along the road otherwise. The animation was only in Italian, though we still went to the theater evening program. All in all, I had a positive holiday and only wish the area were easier to explore on foot. Thanks to the staff for a great stay. 👍

We had a great time at the resort, with lots of programs for children and adults, and the bar menu was enough for us. The restaurant food was amazing, with Italian specialties and fine dining. I've never seen such a luxurious selection in a hotel restaurant. Breakfast was the opposite, quite modest and the same every day. Getting to the sea and back was very hard for people with limited mobility, especially climbing back up to the beach. We had big waves for most of our stay, which was great, but on the last day the sea settled and jellyfish appeared. One stung our daughter. Our first room didn't meet our needs at all. It wasn't tidy, had only a tiny window, and lacked both a terrace and a balcony. Our children couldn't fit on the bunk bed. It took two days to get a suitable room, but after that everything was fine. There were plenty of activities, but more English in the program would help. Italian is beautiful, though some guests don't speak it, and I think we'd all enjoy our vacation more that way.