Colonna Beach Hotel Marinella

I'm someone who loves morning coffee, but the bar doesn't open until 10:00, and there's no coffee machine or kettle in the rooms. When I asked for just a coffee in the restaurant area, they said I'd have to book breakfast for 20€. They also insisted coffee couldn't be taken in the lounge, only in the closed room, even in the height of summer. I was really disappointed. If you want a holiday run under military rules, you're welcome here. I'll never come back.

The grounds were well kept, the pool was great, and the main beach was only 200m away, with paddle boards and windsurfing available to hire. Breakfast was good value, and the hotel was clean, efficiently run, and had helpful staff. Ricardo, head of food and bar, Greta, and Maria at reception with her big smile all deserve a shout-out. We were pleasantly surprised after reading the old reviews. There's a charming railway station across the road, and we used it for a day trip. It cost €2.60 for two people, which was awesome. It's a 10-minute walk to a supermarket, some restaurants, and a lovely ice cream shop. We really enjoyed our stay in early Sept.

The staff were kind and helpful, and the swimming pool was big, clean, and salty. Still, I wouldn't book here again. The rooms are small, smell of mold, and have tiny showers that don't feel right for a four-star hotel. The breakfast “coffee” wasn't made from coffee beans and tasted terrible, though that's typical for Italy. The beach has no WC, changing cabin, or shower, and an umbrella with two loungers costs 18 euro/day. For a walk besides the beach, there's only the nearby village, with one grocery shop and a few restaurants.

The staff were friendly and helpful, and the food was good, but the selection was limited. There was no salad during our nine days. You had to pick meals from a list of four choices. I'm sure the website photos were taken some time ago. The TV was placed in front of the dressing mirror, and the signal kept cutting out, except for the Italian channels. The bathtub had no stopper, so you could only shower. Towels cost 3 euros every time you changed them. Two chairs and an umbrella at the hotel's beachfront cost 25 euros, with 1 euro off at the beach. There was no entertainment, water aerobics, drink specials, or afternoon or evening events. Covid may have had something to do with the limited entertainment and lack of water aerobics, but don't call it a 4 star hotel if you can't provide a 4 star experience. Maybe it was once a 4 star place, but now I'd say 3 or 3 half star. The beach was nice but too shallow for swimming unless you're a child, in which case it was perfect. The nearby areas were nice but had little to do. Some beach bars charged 14 euros for a 750 mm. bottle of water, though a few were less expensive, so you have to look around. You're stuck there unless you have a car. These are just a few things I normally expect at a 4 star hotel I've stayed at with my family. The hotel may say it's my opinion, and they're right, but they won't say whether anything I wrote was wrong. Maybe they'll say how they might change things in the future, but I don't think they will. Good for families with small children, not a party or sightseeing place. Sincerely, a vacationer.