Hotel Royal Village

The view really was beautiful, but everything else fell far short of what I'd expect from a 4-star hotel. The restaurant looked very old and didn't match its description. We arrived late and struggled to find reception. The number on Booking.com didn't work, so we had to search Google for a valid one. The hotel has a newer and an older wing; we were put in the old section, which was extremely dated. Sound carried so badly that we could hear everything in the hallway. There wasn't even a bottle of water or slippers. The pillows were uncomfortable, the mattress was terrible, and I couldn't get decent rest. The room also smelled damp and had mold. I'm very disappointed, and the rating definitely doesn't seem deserved.

Our room had insects crawling near the bed. When we told the staff, they laughed and basically brushed us off. The sheets were stained and dirty, and the rooms described as “renovated” smelled bad, weren't clean and still felt very dated. The whole hotel seemed frozen in the mid-90s. The staff were unpleasant and disrespectful, and the hotel itself is very old. I only gave one star because zero wasn't an option. I've lost my money here, but if you're reading this, do yourself a favor and stay away so you don't make the same mistake.

The location makes it easy to walk down to the center of limone by the lake, with two or three routes to choose from. Breakfast was included and there was a good range of food, though the coffee and juice could be better. I found a great café at the bottom of the hill, open from 6am, and went down before my family got up. It was a nice bit of quiet time with the papers, a cappuccino and a freshly baked pastry. We booked through jet2holidays, half board for two adults and two children. Our clean, well-equipped room had a great lake view, and the staff everywhere were very friendly and helpful. There were three outdoor pools, one indoor pool, protected trampoline equipment and table tennis tables. The Italian restaurant needs to be booked in the morning, and it was worth reserving just in case. There's a huge choice of dishes and desserts, including lots of pasta and large pizzas cooked in the pizza oven. Two restaurants served breakfast and dinner. The bar, gelato, cafe and restaurant served proper a la carte meals at lunch, plus snacks like cheese on toast, great ice cream through the rest of the day and a well-stocked bar. Thanks so much to all the staff. They were incredible!

The hotel is high up, so getting to our room meant a bit of a trek, though the views were stunning. It might be difficult if you have mobility problems. Our room was spacious, comfortable and tidy, with a large balcony, but the furniture wasn't comfortable enough for us to sit out there for long. We would have liked to spend more time enjoying the view. The staff were excellent and nothing was too much trouble. Reception answered all our many questions in a friendly, helpful way, and the bar staff made us feel very welcome. There was lots of choice in the restaurant, and lunch at the music bar was tasty and very reasonably priced. We had an amazing week and would highly recommend the hotel.