Holiday Resort Ai Pozzi Village Resort, Loano

The pool was shut on two of the three days we were there, and nobody explained why. The staff didn't make us feel particularly welcome, and we won't be back. The hotel needs a lot of maintenance: the rooms are old and musty, the shower and kitchen wouldn't come clean, and the ground-floor rooms had a bad smell, possibly mould. The terrace didn't have enough chairs for everyone, the table had holes, and there wasn't enough cutlery. Getting to the beaches nearby isn't easy either. Sunbeds need to be booked ahead, and that only applies at certain beaches.

The fold-out sofa they called an extra bed was the worst part. It sloped, felt uneven, and had such a thin mattress that I could feel the springs. It was no place to sleep, and shouldn't have been listed as a bed. Our apartment looked out over the parking basement, even though the hotel didn't seem full from the number of guests I saw, though I could be wrong. The hotel itself felt a bit worn, and several things, including the air conditioning, didn't work. Some of the management, though not all of reception, seemed grumpy and angry. The restaurant staff came across the same way and were rude. Cleaning wasn't included either, unless you paid a very high extra charge.

The front desk clerk was wonderfully helpful, and it was handy having a place to store our bikes. But although the hotel seemed almost empty, we got a tiny, dark room facing the parking lot. It wasn't comfortable, and the nearly deserted place felt a bit spooky. Local restaurants are about a 15-minute walk away.

The staff were kind and helpful, and the studio was clean and roomy enough. We liked the big, clean pool, the mountain views, and the separate pool for kids. The hotel sits up on a hill, about half an hour from the beach, and runs a shuttle into town several times a day. Mr. Andrea, the driver, was especially friendly. The restaurant has only a few choices, but they were tasty. There was plenty to keep kids busy too, with three nice young entertainers running karaoke, dancing, aqua gym, and yoga, plus a game room and fields for football, tennis, or volleyball. Breakfast was disappointing, especially for vegans. You can get soy milk, cereal, bread, jam, and fruit, but they could put more effort into it. Even if you aren't vegan, the same breakfast every day gets sad. The Wi-Fi was really bad, so I used more mobile data. Water leaked out of the studio shower and left the floor covered. During our two-week stay, we got fresh sheets and towels only once, and had to change them ourselves because it was a studio apartment without hotel room service. For the amount we paid, we expected more.