Tui Blue Tropea – Baia di Riaci Resort

The room, hotel service, restaurant service, and location were all great, and the beach in the lagoon is wonderful. I’d give those parts a full five stars. The reception design, though, was mentioned as a flaw. The food is why I took off a star. It’s average, not truly bad, but mostly convenient products for the masses rather than local dishes prepared individually. Breakfast is average too. In the specialty restaurant, you get the same food as at the buffet, just served to you instead of self service. There’s no way to opt out of the food option when ordering.

The rooms are big and bright, and there are impressive fitness choices: a well stocked gym plus classes like Pilates, Yoga, and steps. Getting to Tropea centre takes some planning. The shuttle gets you about two thirds of the way there and costs €5 one way, or it’s roughly a 40 minute walk. The beach is close by, reached by a fairly steep path.

This is a very quiet, relaxing place, mostly couples and adults. The views are beautiful, the suites are lovely, the staff are super nice, and the food is delicious. I especially liked that parasols and sunbeds on the beach were included for hotel guests, which is great in Italy where they’re usually rather expensive. There are nice sports and entertainment options too. I’d love to come back.

We felt unwelcome right from the beginning. While we were trying to sort out our room, another couple came in saying they’d waited over two hours for the shuttle from Tropea. The reception manager then started shouting at the other women at the desk. It was embarrassing and completely unprofessional, like a scene from Fawlty Towers. Our room turned out to be adapted for disabled guests and had no shower screen, so the bathroom floor flooded within a minute. When we raised it, the manager suggested giving us more towels. We said we weren’t spending our holiday mopping the floor, and they offered us a bigger room for an extra €35 per night. Eventually they dropped that to €10, which still felt unfair since we hadn’t asked for a bigger room. We accepted only after the manager bluntly said there was no way they’d move us for free.