Hotel Cala dei Pini

We stayed for nine days and would happily return. Breakfast was great, especially out on the terrace, and the pool was spotless and lovely. Our room was clean and fresh every day. Everyone on staff was helpful, particularly the reception guys, who made the stay feel special. Thanks so much, Andrea's & Sue.

The hotel looks beautiful and is in a great spot, not too far from the beach. The building and decor were lovely, and it was clean, but I wouldn't stay again. Staff were generally cold, apart from the Algerian male receptionist and the night security guard. One receptionist spoke very rudely to my teenage granddaughter about picking up clothes she'd accidentally left on the floor, then challenged my daughter-in-law about whether that was acceptable. We were told to be inside by midnight because the gates get locked. You also can't bring drinks from outside to the pool, even when the hotel bar is shut and you can't buy anything there. Breakfast was just okay, continental and served outside, where we had to fend off wasps. The coffee was disappointing, Nescafé when I'd expected Lavazza. There are water bottles in the small fridge, but they cost extra. At night there was a lot of noise from upstairs, like furniture being moved.

The breakfast was awful, with little to eat beyond cakes and boiled eggs, and the bar was almost never open. They wouldn't sell us drinks, but got angry when we brought our own, leaving us feeling as if we were expected to go thirsty until the bar opened briefly. We were never given a warm welcome. The only kind staff were the French man and one of the night watchmen, who helped us out. There were lots of bugs in my room. One bite left me with an infection, and I needed medication from a doctor after I got back to the UK. I also had ants crawling on me in bed. Housekeeping kept complaining about the tiny bit of mess we left, then left the floors soaking wet. My mother slipped on one. I don't know if people from other countries get treated differently, but they certainly weren't nice to us English guests. We wish we'd stayed at porto pino club instead.

The bed was good, but the bathroom was too small and the hotel feels very old-fashioned and in need of a restyle. Breakfast was poor and mostly sweet, with a 9:30 cutoff; checkout was at 10 at the latest. Details seemed neglected, and only a few staff members spoke English.