Forte Village Resort - Il Bouganville

I stayed at Forte Village in 2019 and again in 2022, and I’m writing this because I miss it so much. I wish other hotels could reach this level. It’s a beautiful resort with loads to do, and my favorite was the slide pool. The restaurants were all delicious, and the staff were amazing. Hopefully I’ll get to return one day!

The rooms were okay, but the shower had no running water. I had to ask reception four times to fix it, and they kept saying they would. The staff should have handled that better. Housekeeping also left the door unlocked after cleaning, which is an absolute no-go. The hotel is overpriced, and almost all the restaurants were closed. Not worth it.

The room service alone made planning meals a gamble. During the busy period, our order took 2-3 hours to reach the room, so eating at a particular time was out of the question. The staff, apart from a few exceptions, seemed poorly trained and often gave the impression that guests were bothering them. We stayed four days at this supposedly five-star hotel, and it was one of my worst experiences. I don't think it merits a five-star classification; to me it felt more like a low-standard four-star place. Our ground-floor room was in the Pineta area, with a huge glass sliding door that was hard to move without some strength. Watch the lock, since it could catch your finger. They also use old-fashioned metal keys with brass tags bearing the room number. I wouldn't want to lose one, as I doubt a locksmith is available on call. Parking was another mess. They advertise three lots, but the only one where we could find a space was number 3, an unpaved patch in a pine grove. Alongside guests' cars, there was discarded hotel equipment: a battered sofa, old welding gas tanks, and digging equipment. It looked more like a scrapyard than a five-star parking area. The road there has potholes, and club cars speed along it, so drive carefully. Lot 1 was always full, mostly with electric or plug-in cars, which I understand. Lot 2 was behind a broken barrier and apparently meant for the hotel's club cars. We left our luggage at reception before trying to park. I wouldn't recommend this resort. I also found the large number of positive online reviews strange: when I asked other guests, everyone I spoke to had similarly poor feedback.

There’s plenty of space, facilities, and choice here, so it sounds promising, but it didn’t work as a premium experience for me. Halfway through my stay they made me switch rooms to make it easier to prepare for another event. Nobody told me at check-in. I got back at 8pm after a full day out to find the room hadn't been cleaned and a note asking me to call about the room move.