Club Esse Shardana

The property could have potential, but it would need a complete renovation, a professional GM, and staff who know hospitality. In over 40 countries of travel, I've never seen this level of neglect. The only person I can praise was the Italian man with glasses and medium long hair, who seemed to be doing every job in the building while management looked the other way. I took our complaints to the general manager. He admitted it was “not really a 4-star” and acted surprised. A hotel manager should read reviews, train staff, and take responsibility, and none of that seems to happen here. We'd read bad reviews before arriving, so we emailed the hotel directly about cleanliness and never got a reply, either through the website's info email or Booking.com. When we arrived, there was visible dirt on the floor and long human hairs in the drawers. It wasn't an isolated issue, the whole property seemed poorly maintained. At the buffet, staff with no apparent training handled bread and food with bare hands, with no gloves or utensils. The scrambled eggs tasted like fish, almost certainly from contamination with the previous night's dinner. I'm allergic to fish. Forget breakfast. It was a carb-heavy sugar display, with no balance or freshness: fourteen cakes, two kinds of bread, no fresh juice, green bananas, and bread that tasted old. Nothing there made me want to get out of bed. The rooms were dated and uncomfortable. The sheets were thin and cheap, the blue bed cover looked worn and from the 90s, the ceiling light was broken, and the shower didn't drain. There were no windows but also no privacy. Every word and sound from the next room came through clearly, including things nobody on a family holiday should have to hear. There was no Wi-Fi and no mobile signal on Vodafone, TIM, or any other network. Most alarming, housekeeping left our door open for seven hours. Our room was among the first set, and 70% of guests had to pass by. Anyone could have walked in and taken everything. If you're considering this place, stop. It isn't a 4-star hotel in any sense except what's printed on the sign. This is a badly run, poorly maintained property relying on its location and misleading advertisement. If you care about cleanliness, comfort, or basic hospitality standards, book somewhere else.

The only real highlight was the location and its beautiful views. The hotel isn't a 4-star place and offers guests the bare minimum. Food was the same every day, and once mine tasted mouldy. Rooms are tiny and very outdated. Towels only get changed if you leave them on the floor, and there's just one wall socket for chargers and everything else. I don't recommend it.

The setting is stunning, and that's the main draw. Staff were so indifferent it came across as rude, with no sense of hospitality. There was a selection of food, but service came with a frown.

The location is beautiful, but this doesn't feel worthy of a 4-star hotel rating. Check-in is late and check-out early. There's no Wi-Fi in the room, and the cocktails and other drinks are very average. The whole building needs renovating. Breakfast was very average too, just the basics, with terrible coffee and no fruit or vegetables.