Hotel Village Club Santa Caterina

The hotel is huge and easy to get lost in, though it's well maintained and clean. The "village" section could use renovation. Staff were cheerful, helpful, and friendly, and made it feel like home. My room was spotless and cleaned every day, and the housekeeping team was lovely. The food was simple but well prepared, with fish every day, lots of vegetables, and several kinds of pasta. I liked that they served local food instead of adapting everything for tourists from other countries. The location is great: the supermarket is a 10-minute walk away, and the train station and Old Town are 15 minutes away. The walls in the rooms are very thin, so I'd bring earplugs. I was on holiday at Santa Caterina Village through a travel agency. Their offer didn't accurately describe the hotel's condition, but that's the agency's fault, so I'll set those shortcomings aside.

This didn't feel like a 4-star hotel to us. The online photos didn't match the property's current condition, and our stay felt closer to 2 stars overall. The bathroom had rust and mold, and the shower drain was clogged from the first day. They fixed it on day three, after we asked repeatedly. In the room there was just one electrical socket, plus one in the bathroom. There were no glasses or welcome water, and the air conditioner was too noisy for comfortable sleep. Breakfast was very limited and often wasn't replenished. The eggs and bacon ran out, juice machines sometimes gave only water, and the coffee was very poor. Most of the desserts looked like they were bought from a shop.

We stayed in the modern section closer to the beach. The rooms were okay, but very small, and unless you pay extra, the view is of a busy street. There's no other option besides a double bed, which isn't ideal for small children. The outdoor pools requiring swimming caps felt really odd. Food was good, especially the pasta, and the service was very friendly.

There were three of us, two adults and our 3-month-old baby. At arrival, we were surprised that the hotel's average age seemed to be over 60. It's split between two buildings, and ours was behind the street, with a very long walk to the main one. Our room wasn't suited to a baby: the shower was tiny and had a fixed shower head, there was no baby bed, and the bathroom was moldy. The room was very run down, and the tap water looked slightly dirty. I asked if we could move to a different room since part of the hotel was being renovated, and said I'd pay, but they couldn't help. Seeing full buses of pensioners arrive made it clear to me who the hotel was aimed at. The food was a disgrace for Italy, made for mass catering. Coffee from the vending machine was colored water, and real coffee at the bar cost extra. We left after one night to save our vacation and give the baby a better environment. I lost a lot of money, but don't regret leaving.