Costa Ragusa Borgo

The children had a wonderful time and were sorry to leave. There’s a wide choice of activities, large beaches, and a huge swimming pool. The buffet restaurants offered a good range of meals and service, but the specialty restaurants disappointed us and weren’t worth returning to for dinner, so after trying them we stuck with the buffets. It’s an older facility and showing wear in places. Check-in was slow, crowded, and chaotic. Our arrival bags ended up in the departure area and took two hours to locate. We weren’t given some useful information at check-in, so we had to ask several follow-up questions at the overcrowded reception. It felt like guests were only told what they asked about, though perhaps the desk staff’s limited English and the number of people seeking help played a part. Checkout went a bit better. It was a relaxing, enjoyable holiday as long as you set your expectations at three-star level.

The staff were super friendly and helpful, the activities kept coming, and we had a really nice time. For an all-inclusive stay, it’s good value for the money and I’d recommend it. Pasta and pizza were always delicious, while the meat could be less good at times, but was still fine to eat. Cleanliness felt a bit questionable because the decor is so dated, though staff tried their best. The resort could be a star, but it fell short of the luxury I expected, so I took two stars off my review. Getting there felt overwhelming and disorganized, with no orientation or explanation of how things worked. The place is old and badly in need of renovation: the rooms, bars, restaurants, decor, windows, tiles, and freestanding furniture all look old. The photographers could be annoying and persistent, and sometimes you may just have to walk away. If you’re looking for plush luxury, you may be disappointed.

There’s plenty to do here, whether you want a quiet beach and pool break or a packed schedule. We were met at the airport by friendly, helpful staff and shown to our coach. On arrival, we got a tour of the enormous site and its facilities: circus skills, archery, tennis, sailing, diving, pétanque, mini golf, and football. The daily water aerobics is great fun. The gym is small but well equipped, and the pools are vast. There are lots of restaurants, from table service to self service, plus takeaway snacks. The food is tasty, well prepared, and very good quality, especially considering they serve up to 2,000 guests. Kids club runs every day except Saturday. My only gripe is how much the shops and taxis to nearby towns cost. We loved the place.

The food was very good, especially the Italian dishes. During our stay, three restaurants were open. The main one worked well for breakfast, we preferred the Italian themed place with sea views for lunch, and the hotel restaurant courtyard was best in the evenings. The bungalow rooms suited up to two adults and two children under five, with comfortable beds, a great shower, and quiet, efficient air conditioning when needed. The main pool was superb, with 30m lanes for adults and a huge shallow area for kids, and the beach was very good too. Our three children enjoyed the well-run Mini Club, despite the staff not getting to know them very well. There were lots of children, but the staff handled it well. Camille, the manageress, seemed almost superhuman and was everywhere, and everyone made a massive effort to look after us. The bar and apero area was great. My only small complaint was waiting about 10 minutes for a drink one day because staff weren’t keeping control of their sections properly. I didn’t try many sports, but the quad bikes were an expensive extra and well worth it. Excellent overall, and very good value in my opinion.