Club Esse Sporting

The room was unbearable. We found ants in the bed and insects on us and in the sheets, and the mattress was unusable. After we spoke to four staff members on the first night, we were told all the mattresses were the same. I recorded the ants and the mattress and showed the manager, who promised new ones. The following night, the replacement was two single mattresses that were just as old and uncomfortable. Other problems piled up: our promised dinner table hadn't been reserved, and the employee shouted at us and directed us to a dirty one. Dinner was cold, and it took 30 minutes for replacement pasta. A van driver yelled at guests who asked about a delay after a 20-minute wait during the posted service hours. Housekeepers were rude and shouted because we were in the room during cleaning. The walls were thin like a tent, so we could hear other rooms. The pool was closed from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM when the lifeguard was off duty, and we had to rent and pay to wash pool towels. On the second day, we wrote to both the hotel and Booking.com asking only to cancel the next three nights so we could move. We said we would accept losing those three days and try to enjoy the rest, but neither replied. On the third day, we called Booking.com and were asked to wait another 24 hours, although we'd already waited that long. After two and a half hours on the phone, they said the hotel wouldn't refund us, even though we offered video evidence of the mattress and ants. Booking.com told us we should check hotels more carefully before booking. Those other issues felt minor next to ants crawling on us at night and a mattress we couldn't use. This was about basic health and safety, not a matter of taste. We had planned and saved for a relaxing trip, but the six days became unbearable.

The bed was unusable, and we woke up with ants crawling on us. Dinner was cold, the staff were rude, and the pool closed from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM. We didn't dare order more food after dinner. This horrible hotel ruined six days of our holiday. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

The friendly, hospitable staff who spoke English are the reason I'm giving two stars instead of one. In general, people were kind, though reception was an exception, and it would've helped if more staff spoke at least some English. The pool hours made no sense, with a break from 12:30 to 15:30, and it was too loud. We'd been enjoying our stay at first, but the last dinner and breakfast were a real letdown despite paying for full board. There was hardly any food left, most dishes were cold, and at 20:20 there was no dessert. Other guests looked disappointed too. Breakfast had no sausage or bacon. I know it was the end of the season, but we paid full price and expected full service. Housekeeping also threw away half a pizza we'd saved in our room and removed our teacup and knife. We got the utensils back after complaining. The room had mold in the bathroom, loose appliances, a sagging mattress that gave me back pain, and a terrible hair dryer. And in Italy, the coffee was a disgrace.

We had a really happy stay at Club Esse Sporting in Stintino in September 2025. Our spacious room was very clean, with well-kept furniture and a nice bathroom. Towels were missing when we arrived, but reception brought them as soon as we asked. Parking was easy in mid-September, with two spaces available and a spot for our car whenever we needed one. The food at dinner was tasty every evening, and drinks were included. La Pelosa Beach was stunning, about a ten-minute walk away, and the hotel's private beach had clear water and a little more sandy space. The beach service was confusing. The hotel's website said each room got an unassigned parasol, sunbed and deck chair from the second row, with a fee for the front row. At check-in, though, we were told sunbeds would cost an extra €30 a day. Since included beach access was one reason we chose the hotel, this felt unclear and misleading. We only went to the private beach a few times, and nobody ever checked whether our booking included beach service. Breakfast was the same each day and not especially tasty. At night, music from the bar carried clearly into our room until 11 p.m. or sometimes midnight, making it hard to sleep. The very friendly and helpful barwoman turned it down after we asked during the first few days, but later it was extremely loud again.