"I have always used these reviews when deciding on my choice of hotel and often take them with a pinch of salt as people’s expectations can vary so much. They do prove useful and hence I feel it only fair I add to the library.
We have just returned from 21 nights at the Piccolo Hotel in Sardinia. We had a wonderful time, the staff there are exceptional, nothing is too much for them. There was a variety of Nationalities, we noted Brits, Germans, Austrians, French and Italian but im sure there were more.
The review will contain a number of tips to help make your holiday.
The outdoor pool was a tad cold however provided you got straight in it really was quite nice and refreshing. Too many around the pool missed out by not trying. A Lifeguard was always in attendance. He would also help guests with sunbeds and sun shades. Beach Towels were provided for a refundable 10E deposit. There was then a 2.50E fee to change towels which makes sense as some people would change daily and if staying a week a towel should last. We were here 3 weeks and still paid 2.50E for a change which seemed a little off.
The All Inclusive element was unusual for Italian hotels as not many offer this. Soft drinks and hot drinks were readily available as were beer and wine both of which were very drinkable. The only major spirit on the All Inclusive was Whisky which seemed unusual as most hotels offering All Inclusive seem to exclude Whisky but have a full range of other spirits. Limoncello and Mirto were both included and are worth a try. There was always one alcoholic cocktail of the day and one non alcoholic cocktail of the day which included, gin or vodka or tequilla or whisky. Ice Cream was available in the bar area but only whilst the restaurant was open for lunch and dinner.
Food in the buffet restaurant was very good with plenty of choice each night. There is a large selection of foods available albeit that this appeared to change in the last week as the hotel was closing and presumably not reordering when it ran out of items. Fully understandable and not a complaint, we didn’t starve.
As few people on here have in the past complained about the food being cold on the buffet and on occasions this was the case but some of the meats had been precooked and its not good to reheat meat. That said things could have been improved by ensuring plates were hot. I also noted that for example fried eggs at breakfast would be cooked in the kitchen and left on a tray until the existing tray was used up. On one occasion I had the first egg from a new tray and it was stone cold. One other point when coming to Italy one expects Pizza in the restaurant but this hotel does not appear to serve them on the buffet. That said there is a good choice of pastas.
There is a microwave to heat food up with but one has to be careful what kind of food you heat up.
Tables are given bottled water at lunch and dinner and if you take that away after eating it gives you enough bottled water for the room as it is not provided at other times.
Once again all staff were fantastic, really friendly. There were some events planned around the pool during the day but these rarely happened but this didn’t really bother us. Some previous reviews commented on the music around the pool being too loud and not amenable to relaxing. We found this but a polite request solved both the type of music being played and the volume.
The hotel was spotless and there were always someone on hand to clear up any mess made by guests.
Our room was always very clean and a good size, lovely firm but comfortable double bed. Shower was a good size but the hot water was only just warm. Another couple we met said their water would be boiling hot one minute and then cold the next. Bidet was a nice touch. Towels are changed daily probably because nothing seemed to dry in the bathroom. Nice sized wardrobe but could do with a bit more drawer space. Free safe. No tea and coffee making facilities but that was OK as drinks readily available at the bar. Both air conditioning and heating worked well. Room well cleaned every day. Wi-Fi in the room would have been a big help as there is limited seating space in the lounge and it was too cold sometimes to sit outside at nigh being October. Interestingly we found the WiFi worked on the road outside the hotel but not in our room which was closer to reception and the bar than the road. TV was entirely Italian but not a problem we don’t go on holiday to watch TV..
Evening entertainment consisted of live music outside which sounded quite entertaining, however, we didn’t watch as it’s a bit too cold in October. Loud music on a TV needlessly played continuously in the bar all day and evening.
For October we were pleasantly surprised with the weather. Every day was warm or hot, sunny or sunny intervals with only two really heavy downpours.
A walk to the harbour along the road took about 15 mins but there are numerous short cuts to find and in the end we could get there in 5 mins using a dirt track at the side of the hotel, a car park and then an alley between restaurants.. The main beach was 14 mins walk away and was lovely especially near the harbour wall however being October the sea had more waves on it and seaweed was being washed onto the beach, however you could still go for a dip.
We were keen on walking and visited numerous other beaches and coves up and down the coast, again look out for shortcuts. We even walked to Budoni and back. Getting there we went via the road (50 mins)and coming back along the coast, again there are short cuts along the coast especially the one near the Pine Forest.
We went with Jet 2, however they do not run trips from this hotel. The hotel did run trips but after the first week of October theses ceased. We visited San Teodora on one during the day and spent 3 hours there which was enough. We wanted to go the week after to the beach at San TeoDora but the trip no longer ran. San Teodora appeared expensive in the shops.
At the end of our holiday we ventured out to one of the few restaurants in the harbour which was still open and had a lovely pizza each at only 10Euros each plus 2.50 cover charge. The restaurant was the Acuarium and it was a nice evening out. We looked at one other restaurants menu and their pizzas were almost twice the price but the ones we had could not be bettered.
Jet 2 provided a rep for the first few days but after that there was no rep visiting as it was the end of the season. Again OK for us as we rarely use the rep but if its your first holiday abroad then one may feel uncomfortable. That said if we needed anything the Reception staff and Miriam who booked trips etc were outstanding in helping with any questions. Thank you.
To finish the Positives are
1. Fantastic, clean hotel with friendly staff
2. Lovely clean outdoor pool
3. Good variety of food in the restaurant
4. Clean Bathroom Towels daily
5. Free Safe in Room
6. Bar close to the pool
7. Lovely local beaches within walking distance
8. Great weather for October
9. Lots of walks locally
10. Great drinks albeit a limited choice
The Negatives
1. Food sometimes left to go cold in kitchen rather than brought out immediately
2. Cold Plates
3. Inappropriate music until we asked it to be changed which they did thank you.
The Town itself was not busy and we often went on walks and hardly saw a sole however that was perfect for us as we wanted a quiet relaxing holiday away from crowds.
It really was a great holiday . Would I recommend – Yes. It’s a lovely friendly hotel although which was full for our entire stay but did not appear overcrowded. Book it with confidence.
Stayed 28 Sept to 19 Oct travelled as a couple"
