"There are some unfair comments about the hotel and accommodation, this is my honest option of Piccola Hotel, I hope you find it helpful.
Firstly, we liked the steeped chalet style set up, it was very picturesque with the mountains in the background.
The rooms are lovely, well maintained with stylish functional furniture, the bed was so comfortable that we both slept extremely well, and the air con keeps you nice and cool. There are no tea/coffee making facilities in the rooms but we knew this in advance so brought a travel kettle, mugs and tea/coffee etc.
We had three plug sockets in our room but one was for the mini fridge (not stocked but very handy nonetheless). We took a double adapter which was handy, there is a nice little patio area and the rooms were always cleaned really well.
As many have said, there is no WiFi outside of the reception/bar/dining areas but we knew this so bought an eSIM before leaving the UK.
The pool area is quite tranquil, well maintained and the sunbeds are really comfy but some of the parasols were faulty and you really do need some shade so you might have to move things around a bit, we always found available sunbeds whatever time of day we went. The pool closes over lunchtime possibly for safety which isn’t a bad thing but something to be aware of, sometimes there is music, often there isn’t, drinks round the pool are served in paper cups.
The food is great if your preference is cold Mediterranean food, things that should be hot were often cool at best and some things that certainly should be hot like baked beans at breakfast were actually stone cold on occasions.
The ‘Sardinian night’ food looked spectacular however was not really to my taste, lots of seafood, fish, veal, tripe, bony meats and Sardinian sausage which was gristly. There were also quite a few flies and the dining halls were not air conditioned so it was very hot and quite busy.
The ice creams were delicious, I think we tried every flavour and they were all great, they were only available during lunches and evening meal time slots. There are no snacks between meals apart from some leftovers (I think) on the bar.
There is a ‘cocktail of the day’ but these are not really cocktails, often a mixer with a shot, like rum and coke or vodka and lemon. All inclusive/full board plus drinks are only free until 11pm. I asked bar staff to fill my water bottle multiple times per day as there is no bottled water available outside of mealtimes and none in the rooms and they were always happy to do so. The white wine with meals was nice and so was the beer.
The evening entertainment could be improved, it usually consisted only of a singer and sometimes the staff ‘sang’. Daytime activities as listed on the board didn’t appear to happen at all while we were there so perhaps they shouldn’t be advertised.
The reception is air conditioned and you can get towels for a 10€ deposit (plus 4€ per change I believe), they also have a good collection of books you can borrow or add to and there is a desk for the person who takes the bookings for the excursions, we never actually saw them but you can WhatsApp them. There is hotel tax to pay upon checking out.
The location is good with Ottiolu Port under 10 minutes walk away (turn left out of the hotel then walk across the wasteland adjacent to the hotel) if you want to get there quickly. There are a couple of Spar shops which are really handy including a small supermarket and an ‘express’ style store. Only one ATM though which was out of order while we were there, the next closest ATM is in Budoni. The port has some evening markets, a pharmacy (with post box) and plenty of restaurants and bars.
Budoni is well worth visiting especially in the evening when they have the night craft markets which have some lovely things to buy and a good selection of eateries and bars. A return taxi from Piccolo Hotel was 35€. I believe they have a nice beach but we didn’t see it as we only went in the evenings.
There is a small beach to the left of the marina and a much larger one to the right where you can hire sunbeds and a parasol for 20-35€ depending on how close to the water you want to be.
There is a free shuttle bus to another nearby beach but although the sunbeds and parasols are free, I didn’t like it as much , as there are no nearby food & drink facilities, and you do need to be ready to be collected 20 minutes before the times, as the bus gets full quickly.
The sea is crystal clear once you get past the seaweed and there are plenty of fish to see especially if you snorkel closer to the rocks. There was a large inflatable assault course and pedeloes to hire.
We went on a couple of excursions, we booked a TUI trip to Corsica (available Sundays and Wednesdays) through GetYourGuide before we went and managed to get 10% off but the trip is also available through the hotel for 125€ per person which worked out the same. Our collection point was TUI Blu in Budoni and the taxi was 15€ each way.
Corsica (Bonifacio) is stunning with a glorious port, fabulous history and contemporary shops. The drive to the post is 1hr 45 minutes or so, the crossing is around an hour and you get over 3 hours of free time after the guided tour.
We did another excursion which runs on Saturdays, it was the boat trips to Tavolara and Molara for 85€ PP, the departure point being Ottiolu Port, so very walkable. Tavolara is beautiful with clear seas and lovely fine sand, parasols and sunbeds can be hired from 40€ but if you tell the staff you are on the boat trip this gets discounted to 30€.
In retrospect we probably should have skipped the sunbeds because we spent so much time snorkelling and went for a lovely walk but there is also a restaurant/bar to enjoy.
You are not allowed food on the beach as there can be wild boar around (we didn’t see any) and you are not allowed to take any shells or sands etc away as it is a protected area, you even have to wash your feet clear of any sand before embarking the boat. Lunch is pasta with water, wine, watermelon and after Molara, a biscuit.
You only get to sail around Molara but there is an opportunity to jump off the boat (or use the ladder if you prefer) to snorkel in the turquoise waters where there are lots of fish, we definitely recommend this, the water was glorious and cooling on what was a VERY hot day.
We would have liked to do the La Maddelena & Archipeliho cruise however this only runs on Tuesdays (125€ PP) and by the time we knew about this tour (from Anna the Jet2 rep) on Monday late afternoon, the tour was fully booked.
If you don’t fancy any trips or are staying longer than a week then a hire car might be a good idea, but if you plan to visit any of the premium beaches then you might have to book in advance and check parking arrangements.
You can request a packed lunch by 7pm for the following day if you’re going to be out. These were typically a sandwich (salami/other meat & cheese), a biscuit, fruit, water and a carton of juice.
You should take bug repellent as bites are common in the evening.
The staff are all really lovely, the dining manager Alessandro was very welcoming and always checked in with us, we only spoke to the hotel manager Patricia a couple of times but she was very helpful and the bar, serving and cleaning staff were always very nice.
❤️ We had a really lovely time at Piccolo Hotel, a few little tweaks could make this hotel extra special but we still had a great time and met new friends (A&A)."
