Elba Palace Golf Boutique Hotel - Adults Only

We have stayed at the hotel a number of times and have rebooked for later this year. Only doing this review as snowed in at home and don’t do reviews in general. I really like the overall experience the hotel provides. However… although the plus points exceed the negatives there are some annoying issues. Location, building style and vibe are tremendous. Dinner is 8 out of 10, a few more veggie/ chicken dishes would raise it. The buffet starter is the best. On the other hand breakfast is 6 out of 10 at best. Egg station is great. The cooked food is cold and some non Spanish style bacon would improve it (I know this Spain). The orange juice machine is a messy experience and that’s when it works (even guests reviewing the hotel as 5 stars must agree). The pool has many missing tiles (been like that for years). Loungers around the pool are dated. The pool attendant is always cheery and love meeting up with Elba the cat when we stay. The staff in general are great but look over worked and always rushing about. It doesn’t give the best impression. Also the bar service is very slow in the cafe and next to the dining room at night. You can wait 10-15 minutes to be served. More staff are needed and perhaps that’s why a lot of the dining/ drink staff look harassed and unhappy. It’s not 5 star Dubai or American style service. I would also note that the rooms are stylish, the maid service every day is amazing and they are all very cheery! They do stand out. One main gripe on our last tip was we asked for a later checkout, normal is 12 noon and we asked for 2pm as our flight was at 6pm. I won’t mention the receptionist’s name but we had an unpleasant conversation, were lied to about the hotel being full to get us to go away and were told the only option was to book another night stay to extend the room by 2 hours! It was a sour end to our trip. I fully accept it’s not always possible to accommodate such requests but the manner we were spoken too was unacceptable. As I say we have booked again for this year and hopefully this person will have moved on to a career that suits them better than hospitality. Interestingly as many say in these reviews it’s the small things that count. It’s not far away from being perfect and it’s annoying it’s not but sorry it’s not 5 star at present. We are golfers and travel a bit. The restaurant is called St Andrews. A visit there by senior management/ owners and they would see what the difference is and what 5 star means in terms of staff attitude at least. The sun is always out in Fuerte though!

Hotel was very good as you would expect for a 5 star. We did not go there for the golfing activities, as this was a quiet break for the 2 of us. The golf looked good and would be the main reason for going there as the location was a fair way out from the seafront bars and eateries. There was an infrequent shuttle bus as the walk was a considerable distance, but it did not run every day as expected when we were there. The breakfast was fine, and the evening meals were ok, but unfortunately we thought the selection of main courses was a bit disappointing, so we made up for it with the ‘help yourself’ starter and dessert courses. Overall it was nice and relaxing with a very pleasant pool to laze around during the daytime. Which was good as there was nowhere else nearby to go to. No small independent bar or cafe at all due to the remoteness.

Perfect for couples in search of a quiet, relaxing break. This is a fantastic hotel both in terms of amenities and service. The layout is spacious so it never feels crowded. Rooms are large and have lots of storage built in as well as the usual kettle, minibar, hairdryer etc. the bathroom is amazing with separate bath and shower, toilet and bidet behind a glass partition and double sinks. Bath robes, slippers and comfort items are all provided. Beds are massive and comfy. The best thing about this hotel is the service and staff which are both superb. You are greeted with the offer of a glass of bubbly and made to feel very welcome. The manager made an effort to visit guests regularly and we saw and spoke to her most days, including the last day when she insisted we keep our rooms for a late check out at 4pm instead of the usual 12 noon. Communal areas like the lobby have countless large comfy chairs and the courtyard is cool when you want a break from sunning yourself. The pool is very well maintained and has a life guard on duty. You never have to worry about finding a sun lounger or cabana, both are plentiful and free. Likewise there are always tables available for meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Food is fabulous, we stayed half-board and ate something different each night as the menu is extensive. Cannot recommend it highly enough and I don’t even play golf. If you do, it’s perfect. We enjoy the 20 minute walk to the local shops and almost empty golden beaches but if you don’t want to walk there is a free shuttle bus around Caleta or alternatively you can take a hire scooter as they are plentiful throughout the resort. We will be staying there again soon.