Elba Sara Beach & Golf Resort

Matthew Hillyard

This was our first trip abroad as a family of 4 with our 2 daughters (11 and 1). The hotel was fantastic, we all enjoyed it thoroughly. The food was fantastic. The Animacion team were great with the kids and made it an unforgettable experience for them. A few small issues which I'll mention are: 1. Upon arrival after over 6 hours of travelling and nearly 3500km, we finally entered our room at approx 11:30pm. We wheeled our suitcases in. The kids were excited as we had finally arrived on their first holiday, we opened up the doors to the balcony to look at the fantastic view and was greeted by a neighbour who told us all to shut up as they were trying to sleep... we had literally arrived 5 minutes prior and had been told to be quite with us wheeling our suitcases in and unpacking essential items. 2. The floor in the room wasn't very clean, we had white socks and within 5 minutes of walking around our socks were really dirty, the toilet/bidet and sink wasn't cleaned the whole time we were there and was very dusty from when we arrived, the room cleaners only left 1 roll of toilet roll which was never enough for a family of 4 with young children, we had to request them from reception. It was a strange experience being asked by reception to strip our bed sheets and pillow cases and leave them on the floor as a way of asking for a bed sheet change to the cleaners, apparently they won't change them unless we take them all off in a pile ourselves. 3. The towels are a bit dated and need replacing (rips and holes) 4. Seen birds in the snackbar on the tables eating the fallen food and food that's been left on the tables etc, I appreciate it's hard to control pests but I feel more effort could be made. 4. In the Albatros Restaurant there were many flies, surely a few UV lights would have that under control in no time, never seen this issue in the UK but we tend to have UV lights which immediately attracts them/kills them. 5. Move one of the Toaster machines in the Redtaurant to the otherside near the other coffee machine instead of having both together. 6. I think the pool opening hours are a bit limited. 6pm closure I feel is a little early. 7. After 6pm when the snackbar is shut, you then need to go upstairs to the bar to order drinks which is an inconvenience especially if you have young kids (or wheelchair disabled) and need to go up and down the lift to get a drink if you plan on sitting outside. 8. Would have loved the waterfall to be turned on more and not on a timer, very soothing sitting and listening to it when it was on. 9. Outside the side gate of the hotel (next to the park) there are 4 large metal studs coming out of the ground on the footpath. I kicked these with my toe on my first day which damaged my toe nail... not a hotel issue as its on public land, but it would be great if your maintainance team could cut them down to prevent it happening to others coming in and out of the side gate as I could have broke my toe quite easily. 10. Bathroom doors should be lockable. 11. Bedroom doors need to have a high/more advanced lock. My 1 year-old was always opening the door. We had to put heavy objects in front to prevent her from doing so. All of the above were small inconvenience and didn't really causes us any major issues. We just feel these little things could be looked at to improve things for all future guests. Would visit again in the future.

suze

Great for families. Good sunbed availability. Good quality for an all you can eat. Could do with slightly better parasols or more of them. Although beach front it is a rocky one so you have to do a 3 min walk to sandy beach. Next to a good shopping centre. Room 617 was fab with own private terrace. Good pools with one of them heated. Great for families but also it had a large area for adults only to relax.

H Morrin

This hotel is great for families. The rooms are clean and well maintained. The staff are brilliant and work incredibly hard often doing multiple jobs, all with a smile on their faces. The entertainment team are incredible and go the extra mile to ensure that all the children are happy; Ruben, Robert, Adam, Julia (and another male member of the team who is brilliant but name I have missed!) are always so positive and full of energy. The ‘movie’ night last night was brilliant and they all starred in it. It would be great if the advertising of events and shows was a bit clearer; I think that lots of people are missing out on all of these great things as whilst they are listed, it doesn’t really explain what it is (like last night, most people would have just expected a movie but it was so much more). The food is good. If you’re vegetarian it is very limited. I am pescatarian but there’s plenty for me. The pools are great. The nearby beach is also very lovely. Great little trip for a family.

Andrew Thomas-Challenger

Overall a great hotel and stay. Food was great at breakfast lunch and dinner lots of choice and always fresh. Service was great, Tracey at lunch time always knew what drinks to bring over even before being asked. Spent most of our days at the splash pool which is great for younger ones. Our little one loved the kids club and the animation team who always made him feel welcome, especially Adam and Ator who would always say hello and high five whenever they saw him. Great week away would definitely recommend and rebook the hotel again.

Emma Redfern

I would say this hotel is pushing a 4-star rating at best. The reception staff on arrival were welcoming, which gave a good first impression. However, the rooms are quite dated and not the cleanest. The floors in our room weren’t cleaned at all during the entire week of our stay. We had ongoing issues with the air conditioning, which was blowing warm air. Despite complaining five times over four days, the issue wasn’t resolved until we were finally moved to a different room, it was cooler outside. Flies were a constant problem. The pool area wasn’t thoroughly cleaned, and not all the food at the buffet was covered. I saw flies landing on the fruit and other dishes, which was really off-putting. Some of the food was lovely, but the presence of flies made it difficult to enjoy meals. On a positive note, the hotel is in a great location right next to shops, bars, and the beach, and it’s not far from the airport, so transfers were quick and easy. The entertainment was average. Daytime activities were better than the evening shows. Some staff were quite rude during an Italian meal one evening, the lady serving us (Ana) slammed my water down despite us being polite on arrival (as always). That kind of attitude really stood out in a negative way. On the other hand, the hotel manager and entertainment staff were the friendliest and most welcoming. The pool toilets are disgusting, they did not get cleaned throughout the day!!! Despite the issues, my children had a fantastic time and made lovely friends and ultimately, that’s what matters most to us. That said, we definitely won’t be returning to Elba Sara.