Hotel Elba Carlota

We had a lovely week here. The hotel is next door to a shopping centre including a supermarket and across the road from MacDonalds. Caleta de Fuste is a 10-15 minute walk along the road. There is a free bus regularly from the hotel to Caleta but we walked. At the other side of the hotel is a gate to the seafront so it is very near the beach where pedallos can be hired. Room key is needed to get back through the gate afterwards. Planes fly over the hotel but weren’t as noisy as I expected, and they didn’t start till 8am. We found it relaxing to watch planes flying over on their way to the airport, and raised a glass to those arriving. Not sure what time they finished flying as I didn’t really hear them. The rooms were a good size with very comfortable beds. We had 3 rooms and each had a bed, a small table with 2 chairs, free WiFi and a fridge. There is a safe but that has to be paid for separately. The rooms were clean and furnishings good. There was a lot of cockroaches and small bugs around the island when we were there but we weren’t really affected. The rooms were cleaned thoroughly every day and we had a few small crawlies in two of our rooms but the staff left us a spray which worked very well. There are two pools. The heated pool has a jacuzzi area. We were there in March and both pools and the jacuzzi were too cold to stay in for long. The baby pool was lovely and has a little slide in the middle. That was also cold so the children need dri suits if they are going to be in it for long. The staff are amazing, so helpful and friendly. Our baby is a messy eater but the staff just cleaned it up and talked to her, no moaning there. So unlike at home. We couldn’t find out easily how to tip the staff but found out on the last day that there are tip jars in the restaurant and on reception desk. We left money in the room for the cleaning staff. We stayed all inclusive for our TUI holiday. Our Rep was amazing and a mine of information. No recycling. We could have as many small bottles of water as we wanted but could not recycle the bottles. There is a room to store luggage on you last day and they had a room we could use to have a shower and get changed before we got on the bus to the airport. I would have given the hotel 5 stars but for the food. There was plenty of it and plenty of choice. Always a pasta dish, pizza, salad, lots of fruit and hot/cold choices. I have a wheat, gluten and lactose intolerance. There was a gluten free breakfast section-no bread though to make toast. Lactose free milk, coconut milk and oat milk was there with lactose free yoghurt. The labels on the food were very unreliable, sometimes missing so I had to guess. The hot food came at various temperatures. The bacon and beans were cold every day. Some of the roast meats were very hot, too hot to eat, but the veg was cold. Plenty of choice and I tried many dishes I would never try at home. On the day we left we had to book out at midday. Our wristbands were cut off when we booked out. This meant that we couldn’t have any free drinks or food and our flight wasn’t until 8.30 pm. We asked about this when we booked out and were given vouchers for lunch but no drinks. This was very disappointing for us as we had paid lots of money for this holiday and felt we should be able to eat and drink what we wanted until we left.

The Elba Carlota is set in stunning grounds right next to a beautiful sandy beach and just a short transfer from the airport. The gardens are beautifully kept and spacious with an abundance of space and sun beds. There are 3 pools, 2 are heated and one of them is specifically for children. The hotel is spotlessly clean throughout and the food is excellent. The main real asset of the hotel is its staff, from the excellent staff on reception to the waiting staff and cleaners all are thoroughly professional and helpful and always have a smile for guests. Special mentions for Reynaldo, Guenda, Youbbi and Kalimara, who made my stay extra special! Thank you! If you want a relaxing break you should try the Elba Carlota, many who try it keep coming back because it is so good!