Hotel Conte di Cabrera

Beautiful area, so clean and tidy, nature and comfort for everyone, perfect weather. We enjoyed a week here and were entertained daily by fantastic young energetic and kind people. We would like to come back one day.

Location is lovely, beach and sand outstanding and not too crowded, gorgeous pool (note: not heated and water rather cold), large rooms and very clean, great bathrooms. Price is right. "Bagnini" (pool and beach helpers) and bar staff are the nicest, friendliest and most helpful ever! On the other hand the sweet, cute, elegant and courteous young women at reception share half a brain among them. One of them, Alessandra, is competent, the others have to ask for help from 3,4 people before answering anything. You should give them a checklist for when people check in as they forget a lot, e.g. that one needs a card to pay for extras as cash is not accepted and it needs to be secured by a credit card. How to get to Internet (more on this later). How to get beach towels. And so on. We had to go back and line up at reception at least 20 minutes, at least 6 times! Thank God for the Bagnini and bar staff who directed us. Please note that I am Italian by origin and can speak italian, English and french, so communication was not a problem (Canadian now). The place is absolutely full of tours of french people and everything is geared to them and their tour guides who organize everything really well for their own group. Could you belive that for 2 days we could not get a printout of the possible excursions and of the spa prices in Italian (never mind english)? Only french available. And the reception desk knows *nothing* about them,not even able to find out the time for the information sessions (so we missed it). Internet: available free in lobby after lining up at reception to get password good for only 2 hours. Then another line up for another password. Every time clerk needed help in giving out silly ticket. So we decided to pay for Internet in the room at the reasonable rate of 10 euro per week. It took 45 minutes to get it set up and it is valid for only one machine. Fortunately we were able to set up a local hot spot through one of our laptops and we can both work. The cost is reasonable but like all the other extra costs it should be made clear in advance. Extra costs: the French people on tours have indeed an all included. Our Italian tour through a milanese agency does not. So one can have coffee at breakfast buffet, but during the day every drink, even water, is at a cost. The deposit on beach towels was hilarious: only cash for the it, no credit on hotel credit card! I guess our Visa card is not reliable? And they charge 2 euro every time one exchanges a wet towel. It is not the extra costs, we can afford it, it is the nuisance of having to do it, carrying the stupid card, instead of relaxing and being able to have a coke! The food is quite good and it changes. We did not expect that it would be self serve buffet at all times though and it is a bit confusing as most plates are not well labeled. So expect a lot of people moving around with an astounding level of noise. Impossible to have a conversation unless shouting. Not the hotel fault though that the week is overrun by families with small crying children. The restaurant could certainly use some sound insulation on the ceiling and an encouragement to young children to go play hide and seek in the hall and not between tables (even if seeing the disruption of poor waiters being tripped and dropping piles of plates was a Monty Python amusement). Waiters are very efficient and very kind and patient. It would be splendid if an area at the side could be labeled "quiet" or "adult only". Overall it is a great place, enjoyable after the first few days when one figures out the byzantine lack of organization. Worth coming to, with a sense of humour. Train the people at the front desk! (I am writing in English to share my husband's points as well)

This is a very well managed resort which compared to others of the same price range in Sicily really deserves the highest ranking. I have been staying in Serenusa, Arenella, Baia d'Oro and I must say that Conte di Cabrera is way better! Quality of the food, professionalism, cleaning of rooms and common areas, services offered: it is all superior to many others.