Elma Park Terme Hotel - Centro Benessere

We were moved to this hotel by our tour operator due to 'overbooking' at our chosen hotel..A HUGE disappointment.. we were the only British couple there,very limited breakfast when you had to choose your evening meal,which was served at 8pm to 9pm.One entered a bombardment of Italian guests when the doors opened at 8pm!The spa area was tatty and unclean and the drinks patio area was overgrown with weeds and grass.I would NOT recommend this hotel to any British clients.

The room was set up for a couple with a double bed which as we are female friends we had to ask for a change even though our paperwork said a twin room. It's nice and clean but the whe place is outdated. It is not 4 stars. The minibar only had bottles of water in it. There was no kettle to make a drink. The shower is over the bath and the nozzle so blocked water only came out of 5 or 6 holes. Shower curtain too flimsy. Water temperature kept changing. The meals were pretty bleak. I had an upset stomach most of my week. Fish is served every day and not vert well. Our vegetables were cold most days. None of the air conditioning units work in the dining area so it's gets very uncomfortable and italian guests who are all sited next to the windows will not allow the windows to be opened. For some reason they made the English sit in one area away from the windows so no chance of a view. Our room overlooked the side of the hotel by a busy ish room so we had no view. I would not recommend this place to anyone and it wasn't worth the money we paid.

We had a half-board package with Secret Escapes which included a 20 minute spa treatment and a boat trip around the island, stopping for an hour in Sant’ Angelo. Most of the hotel clientele are Italian, then some German and only a smattering of English people, but I guess this could vary at other times of year. Not all staff speak much English, but far superior to my Italian! The property is terraced into the hillside (over 140 easy steps from the bottom road exit to reception’s road exit at the top), affording great views over the harbour and sea beyond. SPA: I chose the 20 minute treatment for back, neck and shoulder massage; very good. The indoor thermal bath area downstairs is very pleasant. POOL: Nice outdoor pool area, decent pool temperature, sun terrace and plenty of loungers. Free towel use available daily from reception, but if you require a pool hat (supposedly mandatory but not enforced) it is €3. BAR: Poolside snacks and drinks available. However, male bartender is work-shy and not skilled; you could die of dehydration before he deigns to serve you. Try ordering a banana daiquiri; very amusing result. All other staff are fine. ROOM: not slick corporate boxes, having some local character. Ours had all we needed: very clean and freshly painted. Efficient aircon. Usual gripe about hotels of all calibres worldwide (designers please note) insufficient lighting in the room for makeup. Worst thing; very poor sound insulation. I thought my husband was snoring, but the noise was coming from next door! BATHROOM: yes the ubiquitous fixed hairdryer located in the bathroom (why?)! Fine if you have a buzz cut, otherwise useless for styling (especially in humidity)but you could use it to de-mist the mirror! Shampoo/shower gel combo and soap provided; nothing else. Shower over bath. Bidet. FOOD: Buffet breakfast. Excellent coffee. Lunch/dinner is substantial and made on the premises, in regional Italian style. The restaurant manager Gina is brilliant, hard working and she really looks after you. It’s a bit regimented though, with dinner served (not buffet) from 8pm to 9pm. To cater efficiently you are shown the menu choices at breakfast and you can choose to take your meal that day as lunch or dinner. This did make you feel tied to the hotel as you felt honour bound not to decide to eat out instead as you had pre-ordered and would be missed. All Italian dishes were excellent (especially enjoyed the salmon risotto), but some other dishes hit and miss. Roast chicken was more like a poor man’s casseroled chicken and I didn’t enjoy it. SUMMARY: Good location near port, amenities and bus routes. If you are looking for a beach scene there are better locations on the island. Hotel clean and cared for but dated, yet in some ways charming and of its place. Urgently needs to up its game in poolside service as it was a real spoiler to our relaxation and lets the hotel down. Also upgrade sound insulation between rooms. We enjoyed our stay and the staff were lovely, but I feel this hotel could get left behind by its competitors before too long.