Hotel La Caletta

I spent three nights in August at the Hotel La Caletta in Porto Santo Stefano. I had chosen this property after seeing several videos on social media, where the hotel is very present and is portrayed in a particularly captivating way. My experience, however, was decidedly more mixed compared to the expectations created by that communication. I will start with the positive aspects. The hotel's real strong point is undoubtedly the location: directly on the sea, very close to the center of Porto Santo Stefano and with a beautiful view. Our room had a splendid sea view, probably the element we appreciated most during our stay. The staff is generally welcoming and open to dialogue with guests. I had the impression, however, that the good intentions of the individual staff members were not always matched by an organization that was equally attentive to the customer. The Superior room was small, about 14 square meters, but this was stated at the time of booking and therefore cannot be considered a surprise. The bathroom is also rather small. The room, however, has good soundproofing from the outside and, above all, a truly remarkable view. The main problem of our stay was the air conditioner. A decidedly dated, inefficient, and above all extremely noisy unit was installed in the room. The noise was comparable to that of a vacuum cleaner turned on and made it very difficult to sleep. I have also attached a photo of the device. In August, with high temperatures and a lot of humidity, being able to use the air conditioning during the night is not a minor detail. Keeping the window closed, one had to endure the very loud noise of the air conditioner; opening it, the heat, the humidity, and inevitably the noise of the sea and the waves on the rocks came in. The result was that for three nights, rest was anything but comfortable. I find it difficult to understand how a four-star rated establishment can continue to use a device of this type in a room. It is not enough to indicate that the room is air-conditioned: the air conditioner must be able to be effectively used, especially at night, without making it almost impossible to sleep. Real attention towards the customer, in my opinion, should lead to the immediate replacement of a device in these conditions. Another element that had made me choose the hotel was the presence of the attached beach club. The room price includes one umbrella and two lounge chairs and, on paper, it is certainly an interesting service. Here too, however, the reality was different from what I expected. The area designated for hotel guests seemed to me, in fact, the least favorable part of the beach club: rather secluded, towards the public beach and, above all, affected by shade as early as around 4:00 PM. The best spots in the large beach club turned out to be intended primarily for regular customers and season pass holders. It surprised me that hotel guests themselves, who pay certainly not low rates and to whom the beach service is presented as part of the offer, were placed in the least pleasant area. I asked to be able to change spots and, thanks above all to the courtesy and helpfulness of the lady at the beach club bar, we managed to get better accommodations. A gesture that I appreciated a lot, but which confirms once again how the helpfulness of individual people manages to partially compensate for some poorly understandable organizational choices. Finally, breakfast. It is indicated as a buffet breakfast, but the actual buffet is rather limited: even to get a simple croissant, you have to ask the dining room staff. Few things are actually available in self-service mode and, overall, I found the quality and variety of the breakfast barely sufficient, especially considering the hotel's category and price. In the end, that is exactly the point. For three nights we spent more than 1,200 euros. At this price level it is reasonable to expect not luxury, but greater care of the rooms, adequate air conditioning, a good breakfast, and treatment of hotel guests consistent with the level of the property. La Caletta has an asset that many hotels can only wish for: an extraordinary location, the sea in front of the rooms, proximity to the center of Porto Santo Stefano, and helpful people. But, in my experience, all this is not enough to make it a four-star hotel. The level of service I found is closer to that of a three-star hotel and, especially considering the price paid, I do not believe that the value for money is adequate. It is a shame, because the location would deserve a much higher level of attention and service.

Beyond the hotel's star rating, it is true that the rooms are small, but that is stated in the booking. Ours was certainly basic, but cute, and the sea view was very beautiful. It was fine for sleeping there for 5 days. There is also the convenience of having sun loungers with a beach umbrella 10 steps from the room, the water is beautiful, and there are hot showers. The only downside in this case is that the shade from the buildings arrives as early as 4:00 PM, while in the morning we found ourselves every day having to forcibly share the shade of our umbrella with our neighbors, as theirs ended up on the cabins and they did not want to move. As for breakfast, it is not a real buffet, as there is always a hotel staff member who has to serve you to get food. Dinner, on the other hand, should be totally re-evaluated with the Chef or whoever is in charge. All the fish dishes were of low quality, frozen fish and kept for too long as well. Our luck was asking for something alternative and not fish-based that did not appear on their menus. Only then were we given an entire menu based on meat and Maremma cuisine that we appreciated a little more. The dining room manager was helpful as soon as we asked, but if there is an extra menu, it would be nice if it were made available immediately rather than only upon request. As for the dining room staff, they were all courteous and helpful, but it is evident that there is great disorganization among them and the lack of a figure capable of managing the hotel professionally is felt. Slow service, lack of interest in seeing plates go back untouched. Half the staff disappeared one evening because they were busy at an eighteenth birthday party, leaving only 2 people to manage the dining room. In general, I would say that it is a place where the price-quality ratio is not justified. For what they offer, we spent €300 too much.

It is a bit complicated to unload and load the car because it lacks internal parking, but once inside... the tiredness goes away... The view, the terrace overlooking the sea, and the small beach on the rocks frame an enchanting place. From the rooms, you get the feeling of being at sea as if on a cruise, being pampered. Relaxation is guaranteed: quiet place, very clean, and with plenty of kind staff always ready to help. You eat well and at breakfast, there are also local products (honey, cheeses, yogurt, butter, bread, etc.). The grilled fish is excellent.