We stayed four nights at the end of June in this wonderful hotel.
On arrival the taxi driver summoned a doorman who carried our bags up the steps. The staff on the desk were polite and professional and check in was simple and quick. We had upgraded to a front sea view room with balcony and this was well worth it as the room was fantastic. It was large, spotlessly clean, well equipped and with a very comfortable bed.
I think the only slightly negative comment would be that some of the staff could smile a bit more! They are all polite but some of them do not come across as very friendly.
The breakfast was fantastic with a huge range to choose from. Cannot remember everything but there was fresh fruit, cereals, dried fruit and seeds, yogurts, cold meats and cheeses, eggs, bacon, lots of choices of breads, cakes and at least five different types of croissants. There were also sections for different dietary needs. The food was of excellent quality.
The hotel has an arrangement with one of the beaches 50 yards from the hotel and we made use of this on one day. The cost is fifty Euros for up to four people. For this you get a couple of loungers, chairs and an umbrella. This seems quite a lot of money but we gather that nearly all the beach fronts in Viareggio work in the same way. Beautiful clean sandy beaches stretch all along the front.
The pool area on the roof was pleasant with drinks and snacks served. The drinks of course have to be in plastic glasses as it is a pool area. The pool looked lovely and I had hoped to have a morning swim each day. It is, however, too shallow for swimming but makes a nice place to cool off.
There is a lovely large wooded area at the rear of the hotel for walks in the shade.
We didn't eat in this hotel as there are so many restaurants etc around the hotel. We did have pre-dinner drinks which were served with an excellent selection of nibbles.
We went to the Ice cream place across the road (Galliano’s) a couple of times but the waiter was so awkward and miserable, especially if you are not Italian, that we never went back. We did, however, find a lovely place just a little bit further on called ‘Orsi’ and they were fantastic – really friendly, lovely lunches and really tasty ice creams made onsite.
We tried a few places for evening meals but the ‘Il Marcantonio’ on the front, a short walk from the hotel, was by far the best with outstanding food.
This is an expensive area to holiday but it is well known for it and really is an upmarket resort. This is reflected in the prices of everything inside and outside the hotel. You wouldn't choose to go here if you were on a tight budget.