FlyLots

I know that his has been a controversial property in the past because of problems with the full pension charges for award stays but I thought I would throw in my 2 cents worth after a recent stay.

My partner and I along with two friends stayed here for 4 days at the end of May. Full disclosure, we did two nites on award (20k per nite) and two days rack rate (E 1188.-). Then on top of that is the requirement for full board which was an extra E 240.- p.p.p.n. One note on the full board requirement - you don't HAVE to take the full board option, but if you want it at all then you have to take it for all the nites of your stay. Now this can be problematic from the point of view that we arrived late on day one and left early on our last day (which would have meant that we were in effect paying E 480.- our first nite for dinner only and E 480.- on our last day for breakfast only). We got around this by "splitting" our stay (ie day one was an award day where we didn't take full board and went out for dinner and then we paid two days where we took full board and then our last nite was another award day without board and they threw in breakfast). I have to warn you though that this was a one-off agreement we made upon check-in and it helped that we had a fluent Italian speaker with us. There was no animosity at all in the discussions but it took a while to get things straightened out to where everyone was happy.

So on to my opinions. This might go against what many have said before but having done it I would say that this resort is not really worth almost E 1.200,- p.n. for the room, but the E 480,- for the full board was worth every penny!

First of all, make no mistake, this place is beautiful. The island is very desert-like, but we got there right after about 4 weeks of rain and everything was green and there were wildflowers everywhere. The resort is nestled into a large valley on the shores of the bay and water is stunning (on a sunny day it reminded us of bora bora in terms of clarity and the emerald color). The hotel itself looks like "Disney does Mediterrainian" with a hodgepodge of stuccoed buildings all in different muted/vibrant pastels and is designed to look like a fishing village. Large saltwater pool set in a grassy area with loungechairs and either a walkway or a boat shuttle to a cute little beach. Very 60's glam but at the sametime very timeless and still very much stylish. The rooms, however, in my opinion are somewhat disappointing. For this price I want Four Seasons type luxury in my room. The rooms are very nice and that is about all you can say. Tile floors, no fancy bedding, very nice bathroom, wonderful acqa di parma products and a stunning view. But overall nothing to overwhelm you (and in fact tha air conditioning was extremely underwhelming - sorry for being so American but it got HOT even with the balcony door open). Although it was discrete the little fox logo is literally on everything (shower door, towels, wall sockets, light switches and after a while you realize that the abstract pattern on the hall rug is actually a double logo). Walls are a bit thin and given the tile floors, if the people above you are walking around with shoes on you can hear every step. Our friends had to move rooms after the first nite because they were immediately above the sliding door (there is an automatic sliding glass door leading from the lobby to the terrace which much have been very glam and futuristic in the 60's but is nothing special now and rattles quite a bit when it opens). Nice B&O TV in the room with a multitude of various language sattelite stations. So underwhelming room.

BUT. You don't spend a lot of time in the rooms and let me tell you the service was non plus ultra and the food was astounding! This is a hotel that prides itself on true old fashioned 5-star hotel service and dining. We found that most of the staff seems to spend the summer season at the Cala (May through Oct) and the winter season at various hotels and restaurants in Gstaad (Oct. through May). Lunch is served buffet style in a bungalow with tables next to the pool. Antipasti are spread out on various buffets and you go and make your selection. As you head back to your table a member of the staff will come running up and take you plate and walk you back to your table. Then you can choose your primi, either from a pasta buffet or talk to you waiter about it who will bring it directly to your table. Also secondi (meat course) can be selected from an iced buffet right in front of the grill or once again you simply need to speak to your waiter to make a choice. For example if more members of your party order fish they will grill the whole thing and then present it to the table on a silver platter and debone it and serve it tableside. Desert is also buffet style and again you simply point and someone will dish it out and bring it to you. All the hovering staff was a little disconcerting at first but after a while you really fall into it and just smile, point at something and walk away with a thank you knowing that it will magically arrive at your table shortly. Lunch is usually a 1-2 hour affair and taken very slowly and is very relaxing. Food is again, absolutely astounding, fresh, delicious and you run the danger of stuffing yourself to death!

Now as you get to know your staff (once you choose your lunch table the first day you will usually just automatically get the same table with the same waiter for the rest of your stay and things like your favorite beverage will be already waiting for you) the service really takes off. At lunch we would discuss with our waiter what we were in the mood for for dinner later. The staff will also make recommendations and I would go with them. One day the waiter offered to have a salt-baked fish prepared and it was fabulous (moist, artistic in presentation and delicious). He might also make a suggestion for preparing a special desert which will likely be quite intricate and involve lots of tableside presentation and probably some flames). Dinner is served in the restaurant which has panoramic windows over the resort and bay. Again you get the same table each nite and your lunch waiter is usually your dinner waiter as well. Dinner is Antipasti and desert off a buffet and primi and secondi off a menu (unless you have arranged something special of course) but at all times if you are in the mood for something else and they have the ingrediants they will make it for you. We had some amazing dishes, the salt-backed fish one nite, a rack of lamb another, tournedos rossini, cherries jubilee a la cala, souflees, the list goes on and on.

So as I started by saying.....we loved our stay, since I always wanted to go there I am glad we did, we will likely go back someday. Here are some hints for those that want to go.

1) Use the awards. 20K per nite for a "free room" and then E 480.- for the full pension may sound like a lot (and it is) but I think there is value here. Paying for both room and board in cash is too expensive in my opinion and probably not worth it.

2) Go in off season. Last week in May to the first week in June and then sometime in September is the time to go. We were there in the last week of May and at most saw about 20 other people total at the resort. Most of the ones we saw seemed to be "regulars" that realize this is the best time to go. To a person the staff all told us that Mid-June through August is a madhouse and the place is literally sold out every night. With over 100 rooms it likely wouldn't be the same experience we had in terms of service. Also, they were quite diplomatic about it, but it seems that the people that go to the Cala in the summer now have changed from being old-world jetset to "new money" so to speak. While we were there it was obviously a wealthy crowd but very understated and mostly jeans, khakis and polo shirts.

3) IT WILL COST YOU ALOT OF MONEY NO MATTER WHAT. There is just no way around the fact that the Costa Smeralda is expensive. Going out for a round of drinks almost anywhere will set you back about E 50,- p.p. Dinner at a small local restaurant is E 100,- p.p. A pizza will set you back E 25,-. The boutiques in Porto Cervo are all Cavalli and Gucci and Versace with typical prices. People in the past have said that they saved some money by heading to the little store that is within walking distance, but that is closed. The pizza place is still there and they will sell you some beverages but at bar prices not supermarket prices. 8 bottles of water and 8 small tonic bottles set us back E 40,-.

4) The hotel is very Starwood concious. Despite what some others have written, we found management to be very accomodating to SPG members. Both parties included a PLAT member and we were specifically welcomed as Platinums, offered our amenities (go for the wine, it's actually the house brand and quite a good and refreshing white) and got additional welcome gifts (small bag of candies and a bottle of desert wine). All rooms are the same rate (except the Presidential Suite which is rumoured to be the most expensive hotel room in Europe) but as Platinums, we were both given central rooms which according to the floor plan were slightly larger with much larger bathrooms.

Our final conclusion is one that might be somewhat controversial to some people. We decided that at the Cala you aren't paying for what you get, but you are paying for what isn't there.......no crowds of package tourists. You part ways with them at the airport as they head off to different parts of the island (usually the south or eastern parts of the island).

Would be happy to answer any additional questions anyone might have.

P.S. The "James Bond Suite" out of one of his movies is actually not even a real room, they converted the hotel bar for the filming of the movie. Once you see it you immediately recognize it from the film though.

USAFAN

FlyLots:

Very interesting report. Thanks for posting it.
I have been there many years ago**). This hotel and Porto Cervo is a place where you better don't have to count your money. I am not one of them, still I enjoyed it. And at that time it was not so expensive.
Actually, many guests arrive with their own yacht at Cala di Volpe. They come from Porto San Stephano or else...from the bar you see the boats arriving!
And yes, the hotel, everything in Porto Cervo is a little "plain, simple", lots of understatement. The bank looked like a shack, but they handed me cash (for a private check) without checking my identity!?

BTW, you did not mention your fellow American Dennis.

During my visit it did not look like "Disney does Mediterranean" with a hodgepodge of stuccoed buildings all in different muted/vibrant pastels
All buildings had the same color: light "washed" occer (spelling! - this yellowish color, you find often in Italy, Provence). May be your fellow American Dennis ordered it for his party! Spitzer should look into this .. Sorry about this.

aroundtheworld

FlyLots:

Thanks for posting a very insightful report. You know, I believe one of the greatest upsides of the SPG program is the access members receive to these one-of-a-kind properties; Costa Smeralda is one of those places that normally ONLY the rich and famous have access to.

That said, it is in many ways a destination that falls into the "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" category.

I've never understood the complaining that goes on here about the meals not being included on an award stay -- they're not included at any other hotel when you redeem Starpoints; what makes everyone think they should be included at these hotels?

Another point where you hit the nail on the head: You ARE paying for a private, exclusive experience without the hordes of tourists. And when you're there, it's hard to imagine that such an eden still exists in this day and age. That alone is worth the points.

I will add that while I was not disappointed with the decor, it was just different from what I was expecting. I do know for a fact that the tiles in the bathroom and throughout the rooms, as well as the bedspreads, are all hand-made by local artisans, and the hotels pride themselves on this rare handiwork. I also truly enjoyed the Sardinian fishing village feel of the resort and found no Disney-like similarities whatsoever.

Anyway, some readers may take offense at the above, but I want to sincerely thank you, FlyLots, for an informative, well-balanced post on an often-maligned (and wrongly so, IMO) hotel.

beachfan

Cool and insightful report, mille grazie!

FlyLots

Just wanted to clarify some things about my post.

1) Perhaps Disney-like was an incorrect term. I in no way mean this in a disparaging way. The grounds and hotel are immaculate and extremely well done (the addition of recylcled glass and wine bottles into the stucco for use as additions of color is brilliant). What I meant by Disney-like was that it was absolutely perfect. We actually made a game of trying to find a wilted flower in one of the flower beds. The Geraniums were in full bloom and there was not a single wilted flower (no really not even a little tired looking, nothing) on the entire grounds. I am convinced that they had a team of gardeners out the entire time taking care of these plants, but you never saw any of them. You occassionally saw a maid in the hallways but usually from a distance and by the time you got there she was gone. As for the building colors, they are definately no longer the same shade of ocre. As a matter of fact I have one picture of the top floor of one of the buildings taken against the Sardinian blue sky and I can count at least six colors spread across the roughly 5 balconies in the photo (one room even has a balcony with yellow walls and a pink ceiling and railing). But all the colors are quite muted with that washed out Mediterrainean look to them and it all works.

2) In no way were the rooms not of superior quality. You are quite right, all the tiles and the bedframes, frescoes, etc. are all done by local craftsman and they would go for insane amounts at any home boutique here in Manhattan. But, nevertheless the rooms were quite "simple" and for my tastes almost too simple. I would have perhaps felt differently if the rooms were a bit larger with a nice seating area for example or if the balconies were more like terraces with lounge chairs and a table or something (there were only these very low sling chairs which were comfortable enough but man were they tough to get in and out of).

3) The whole Tyco thing. Well needless to say the staff is extremely reluctant to talk about this. In fact, I don't think most of them realize what a notorious party it became here in the US. Those that eventually do open up somewhat about it are very very quick to point out that technically the party did not take place at the hotel, rather at the resort's golf club located across the street and up the hill. Having said that I don't think that is anywhere near the most lavish or outrageous party ever held at the Cala. In fact the week before we arrived was the party to celebrate the opening of the season for owners and residents of the entire Costa Smeralda development (there are some villas you wouldn't believe dotted around the coast) and we heard there were 1,100 people gathered around the pool area and the tent alone to cover the whole thing ran E 30.000,-

Bretteee

Is it easy for "outsiders" to visit the hotel or do they control entry? Also if I am correct to go to the beach you have to take a boat. Do they check that you are a guest to go to their beach on their boat?

I ask because if I go to the Costa Smeralda I would like to visit the hotel. I would never pay these prices though.

Sorry to sound a bit "thick" but I am still confised about the rates.

In high season the all in rate with food is about 700 Euros I believe or $800 US per person per night. What is the all in rate per person in low season?

How was the weather? Isn't it risky in May weather wise? I have friends who stayed at the Rommazino and hated it. They said the pool was not heated and the ocean was freezing.

I met others who said they preferred the Pattriza. In fact you are allowed to dine in other places on their plan.

I also have friends who stayed in a resort about 15 minutes away where prices are very reasonable and they had a wonderful time. Near the village there are also some nice hotels that are much cheaper.

USAFAN

Yes - you can "visit" the hotel. I assume, they have a hidden security system. Other than this, the hotel is easy to access, very casual ...

A nice way to visit, would be to go to the small/tiny bar. You always find guests there and a very friendly bar keeper. From there you have a nice view over the sea and the little marina. BTW, the bar keeper has binoculars and watches the (few) boats coming and going.
Stay where ever you feel comfortable .. Costa Smeralda is really, really pretty .. You need a car! I forget which month I was there, may be May ... I remember it was a little cool but O.K. You can go there by plane or take a ferry from (I believe) Civitavecchia "near" Rome.
We also went to the northern end of Sardinia. Beautiful. You can see Corse/Corsica, France from there:

airbust

Is Cala di Volpe the nicest *wood resort type property in Italy?

Bretteee

>>You need a car!>>

I am really scared renting a car in Sardinia. I heard the roads are narrow. About 10 years ago a famous musician and his family all died in a car crash there. Of course could happen anywhere.

So if I understand correctly we can just pretend we are guests and hop onto the boat to go to their beach. I would like to visit all 3 hotels; Pattriza, Romazimo and Cala. Sheraton also have a cheaper hotel in the town.

ajinlondon

obv not a SPG property but i stayed at the sol melia which is the next hotel along from the starwood properties for about £100 a night,
and i found the costa smeralda alot cheaper than what is being posted above , soon as your enter the starwood enclave the prices go up 10x so it's nice to see but imho not worth it every day..
you can hire your own speed boat for £40 p/day and just jet over to all these properties. i was going to stay at the di volpe adn prob would for a night or so - then change to the melia.. just my 2p

oh - and get a car it's easy peesy

airbust

Let's say money was no object and you wanted to stay at a Starwood resort in Italy, what's the best?

ajinlondon

any hotel thats in www.lhw.com - i have never been disappointed with a property that is listed on this site

Bretteee

How is the Sol Melia? If I am correct no private beach? You rented a motor boat? I would be terrified to rent a boat! Seems cheap though./

ajinlondon

yes, no pvt beach - they pack u in a car/van and drop at there pvt beach around the corner- near the town,, and that is v cheap place to eat/shop compared to every else.

hiring a boat = you must do, there a lots of small islands just of the coast with people on sailing boats etc.. so the waves don't get big to you pass the islands - one of them being a american base..
i found the hotel to be sufficient i stayed at another place that was obv a package tourist place and was awful.. the sol melia was good(v good if you can get around 100 euro's price imho) i am thinking of going again this yr, , they also have some smart cars for hire.. but next time i would hire the boat for longer and find my own stretch of beach.. if you just stay at the starwood properties you miss out on some stunning beaches near by.. that don't have hotels on them.


taxi's are a complete rip off 5 min journey is about 30 euros (the same place as a day's car hire)

Bretteee

How is the Sol Melia beach? Is it nice? I don't mind hopping onto a bus for 5 minutes if the beach is nice.

OK you sold me on the car. We usually rent taxis but it seems exhorbitant. Sorry to ask a stupid question, in regards to the boat if you want to stop on a deserted beach do you drop an anchor or drag the blooming thing on land?

I would be afraid to run over a swimmer!