Mangia’s Pollina Resort

"We stayed at Mangia's Pollina Resort, Sicily, from 18th to 25th August as a family of six. The airport transfer service was spot on both ways. Everything ran smoothly and efficiently, making our arrival and departure completely stress-free. We occupied rooms 74, 75 and 75A on the lower ground floor of the hotel, Unfortunately, rooms 74, 75 and 75A are situated directly beneath the hotel's public toilets, with what appeared to be a main soil pipe running between the rooms. This resulted in constant noise from flushing toilets and running water, particularly very early in the morning, which regularly disturbed our sleep. It had a significant impact on the comfort of our stay. The resort itself is expansive and set in a beautiful, picturesque location, with stunning views of the Sicilian coastline. The grounds are well maintained and there is plenty of space to relax and enjoy the surroundings. However, parts of the resort are showing their age. The windows throughout the hotel were particularly outdated, and some areas generally felt tired and in need of refurbishment. The main pool area was generally decent and popular with families. We particularly enjoyed the aqua aerobics sessions, which were great fun and very well run. We also made use of the padel courts, where the booking process was simple and straightforward. One area of concern was pool supervision. The lifeguard frequently appeared to spend much of his shift sitting behind a plant and looking at his phone. I'm not familiar with Sicilian lifeguarding regulations, but from our observations his visibility of the pool seemed limited. Given the number of children using the pool throughout the day, this is something the resort should review. There was also confusion regarding pool rules. The use of balls appeared to be managed inconsistently, with some guests being challenged while others were not. A clear sign explaining what is and isn't permitted would help avoid misunderstandings and ensure the rules are applied consistently. Dining was mixed. The resort offers five restaurants. The main buffet restaurant served an excellent breakfast each morning, with plenty of choice for all ages. However, we didn't rate the evening buffet dinner and only ate there once during our stay. The poolside bar and dining was disappointing. The menu was very limited and the food quality wasn't particularly good. For a resort where many guests spend most of their day around the pool, we felt there should be a wider range of lunch and snack options available. In contrast, the beach bar offered slightly more variety and we found ourselves choosing to eat there whenever possible. The standout dining experiences were definitely the Al Griano Pizza Restaurant and the Kaigan Sushi restaurant, both of which were excellent. The food, service and overall experience at Al Griano was among the highlights of our holiday. Whilst the food at Kaigan was excellent the service was very disappointing. The waitress/manager did not know the menu at all and we were almost forgotten about unless we continuously asked for service. We didn't visit the other two speciality restaurants simply because the menus didn't appeal to our family's tastes. Customer service was somewhat inconsistent. While many staff worked hard, some came across as indifferent and not particularly engaging. However, there were two outstanding exceptions. Sofia at the pool bar consistently delivered excellent customer service. She was attentive, friendly, professional and always pleasant, even when busy. She genuinely made us feel welcome and is a real credit to the resort. Stefanie from the Concierge team was an absolute delight. She assisted us in arranging a boat trip excursion and genuinely could not have been more helpful. Her enthusiasm, professionalism and willingness to go above and beyond stood out throughout our stay. It's a shame more members of staff didn't follow her lead. The main beach area was great with access to padel boards and canoes - additionally, the sea access area near Scausu Grill is a fantastic feature of the resort. However, some of the ropes and support poles used to assist guests entering and exiting the water appeared worn and in need of maintenance. Given the rocky terrain, this is something that should be addressed to improve safety. We also visited the local town, Finale di Pollina on three evenings using a local taxi, which allowed us to experience some lovely local restaurants away from the resort. However, we were surprised that the hotel doesn't offer a simple shuttle bus service for guests, as this would be a valuable addition. Unfortunately, one of the evenings the taxi driver failed to return as arranged. We repeatedly called the hotel and sent WhatsApp messages asking for assistance but received no response. With no alternative transport available, we were left with no option but to walk back to the resort in the dark, including stretches alongside a main motorway. It was an uncomfortable situation and not something we felt was particularly safe. That evening we raised the issue with reception. Staff could see that we had attempted to contact the hotel, but we felt the response was dismissive and lacking empathy. Although the taxi was not the hotel's responsibility, the lack of support when we needed assistance was very disappointing. Overall, we had a lovely family holiday and created some wonderful memories. The stunning location, excellent breakfast, speciality restaurants, airport transfers, padel courts, aqua aerobics and the exceptional service provided by Sofia and Stefanie were all major positives. However, the dated rooms, early morning plumbing noise in rooms 74, 75 and 75A, inconsistent customer service, disappointing response when we needed assistance, and several smaller maintenance and operational issues mean we would only award a maximum of 3 out of 5 stars."

"Huge thanks to our amazing kids’ club team ❤️ Your care and dedication shine through in every moment of fun, laughter, and memories you create for the kids 🌈✨ Keep making children happy! Sheldon x"

"We had a great time at Mangia's pollina resort. The resort had plenty of space around the two pools and at the beach, we never had problems finding sun beds. Staff was friendly and helpful an the buffet food was nice and varied from day to day. Our son of 13 enjoyed the youth club and activities arranged by Madi and Oussama. Activities included padel tennis, SUP board and kayak. The nearby towns of Cefalù and Pollina were worth a visit. The only draw back was the gym which was poorly equipped. The only thread mill would stop and need a reset every five minutes at anything more than a brisk walking pace and the weight selection was limited. Running outside was possible, but meant running steep routes along roads or very rough tracks. No running tracks anywhere."