Elba Carlota Beach & Golf Resort

"I’ve just returned from a seven-day stay at this hotel and had a wonderful time. The rooms were spacious, the bathrooms comfortable, and the food was excellent, with plenty of variety and different cuisines each day. The location is fantastic, with the beach right outside and lovely seaside walks. The staff were super friendly and welcoming, the entertainment was enjoyable, and it was easy to book excursions through reception. There are also plenty of nearby restaurants and bars. There are just two areas where I think the experience could be improved further. Firstly, while it’s great that the hotel has tennis courts, the equipment could do with an update. The rackets and balls felt very old and worn. Replacing them would be a relatively small investment but would make a noticeable difference for guests who regularly play tennis and want to continue enjoying the sport while on holiday. Secondly, I felt the gym could be made more accessible to a wider range of guests, particularly women and beginners. The available weights seemed geared towards experienced lifters, with limited lighter options. As a result, I found the gym less inviting than it could have been. Given that the gym décor prominently features images of women exercising, it would be great to see equipment that better caters to different fitness levels and abilities. Overall, these are minor points in what was otherwise an excellent stay. I would happily return."

"I don’t often write reviews, but I always read them before booking a holiday, so I felt it was only fair to start sharing my own experiences too. We recently stayed at Elba Carlotta for a week with my husband and our 16-month-old son. Overall, we had a lovely holiday and enjoyed our stay, although there were a few areas that could be improved. We arrived quite late on our first evening, but thankfully the restaurant was still open so we were able to grab some food. A special mention goes to one of the waitresses who was incredibly kind and even gave us a whole carton of milk for our little boy’s bedtime bottle and the following morning. It was such a thoughtful gesture after a long day of travelling. The hotel itself is nice, although some areas are looking a little dated. The pool area was good and it was lovely to have both a heated pool and a dedicated splash pool for younger children, which our son really enjoyed. As with many hotels, the daily sunbed hunt was very much a thing. If you wanted a good spot, you really needed to be out by 7–7:30am. Pool towels were another frustration as ours weren’t changed throughout the week despite us asking. The buffet restaurant was perfectly adequate, and we always managed to find something to eat, but it did become quite repetitive and never really wowed us. The Italian à la carte restaurant, however, was excellent. We were entitled to one meal there during our stay and thoroughly enjoyed it. We actually wanted to book a second visit and pay extra, but unfortunately it was fully booked for the remainder of our holiday. The hotel is also in a good location, making it easy to explore the surrounding area. In terms of negatives, housekeeping came every day, made the beds and generally tidied the room, but I didn’t feel it was a particularly thorough clean. The sink often wasn’t wiped properly and coffee cups weren’t always changed. We were also disappointed by the lack of evening entertainment, especially compared to other hotels we’ve stayed in. Our biggest disappointment was an interaction with one particular receptionist. Midweek, we enquired about a late checkout and were told to come back the day before departure as it could be arranged. When we returned, we were told we could keep the room until 2pm but would need to pay for the privilege. I then asked about using a courtesy room after 2pm. We were told that even if we booked one, we would only get a 30-minute slot and that all available slots had already been taken. Travelling with a 16-month-old, this wasn’t particularly practical. When I explained this, the receptionist simply looked at me and said, “That’s all there is.” Unfortunately, she came across as quite rude and unwilling to help, which left a negative impression at the end of an otherwise enjoyable holiday. Overall, Elba Carlotta is a decent 4-star hotel in a good location. We had a lovely family holiday and there were certainly plenty of positives. With a few improvements to housekeeping, guest service, dining variety and entertainment, it could be a truly great hotel."

"Absolutely fantastic stay, this was our second stay & also twice to their Sister Hotel Elba Sara. Was delighted that so many of the staff from last year were still present. Paula in the Pool Bar hilarious & extremely efficient"