Almar Giardino di Costanza Resort & Spa

The hotel its self is generally very good. The Rooms The rooms are large and comfortable and we had the added bonus of a big sun terrace with loungers on it. The bathroom is also a good size and has a separate bath and shower. The only small annoying thing we found with the room is the hand soap is in a shampoo style bottle with no pump. Housekeeping The housekeeping service was always efficient. They watch when you go out for breakfast and the room was normally done by the time we got back so there was minimum interruption. There was also a turn down service each day. The room was always cleaned to a high standard, no complaints here! Reception Staff The reception staff were always incredibly friendly and helpful. We would particularly mention Veronica who really went above and beyond to give us advice in respect of local places to go. The Location The hotel is really in the middle of nowhere and you can’t get anywhere without a car. There is a local town about 15 minutes drive away, however it’s a bit shabby and has a little bit of an edge to it. It’s not unpleasant as such but it’s not the nicest place I’ve been either. Sicily is quite poor and a lot of the local towns are very run down. Breakfast The breakfast food was ok with a large selection of different items. The cakes were particularly good. The service lets it down somewhat. We were always seated quickly but it always took a while to order anything and when you did order it, it took a long while to come. Some of the staff were very nice and others had a bit of an attitude. Pool Restaurant The food at the pool was by far the best of the hotels offerings, food wise. There is a good selection of tasty items and for hotel, reasonably priced. Dinner Restaurant Dinner is ok, but just ok. We had decent food and the service was quick, although some of the staff have the same attitude issues as at breakfast. However, you can get much better food in the local town for half the cost. The Spa The spa was excellent. The facilities are fantastic from an indoor pool, to Turkish baths, ice baths, steam rooms and saunas - some of the best facilities of any hotel - and all available for free. The spa staff are incredibly professional and helpful. We had a couple of wonderful spa treatments also - great massages at very reasonable prices. The spa is definitely one of the best element of the hotel. The Pool The hotel has both an indoor and outdoor pool. The indoor pool was very warm, perhaps a bit too so. However, it was a good size. The outside pool is also large and has ample seating spread out around it so you are never fighting for sun beds! The Gym The gym is very basic and a bit warm as there wasn’t proper air con but it’s ok for a very limited work out. The Mosquitos They were everywhere! - we got about 15 bites each and it somewhat ruined our holiday. This was a common problem that all of the guests we spoke to were complaining about. The hotel does provide

The resort is beautiful -- wonderful setting, gorgeous rooms and pool area. When we entered, we were greeted by a very attentive and enthusiastic staff. Max at the reception desk was particularly helpful. Parking valets and bellmen were also great. We had a junior suite, with a large bedroom, two baths, and a large sitting room. All good -- but, two problems. The water in the shower cut off after 2-3 minutes. You can hear it backflow, and in about 30 seconds, it starts to flow again and build up pressure. This happened throughout our two day stay. Second -- the air conditioning is not sufficiently powerful to cool the rooms, even though the temperature outside was only in the high 70's F (24-5 C). The second night of our stay we had dinner in the hotel. While the food was good (rack of lamb and John Dory Filets, excellent), the service - at least at our table -- was excruciatingly slow. Other tables turned over 2 -3 times, while we sat. We only had a main course and desert, but the meal dragged on for two hours, in spite of subtle hints. Also disappointing were the wine pours. The waiter poured 3/4 of an inch ( about 2 cm) of wine in a medium sized glass. I noted this was a small pour, and the response was, "sorry." The wine cost 8 Euros a glass. Dinner, including ice cream, graniti and coffee, was 124 Euros. The dinner experience was very disappointing. All in all, I would give the resort 3 1/2 stars,