We have just (sadly) returned from an amazing 10 nights here. I would highly recommend it. We have been to a lot of places but if you like Italy and Italian good and culture, this is a hidden gem. Its also great for families. Antonio, one of the managers is an asset to Club Esse and made our holiday. I used to work in hospitality and so I did raise a couple of things as I noticed him, outside of work hours in the dining hall and walking around the complex to check all was opening up smoothly, but he was so grateful for the feedback and within minutes any little thing, shortage of condiments or a slight queue for something was sorted. he leads his team exceptionally and really understands customer service. We came before the main season fully was up and running, which was reflected in the price we paid, and we knew would be not everything open, but I couldn't have really noticed. We opted for Dinner Bed and breakfast, which was all you would hope for in Italy. At breakfast unlimited fresh pastries, ciabatta, cheese, salami, ham with some gorgeous scrambled eggs, peach and cherry jams, yoghurt, and wow make sure you try and hot chocolate!!! We got local wine and beer at lunch and dinner and it was really nice and lovely that it was from the region we were staying in, ive paid for bottles costing a lot of money that tasted no where near as nice. The days before we arrived there had been substantial rain in the area, luckily for us we had 10 days of uninterrupted hot sunshine! however there was a problem with our room/ plumbing due to the rain, and the management couldn't have been more helpful, they had prepared an upgrade and gave us options of other rooms, in the exclusive area with a private pool! The restaurant had a few glitches as they had just opened and there were some new staff, but nothing, and I mean NOTHING was too much trouble. Every day there was multiple types of fresh pasta - as you would expect, with prawns, salami, salmon, you name it. Risotto Milano, local Sardinian Fregola (small beads of pasta) as well as local typical Sardinian pasta dishes. The only thing I would say is the shorter restaurant manager (I think) who led in the Exclusive restaurant was a little set in his ways it seemed, not unfriendly we had nice chats, but maybe he thought I was just being fussy. I possibly was. But preferred personally the variety of buffet options in the main hall than the table service he offered In exclusive, which I think he thought was odd, but the children wanted more variety. Cala gonne is simply stunning, white beaches and pure clear waters. There is a free private part of the beach just for the Palmasera resort. There are some steps and a sloap so maybe not suitable for people with access issues, maybe in the summer there is a shuttle, we did have to list the buggy, but we enjoyed eating guilt free pasta after the exercise, or you could take the main road by the Pine Bar with a lesser incline. As a treat we ate at San Francisco Restaurant, which was very good quality and the Gelato next door amazing. (its attached to the San Francisco hotel) We travelled with 3 children, a fussy 10 year old, 8 year old and 18 month old. They opened up the baby room and ensured there were fresh yoghurts, milk and baby food for us. We did pay a little towards this, but could access 24/7 to heat up and get food for our son and feed him privately if we wished. Or he was welcome at the dinner hall, where everyone made a fuss of him! We did have a slight issue when it got busier as people were sneaking in and taking all the free yoghurts and baby food, but by the next morning, they had a key system only for those with little people to be able to access the key from reception. One main pool lots of sun loungers, baby pool, terrace bar (extra cost and not the cheapest, we found drinks in the centre to be more reasonable), amphitheatre, evening music and entertainment, kids club and entertainers. The waiting staff were excellent, of note, Sebastiano in particular, as well as Arianna and a couple of others (mail waiter with the pony tail) I am sorry we didn't catch your name as you were so busy looking after every one. The reception staff must also get a mention, as they were so helpful, friendly and polite. Also worth visiting is the Aquarium in Cala Gonone which is 5 minutes walk, its not huge but lovely the its not overly commercialised like Sealife centres etc. We all sure new species we had never heard of that were interesting. We also visited 'Parco Museo S'abba Frisca' which I have left a separate review for. it is a family farm, with rare animals and a guided tour of Sardinian traditions, farming and the history of the site set on a natural spa. its amazing and the tour guide told us so much interesting information. Afterwards you can try home Mae lemonade with lemons from the garden and platters of local meats and cheese for a little extra, Really lovely couple of hours. We hired a car and it was 1.5 hours from Olbia air port, it was a very simple drive, however be minded some of the last few roads down the mountain are a little winded. We were so sad to leave and would go back in a heart beat. check it out, its a rare gem. For the money, food and drink included and location, well worth a visit. …
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