The Sant'Elmo Beach is definitely a very nice hotel in itself : comfortable, very nicely designed and particularly well situated with a beautiful beach.
We had an absolutely wonderful holiday last year. So, we came back this year, but unfortunately it was a HUGE disappointment !
The company managing the hotel is -very sadly- a new one ("Tivigest", having replaced "Hotel Philosophy"), and have made it a different hotel now. ALL meals including breakfasts and dinners are now taken inside a closed dining room with air conditioning, instead of outside on the lovely terrace, warm and full of nice perfumes, as was the case last year. What a shame !
And this year, you have a public address system on the beach, diffusing music for aquatic gymnastics in the sea and for the "Happy Hour" bar at 5PM. How can they do that on such a lovely beach ?
That is so sad and frustrating to see what was just a perfect place being now spoilt by those changes.
Food is reasonably good, although less varied and altogether under par compared to last year.
The staff is efficient, although the wonderful atmosphere we felt last year, with everyone being so friendly and simply looking happy, is no more there.
In absolute terms, the Sant Elmo'Beach is not a bad place if you fancy dining with air conditioning when you have 28° outside, and if you like to hear music on the beach. But if you have known it before, you can only be disappointed. Either way, it does not deserves any more IMHO its four stars rating.