While were looking for a good hotel in Elba for a family holiday we decided to book the Hotel Lacona. The Hotel is quite modern and rooms are quite large and with air condition (ask for a standard room they are bigger) and the bathrooms (with shower) have been refurbished. The swimming pool (with a children pool attached) is very nice and it is surrounded by pine trees. At night there is a piano bar at the pool. There is also a children club during the high season (extra charge). The restaurant (only dinner) is part buffet service and part waiter served and the food and choices are very good. Very good restaurant service for the little ones, they always cooked different things for our little one. The beach is really opposite the hotel but you need to pay for it (at a discounted price). It is not expensive around 15-20 euro a day for 2 sunbeds and an umbrella (tell them where do you want your space on the beach when booking). The bar-restaurant on the beach serves lovely lunches and fresh fish and seafood (you get 10% discount if you pay weekly for the beach). The long sandy beach and the sea is fantastic and is situated in a very nice bay, perfect for walks. The hotel is situated in the bay of Lacona (15 min drive from the Port of Portoferraio) and there are nice pizzerias, minimarket and restaurant nearby (walking distance). The towns of Portoazzurro and Marina di Campo are nearby by car and they have late shopping at night during the summer (shops close at midnight). For us was a perfect place for us and our child, easy to go around, lovely beach and family friendly. It is also perfect for people with no children. Many places to see and discover by car. We will go back next year.

Ottima posizione, personale molto cordiale e sufficientemente qualificato. Camera un pò piccola ma pulita perfettamente. Unica nota a sfavore, il piano bar alla sera è abbastanza deprimente. Per il resto è tutto in ordine e decisamente consigliabile. Ottima vacanza.

Not sure how this hotel has 4-stars - it does not compare to other 4-star hotels where I have stayed in Italy. This was my first trip to Elba so I also cannot compare to other hotels on the island. I just saw the reviews in Italian from other guests and I have to agree with their comments. I think the bathrooms are the only updates to the hotel rooms since around 1970. We stayed in a 2-room 'family suite' that was from another era. However, the room was very clean and the daily cleaning service was very good. The food was good, but just take note that the dinners are completely buffet style so you won't get a chance to sit and relax with waiter service. The pool and bar area were nice. The hotel has a really great shady playground that our kids loved. The beach is across the road - it is an OK beach, but certainly not the nicest on the island. Also, depending on what you are looking for, this might not be the ideal location if you want to be in/near a town for shopping. Lacona is full of camping grounds and has just a few mini-markets for shopping - you will need to drive to Portoferraio or Marina di Campo or elsewhere for shopping excursions. We stayed at this hotel because we were traveling with another family who wanted to stay in the apartment residence for the week - the residence apartments also have a similar 1970s feel as the hotel rooms, but with updated bathrooms and a small kitchen area. The nice thing about the apartments is that they all seem to have a balcony while most of the hotel rooms do not have a balcony. On the grounds of the hotel, there is also a little sandwich/ice cream shop and a little newspaper shop selling beach gear/children's toys. Overall, it wasn't a bad experience, but we expected more with a 4-star rating and it did not live up to these expectations in the room and service standards.