For a fairly new hotel it needed a bit of work done. There was wires hanging out of ceilings and the gym was very poor with only three machines working. The cleanliness was good and the bar staff very friendly. It is just off the main road which s convienient and certainly the best in a very poor area for tourism. If you have to visit this part of Calabria I would say it is the best around but certainly not the five star hotel it purports to be.

For a fairly new hotel it needed a bit of work done. There was wires hanging out of ceilings and the gym was very poor with only three machines working. The cleanliness was good and the bar staff very friendly. It is just off the main road which s convienient and certainly the best in a very poor area for tourism. If you have to visit this part of Calabria I would say it is the best around but certainly not the five star hotel it purports to be.

We recently spent 10 days in Calabria, Italy. What a wonderful region of Italy. Make an effort to go there. This new locally owned 5 star hotel, open June 2004, is a bit over the top (shiny new) but a good start for the local community of this region of Italy. It is affiliated with another local small package holiday hotel called Hotel Kennedy, Roccella Ionica. It has all modern technologies, some you might not even think exist! AC, power showers, TV (local, though), superiorly clean, beautiful linens, etc. There are 52 rooms and 6 suites, I believe. They have a nice pool, along with access to a beautiful beach literally 2 minutes up the road at The Hotel Kennedy. The beach has a European Blue Band for Cleanliness and in September 2005 when we were there it literally belonged to my husband and I and a few other guests. Care must be taken when swimming as there is a bit of a strong pull with a steep drop and no lifeguard on duty. There is no gym there, but there is a gym in Roccella town 2km away called Palestra New Form and they are happy to offer there services. We paid 150 euros per night B&B. A bit steep you might say for this region but worth every penny for a long stay. Nothing but comfort. The staff are friendly and some speak English well. They are proud of there locally grown organic food and REAL Calabrian menus. You will find local farmers fruit and vegetable stands and small local shops selling typical Calabrian products. It is hard to find a bad Restaurant here. Try La Cascina for the freshest fish, shellfish, pasta, antipasto rustica. They cook alot of their food "alla brace" in the wood burning oven - their version of BBQ. Delicious! La Pineta, next door to Hotel Kennedy, similar cusine but also Pizza to die for! There is also a pizza place in Roccella town that sells pizza by the meter! Forgotten the name. Also try Gollosia in Giosia Ionica, 5 minutes to the west. Great panini, brushchetta, coffee gelato, coffees, etc. Give this region a try. It doesn't have lots of landmarks like the North, but it is full of natural beauty and limited in commercialization. You will be pleasantly surprised at the beauty of its rugged mountains for trekking, turquiose sea, white sand beach with beautiful tumbled stones, great old towns still untouched, warm friendly people and delicious food.

We recently spent 10 days in Calabria, Italy. What a wonderful region of Italy. Make an effort to go there. This new locally owned 5 star hotel, open June 2004, is a bit over the top (shiny new) but a good start for the local community of this region of Italy. It is affiliated with another local small package holiday hotel called Hotel Kennedy, Roccella Ionica. It has all modern technologies, some you might not even think exist! AC, power showers, TV (local, though), superiorly clean, beautiful linens, etc. There are 52 rooms and 6 suites, I believe. They have a nice pool, along with access to a beautiful beach literally 2 minutes up the road at The Hotel Kennedy. The beach has a European Blue Band for Cleanliness and in September 2005 when we were there it literally belonged to my husband and I and a few other guests. Care must be taken when swimming as there is a bit of a strong pull with a steep drop and no lifeguard on duty. There is no gym there, but there is a gym in Roccella town 2km away called Palestra New Form and they are happy to offer there services. We paid 150 euros per night B&B. A bit steep you might say for this region but worth every penny for a long stay. Nothing but comfort. The staff are friendly and some speak English well. They are proud of there locally grown organic food and REAL Calabrian menus. You will find local farmers fruit and vegetable stands and small local shops selling typical Calabrian products. It is hard to find a bad Restaurant here. Try La Cascina for the freshest fish, shellfish, pasta, antipasto rustica. They cook alot of their food "alla brace" in the wood burning oven - their version of BBQ. Delicious! La Pineta, next door to Hotel Kennedy, similar cusine but also Pizza to die for! There is also a pizza place in Roccella town that sells pizza by the meter! Forgotten the name. Also try Gollosia in Giosia Ionica, 5 minutes to the west. Great panini, brushchetta, coffee gelato, coffees, etc. Give this region a try. It doesn't have lots of landmarks like the North, but it is full of natural beauty and limited in commercialization. You will be pleasantly surprised at the beauty of its rugged mountains for trekking, turquiose sea, white sand beach with beautiful tumbled stones, great old towns still untouched, warm friendly people and delicious food.