Hotel Villaggio Cala di Volpe

I wrote a post below on this hotel. I emailed the hotel as well to have the GM call me direct to discuss. I literally recieved no response for days. When I did get a response, it was an email from an assistant making a bunch of excuses. GM didn't even pick up the phone to call me back after spending 4 nights at the hotel. This is hands down one of the worst high end hotels I have ever stayed at.

The hotel has accommodation on two levels, both of which are on steep hills, one level with a steep hill up to the main road and a steep hill down to Reception. The hotel is a long way from anywhere, there is no public transport and no shop on site so if you are half board basis, you either to pay for lunch at the pool bar/grill or get the hotel shuttle to the supermarket to stock up on food. Depending how many people are using the shuttle, it can cost up to 12 euros return for a couple. We did walk to Capo Vaticano one day but the walk was a strenuous 45 minutes, up and down steep hills on a busy road with no pavements and a supermarket on the way (25 minutes). However, carrying the shopping back did exhaust us for the rest of the day. Not much to see in Capo Vaticano. The cost of living crisis is hitting everyone in most countries hard and we understand that money has to be recouped somewhere and the hotel is obviously doing that in the best way possible. There are drinks provided in the fridge but the prices for these are high (bottle of water1.80 euros as opposed to 0.37 euros in the supermarket). The hotel charges extra for almost everything, including pool towels (6 euros) and the shuttle bus to Tropea and back cost 50 euros because no-one else was travelling on the same day. If someone else had been using the shuttle the cost would have been shared so try to use the shuttle when it has already been booked by another couple. Everywhere in the hotel was clean and well maintained. The room (106) was really comfortable with plenty of space, cooking facilities and a wonderful sea view looking out towards Stromboli and Sicily. Our only suggestion for improvement would be for the hotel to provide a sun lounger on the terrace - there was plenty of room. There are two swimming pools - a salt water pool down by the dining area and a fresh water pool about two doors away from our room. It was never crowded and was shallow enough for even the most nervous of swimmer. You could also purchase drinks and ice creams at this pool. The food in the restaurant was lovely in the evenings with waiters serving meals chosen from a four-course menu but the breakfasts were a little disappointing. The only hot food was streaky bacon, scrambled eggs and toast. There were boiled eggs (cold) cooked meats and plenty of cakes with some fruit. Coffee is served the Italian way, strong espresso in tiny cups so, after the first morning, we either asked for a jug of hot water or a cappuccino. Being on the higher level meant there was a 5-10 minute walk down to the restaurant. However, there are golf buggies available with a driver at any hour to take you back up the hill from Reception. All the drivers could not do enough for us and always had a smile on their faces, particularly Alessio who drove us several times on the buggy and the shuttle bus. Being on the higher level meant lots of peace and quiet for us, it did sound a little noisier on the lower level because of the sw

A lovely quiet resort. Perfect if you want to relax with no entertainment. Very difficult to get anywhere for sightseeing or shopping. No local buses. Hotel offers mini bus service but they can work out a bit pricy 50 euros to nearest town of Tropea which is worth a visit. Suggest you ask other holidaymakers to share with you to reduce the cost. Or hire a car. The room we had was at the top level with fantastic sea views and set out like an apartment. Not enough utensils to cook though adequate for snacks for lunch. Balcony and sea view worth paying extra for. Gym and 2 pools useful as sea can be a bit rough . Swim shoes helpful to navigate rocky beach. Sun loungers and umbrellas on beach free . Great to read and relax. Weather hot at end of September. Suggest you take mosquito spray . No shops local to buy any. Food good and plentiful . Starter, first course pasta , second course fish which was undercooked and slimy or meat . Then desert. Breakfast continental style with a bit of scrambled egg and bacan .Pizza from pizza oven a welcome change. Site kept well by all staff , including gardeners ,chamber maids and buggy drivers . Overall great sunsets ,lovely place for a complete unwind but not easy to travel about.

The hotel is absolutely beautiful, and the grounds are impeccable… with that said the service and the friendliness of the staff were deplorable…. I have never been to a five-star resort where the employees have such bad attitudes…. To make matters worse they were charging €37 for an apple spritz… I went down to the street to another fire stick resort and they were 16…. needless to say, I would not recommend this hotel to anybody……. To make matters worse when I was checking out they asked me if I wanted to leave a gratuity for the staff…. never in the last 40 years of traveling have I ever had a Hotel do that….. for those that want to visit please read all the previous reviews they are 100% correct

The hotel is positioned on a half sand half rocky beach with beautiful views. Very easy access to Tropea ( offered by the hotel) and Capo Vaticano. The water is very clear and you cans see different type of fish even in shallow water. The hotel is quite isolated and there isn’t much to do in the evenings ( we were fine with that, but I know some people like evening entertainment). The food was good ( we were half board), fruits and vegetables very fresh and the pizza was excellent. Staff was very friendly and really made an effort to attend to everyone’s needs, although not everyone at the bar and restaurant spoke English they really tried. Rooms are very clean and quite spacious. Rock shoes and swimming goggles or snorkel goggles are a must as there are lots of rocks in the water and the water is really, really salty. All in all it was a great holiday in a very beautiful part of Italy. Definitely would return to Calabria.