Acacia Resort

I visited the Acacia Resort with my family for my dad's 70th birthday. 5 guests organized into 2 rooms. It was a last-minute booking which turned out in a great unexpected surprise. The structure is amazing, well-kept, clean, and full of green, palms (and mirrors) everywhere. One really feels on holiday when in there. The pool is the showstopper with an unusual shape, fountains, and little oases in the middle. Because of its depth, it's not really good for swimming as a pro but great to relax, chill and do some light water sports. The beach is at a walk distance from the pool and from the hotel, easy to get to with plenty of chairs and umbrellas. The water is generally clean and warm, probably not as crystal clear as in Cefal?? or other parts of Sicily, yet, the sunset is worth watching. The all-inclusive formula is with buffet, no table service. The food is great, fresh, and mostly local cuisine which is delicious. There are veggie options too. The only bad issue they need to take care of is the flies, which were everywhere in the outside and inside dining area, quite annoying to be fair as they would lean on the food and on us while trying to eat. The waiting staff is generally nice, during the days we were there they looked a little stressed and running around but remained kind and polite all the way through. Waiting for tables can also be an issue especially when it's hot outside. I do suggest dining inside for a better experience. The rooms were clean, spacious, and comfortable. The furniture seemed to be new as well, however, we had a bit of disappoitment about the beds. We booked a triple room with a double bed for my parents and a single bed for the third person. Only after two nights of very uncomfortable sleep, we found out that the single bed wasn't a mattress at all but just a part of the sofa with an especially made add-on part with a little mattress. This created a huge gap which gave me back pains and uncomfortable sleep. It was quite disappointing as one pays a lot of money for a resort where sleep is of paramount importance in order to enjoy the rest of the experience. So check your beds when you arrive! Wi-fi is free for all rooms although the reception is our room wasn't great. The entertainment was a downer, the guys were too young and inexperienced, they barely knew how to get people involved, and having worked in the same field for years I know the difference between a good "soft entertainment" and an almost absent one. The only good thing was a fantastic singer/musician who played for two nights in a row offering us quite a show! He is an amazing talent! Another thing that should be improved is the closing times of the pool and the beach, especially because the sunset could be enjoyed from there maybe with a drink some light snacks, interested both places shut at 7 pm. Suggestion: organize a sunset aperitivo with some lounge music, you'll see how people will turn up and enjoy it. I hope this review can help both the managers of the Acacia resort and the new potential customers. We will go back hoping to enjoy a better experience and give the Acacia Resort the 5 stars that it could potentially deserve.

Pro: - the pool is outstanding, probably one of the best pools on the north coast. Ideal for little children. - the hotel fauna and flora is gorgeous - the dinner area is so romantic in the evening - Very polite and friendly waiters and cleaning staff Con: - reception is slow. desk staff and pool staff can be bold and rude - animation is poor, lots of youngsters but no organization, structure, no punctuality. It used to be much better - pool can be dirty and isn't as clean as it used to be - loud disco noise at the pool, animation puts on music THEY want to hear, not what the audience wants to hear (imagine too loud dance music all day long, one day it was Vasco Rossi for a few hours) - too simple morning dinner, every day the same, e.g no omelet, no fried egg, only scrambled. Too little variation in the food overall. I do recommend this hotel, having visited multiple hotels on the north coast I enjoyed this hotel the most. Even though it has so much potential to become so much better if appropriate improvement actions were taken.

Pros: - Beautiful pool area and private beach - Great animation team - Smooth transfer from hotel - Beautiful landscaped garden - Following Covid-19 measurements well - Generally most areas are clean Cons: - If you???re half board you can only order a cheese toastie for lunch - Breakfast and dinner options are not ???true??? Sicilian, which is a shame - No tea and coffee in the room - Poor check in, with zero information - Some staff are rude - Staff barely speak English - Hotel is rundown, and some areas need fixing and attention - No iron available