Garden Resort Hotel, Pizzo
Hotel Information
Hotel Description:
The Garden Resort has a fun, lively atmosphere and the six accommodation blocks have the stunning pool with its waterfall centrepiece as the focal point of the complex. The spotless resort is ideal for families. Take in the beautiful views of the surrounding Calabrian hills and mountains. Step outside the complex and you'll find rural life continuing uninterrupted.Nearby Hotels Viewed by Other Travellers
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Garden Resort Hotel Reviews
" We spent 2 weeks at the Garden Resort... "
Submitted By: Mr P JohnsonThe late night disco didn't start until midnight but went on till about 3am or when everybody had had enough. I was the best dancer of our group needless to say.
The choice of food was good in the restaurants although after about 10 days you do get a bit tired of having to queue for everything. The wine flowed and they didn't seem to mind how much beer you drank (we were all inclusive).
Lots of Germans during our 2 weeks and yes you do have to fight for the sunbeds around the pools but they were a good bunch.
The boys enjoyed the football and we managed to attend the 10am and 5pm sessions on a regular basis at the nearby football pitch.
All in all I'd say we had a good time and would probably go back, it's a lovely part of Italy with Pizzo only 20 minutes away by car.
We also had very good flight times from Gatwick which helps with the children.
Mario was our rep and he was very helpful and a good laugh even though he was from Luton.
I left my Crystal Palace shirt in one of the rooms so if it fits you, you can have it. LOL!!
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" I went to Calabria with my 2 friends... "
Submitted By: Miss V ScottThe entertainment was particularly memorable with the animation staff; if we had to pick our top 3 they would definitely be Williams, Gabriel and TOBIAS who were all so lovely.
I would recommend everyone to take a trip to the beach everyday which has beautiful views and very friendly staff!!
In the evenings there's the disco which was a lot fun. and made of lots of new friends. There was always a great atmosphere. We danced until the music stopped, which was around 3am.
We would definitely go back there and would recommend it for anyone .... even tho' we can only give it 10 it deserves loads more.
from Vicky Olivia n Tasha
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" Once you get used to the system for... "
Submitted By: Mr P RichardsThe food was great and varied, the room cleaned every day, plenty of space, the pools were good and the choice of drinks was more than adequate.
Some reviews have criticised the beach. I disagree. Okay, you can't lay back and let young children paddle, but for the rest of us, Disney's wave machines are not a touch on the real thing.
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" The best holiday ever!
This is a beautiful hotel in a nice quite location, absolutely perfect for anyone who wants to just get away from it all. It is in an isolated location but you know this from the brochure when you book it so there should be no reason for anyone to have cause for complaint about this.
The main benefit of the location is that you are not overlooked anywhere, there are no building sites next door, no road noise; and although the airport is just a 15 minute transfer away you would never know it, a ‘win-win’ if ever I saw one!
The hotel grounds are very spacious and immaculately kept with extensive and very pretty gardens; and the whole place is kept absolutely spotless at all times.
The accommodation blocks were spacious and well laid out; we had a family room which comprised of two separate twin rooms accessed by a single door off the corridor, each with their own TV, bathroom, and fridge – a great idea.
The hotel staff are very friendly but we did find that some of the bar staff could be a little biased towards the German guests (or was it just that some of the Germans were rude and pushy? – Always happens – get over it!).
Some of the staff don’t speak much English but they have a little flag on their name tags showing which languages they speak which was a great idea. We learned some Italian before we went which helped and seemed to be appreciated.
Mario the Thomson rep is English and has worked in Italy for 15 years is an absolute star! He is a real character and couldn’t do enough to help you, he was always there if you wanted him but left you alone the rest of the time.
The entertainment team have to be the best, most hard working group I have ever seen. On our first night we saw the Brazil Show and assumed that it was a professional dance troop but were surprised to find the same team doing the hotel dance and welcoming our children to the kids club on the following morning!
In fact there were no ‘brought in’ shows all the time we were there and the shows they did do were exceptionally good. The kids club girls spoke good English and were very caring and patient with children (and their parents) and did lots of nice activities for them; the playground and kids club building were very good too but take some old clothes for when the children are there as the playground sand could be a bit dusty and stay in the clothes.
The pools are lovely, very safe for children, and have lifeguards on duty too. There are plenty of sunbeds for all and the really good thing is that the pools are enclosed by nice low level hedges with gates that are locked until 9am in the morning so you don’t have to get up at 6 to reserve your spot.
Just as well as the beach wasn’t very pleasant - stony and steeply shelving into the sea, not really suitable for young children.
Meals are taken in the large restaurant which is open plan but split into 3 sections, we found the Italian end (Alfredos) to be the nicest giving you easy access to the always delicious and freshly prepared pizza/pasta.
Some of the previous reports have mentioned lukewarm food in trays, and whilst you could find these if you really tried hard they did not stay this way for long. The majority of the food was excellent, hot, and fresh with a really good variety each night and always lots of fresh salad and cured meats too. I think I ate twice my own bodyweight in buffalo mozzarella!
The All-Inclusive drinks were OK with a pretty good choice including Peroni (Italian Lager) but the red wine was awful and the white a bit variable and ropey – the best by far was the Proseco sparkling wine which was very drinkable and more-ish.
If this hotel has had problems in the past then most of them have been addressed now, you can still find faults if you really want to but I would recommend this hotel highly to families and anyone who wants a nice quiet break away.
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- Date of Holiday:May 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" Brilliant! Couldn't have had a better... "
Submitted By: Miss LII am 16 yrs old & never write reviews however this hotel was so good I just had to come back & let everyone know, as I had seen bad comments which I thought were totally unfair!
Ok so there are a lot of Germans but hey if you want everything English don't leave England! The whole place is immaculate, never been to a place where they constantly clean! Germs don't stand a chance!
Food is so tasty & there’s a huge variety I came home very fat! Staff are so friendly & Mario our rep was awesome, he's so funny & always made sure we were ok, you rock Mario!
Entertainment was great too, some of the shows are in German, but you still get the general idea. The Brazilian show was the best, definitely one to watch! And look out for Tobias (one of the animation team staff) he’s lovely!
There’s a beach disco 6 nights a week although we never got a chance to check it out as no1 went, but I’m sure in high season it could really kick off and be great for teenagers!
I can't fault the place really, if I had to say something bad it would have to be that the song they play 4 times a day can get rather annoying especially after being there a week he he!
I would highly recommend this resort for families and anyone looking for a relaxing holiday. We were certainly not let down & hope to return in the near future.
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" I found the resorts amenities very... "
Submitted By: Mrs L BrutonThe resort for me was far to isolated. You need a car if you want to sight see. The only other way of getting around was by excursions.
I heard several time when staying at the garden that this was only the second year Thomson had placed brits in this resort, well I am sorry but not enough was done to encourage us back.
All the signs were in German, all the entertainment was in German, the staff would serve the Germans first.
Our Thomson rep Mario was the most caring enthusiastic person I have meet if it wasn’t for him our holiday would not have been so enjoyable (thanks Mario).
I personally do not have a problem with any nationality, I can get along with anyone. I think that as this was a new venture for Thomson, we brits needed to feel welcomed.
We were such a small minority, the resort needs to include us in everything.
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- Date of Holiday:May 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" We have been in the Club Med in Pizzo... "
Submitted By: Dr Gk GoodieNever, never again I would go to this Club, you have to pay everything extra, sport equipment, sauna, tennis tournament and so on.
The wine you could drink with the meal was terrible, the taste of the coke and wine and also bitter.
If you have been before in Napitia (Club med) only 1 mile away, you would never go in the Garden Resort again. We came home sick.
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- Date of Holiday:Sep 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Sonnenklartv
" This has to be the best holiday I... "
Submitted By: Miss A.w JarvisIt was totally amazing! Even though I went with my parents I also went with my mates all the age of 16!
The best bit has to be the beach discos they were absolutely immense! Even in the rain they were good! You can’t get bored at all there is always activities on in the day and the water polo was funny! The salsa was also really good fun! The shows at night were so good and they were really funny! This is definitely good for teenagers! And families it’s a really good mix! The pools party were funny as and I really enjoyed them!
And a big thanks to the Animation team 2006 for making the holiday so worth while and without them it would never had been the same! They are what made the holiday so good (Andrea, Fabio, etc) I hope there all there next year!
I would definitely recommend this hotel to any one and I’ve already booked to go back next year!
See you all there! The garden resort song is the best!
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" Just had a fantastic week in garden... "
Submitted By: Mrs Nj CarterWe had a brilliant holiday and our girls had the time of their lives. It is a shame that you cannot walk anywhere outside the resort, but it would have been too hot to go far anyway! Don't go out to Pizzo and Tropea expecting to find some swish Italian towns. It is a poor area but we found it stunning, and typically Italian - which is just what we wanted to see.
Cape vaticano takes your breath away. The Germans are bonkers queuing to get sun beds but rest assured there were as many English waiting at the gate at 9am! NB, I’ve been to Butlins and it's dirty and full of chavs - garden resort is not. Even the teenagers in our party commented on how the other guests weren't mouthy and aggressive as is so often the case with people in the uk these days.
It was simply full of decent people of several different nationalities, all enjoying their holidays. Just to finish, the pool party on Friday nights was fantastic with a brilliant live band and lovely food, and the kids living it up swimming in the pool.
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" This place is so amazing, I would... "
Submitted By: Miss I CarterAll the staff are wicked especially the animation team n there shows every night were amazingly funny!
The beach is so warm n lovely. All the food is great. The pool is amazing and there is a pool party which is incredible
I had the best ever week of my life.
Go there its immense!
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" I have also just arrived back from... "
Submitted By: Miss L C CarterThe only thing that made me put 9 was because the surroundings of the resort was poor and there was no were to walk or to see anything. I went with my parents so that would be more of one of their complaints.
As I’m only 16 I found it amazing. I think it’s the perfect place to go for that age group. I will miss a few people there :( and will definitely try and go back again!! I definitely recommend this hotel :)
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" I have just arrived back from gardan... "
Submitted By: Mrs L WebberI had the best 7 days of my life and would have loved to stay for 2 weeks! The staff were really friendly and came and sat with you when you ate and were polite even though they struggled to speak English they always gave it a try.
The food was lovely I really enjoyed it. There was so much to do in the day time and at night and I would like to give a huge thank you to all the staff for making it the holiday of my dreams!! (special thanks to- fabio, benidict, daniell, andrer, micheal, luke and al the others whom I don’t know their names). I recommend the holiday to anyone! Thanks
Lauren,14, Weymouth
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" Am amazed by some of the comments I... "
Submitted By: Mrs G LaingSpotless hotel, spaciously laid out in beautiful gardens. Every member of staff from maid - waiter - hotel manager were friendly, smiling and polite. It was obvious that they appreciated a greeting in Italian, or ordering drinks etc, instead of the usual expecting everyone to be super-fluent in English.
The food was great every meal, breakfasts were a bit boring with just one cereal though. We never experienced anything running out, bearing in mind we have just returned from the height of the season, with lots of Italians holidaying at this time.
We never experienced any problems with a lack of loungers or umbrellas either. My only complaint would be that the evening entertainment was a bit dull. Our rep was lovely, very helpful.
We went on the trips to Sicily and Stromboli, which were both brilliant. There was quite a lot of queuing to get on the ferry, which made it a long day. A word of warning on the Stromboli trip - the outward journey had a lot of people suffering sea-sickness, but coming back was fine. Well worth it for the views of the volcano by night.
Don't be put off by some of the reviews - I really don't think you could find much wrong with this beautiful part of the world!
Ciao x
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Portland Direct
" Overall we had a very nice holiday at... "
Submitted By: Mr J SewellI would agree with most reviewers in that the resort and especially rooms are very clean and we had no problems at all with room’s facilities.
At first sight all the communal facilities seem great too but after a few days I think I found the root of the problem. The number of people in the accommodation blocks is too many for the other facilities. Pools are fine but sunbeds and especially umbrella's are in short supply when the blocks are full.
This comment also applies to the restaurant, everyone could be seated but we had occasions when glasses, coffee cups and even soft drinks ran out and were some time being replaced. At peak times the numbers involved also meant queuing for up to 15 mins for popular food items such as steak, chips and pizza.
Our preferred drink is Bacardi and despite this being mentioned in the Thomson information there was no sign of it at the one bar where it was supposed to be served between 7 and 11pm.
This all sounds terrible but they are more niggles that spoil the holiday rather than ruin it.
We took a 4 year old and she met lovely friends, had fun at the mini disco and loved the pool (after I queued at 8.30 for a brollie).
We found the reps pretty average.
Entertainment staff were OK but were geared up for German and Italian speaking guests. We did get one announcement in English...."there is now an on site hairdresser open". Entertainment in the evening did dry up a little due to the World Cup and changes to timetables were badly communicated.
Not perfect and could be improved but I'm sure kids will enjoy it.
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- Date of Holiday:Jul 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Portland Direct
This was the best holiday i've ever been on.
The staff were excellent, the food was excellent, the beach was excellent!
(shame about the Germans)