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Moby Dick Hotel – reviews, photos

3.0 of 5
Baie de Santa Guilia, 20537 Porto-Vecchio, Corsica, France
Hotel amenities
Moby Dick Hotel
Ranked #19 of 54 hotels in Porto-Vecchio
4.0 of 5 stars 57 Reviews
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57 reviews from our community

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Date Rating
Glasgow, Scotland
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
21 helpful votes 21 helpful votes
“Expensive but worth it.”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 August 2010
2
people found this review helpful

After reading several negative reports about the Moby Dick, we arrived at this hotel with some trepidation. Except for the issue of the smell from the lagoon we found everything to be very good. Even the smell, which has been reported on several previous reports, was not constant but would waft accross the bay every so often.

We were booked one week, half-board. This is a smallish hotel with about 40 rooms. Most of the guests were French families, several with young children. I think the original hotel dates from the 1970's, some Corbusier-like features about the architecture, but has undergone several refurbishments. The rooms were on the small side, whilst the toilets have been modernised to a very high standard. The hotel is two storeys high but does not have lift - so the disabled may have a problem. We asked for a sea view room but ended up with a garden view which overlooked the lagoon and faced westward so we were able to enjoy the sunsets.
We both loved the evening meals in the Restaurant which were al fresco overlooking the bay. The food was of a very high standard and well presented although there did not appear to be Vegitarian options on the menu. Wine was expensive at 29 euro for a bottle of the local Terascio available in the nearby market at 8 euro. Breakfast was buffet style and satisfactory.
We were the only English speakers in the hotel but after some initial reserve we got on well with both the staff and other residents.
This part of Corsica is quite lush indicating that rain can be expected and there were 2 thunderstorms during our visit which only lasted until lunchtime.
In terms of location, Bonifacio (a must vist) is about 30 to 40 mins away whilst Porto Vechio is about 20 to 30 mins away. A trip into the mountains to Col de Bavella is another "must". Public transport is almost non-existent so car hire, or expensive taxis, is yet another "must".
The population of Corsica rises from about 1/2 million to about 3 million during the summer season so parking is a nightmare in August.
We loved - the food, the ambiance, the beach.
We hated - finding a parking space.

  • Stayed August 2010, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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Beirut
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“A rip-off, but great location”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 August 2010
3
people found this review helpful

Aside from the exceptional and fantastic location of the hotel, situated on the best part of Santa Giulia beach, everything else feels like a rip-off.

We paid EUR 514 per night for our stay, and yet, the hotel is worth an ugly two star hotel with low quality service and bad facilities. The hotel does not have any style, it's a very ugly cement building with a very poor entrance and lobby. The rooms are small and beds are uncomfortable. The rooms are equipped with old air conditioning machines that cannot be adjusted by the guest (only by the reception); but the worst is you don't get a remote control because they don't have enough remote controls for all the rooms!!!!!!!!! This was really shocking, and this is when we really felt we are being ripped-off. The only positive thing in the room was the bathroom, which, although without a bath tube, is nice and stylish. During the three days we spent there, the buffet was exactly the same every day for lunch and the breakfast buffet was poor. This being said, the terrace has a very nice view.

In addition to all of the negative points, there is one factor that ruins absolutely everything including the wonderful location: bad smell. The hotel is situated between a lake and the sea. Very bad smell follows you everywhere, especially when you are sitting by the beach on the sand or even in water. The third day, we had to leave very early and lose one day in Santa Giulia because of the unbearable and disgusting smell.

In two words, don’t go to Moby Dick. Many people didn’t recommend it to us but we insisted because of the location and the hotel’s misleading website. It’s a waste of money. Just stay in a much cheaper but better hotel in Porto Vecchio and go to the best private beaches (like the one in Moby Dick) during the day by paying 20 or 30 euros.

  • Stayed July 2010, travelled as a couple
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
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Paris, France
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
“Not a great experience at all”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 June 2010
2
people found this review helpful

We were supposed to stay a whole week in moby dick but we only stayed 2 nights ! we were extremly disappointed by the rooms which were not clean at all, by the staff which was very unpleasant and by the smell !!! all the guests complained about a horrible smell that came out of the seaweeds near the hotel. It was disgusting ! The halfboard was very average, dont take it, go to porto vecchio restaurants, they are 1000 times better. Of course the hotel is right in front of santa giula beach, but honnestly, i would strongly recommend to go in a better hotel and then drive to the beach in santa giulia ! it is a waste of money to go there if you are looking for a fancy and elegant hotel ! pay a bit more somewhere else, and you will get amazing service and rooms ...

  • Stayed June 2009, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
London
Senior Contributor
31 reviews 31 reviews
Reviews in 30 cities Reviews in 30 cities
44 helpful votes 44 helpful votes
“Stunning location”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 October 2008
2
people found this review helpful

We stayed 4 nights there with my boyfriend early October, as part of a tour of Corsica holiday we organised.
First thing to say is that the reviews mix 2 hotels: the Moby Dick Hotel and the Moby Dick Pavillions, they're part of the same group and are next to each other but the comfort (and price) seem to differ.
We stayed in the hotel, still pricey even out of season, but worth it. We were lucky with the weather for October, so we were on the beach a lot : the beach is stunning, it felt like the Carribean, and although not entirely private, as the hotel is at the far end of the bay, it is almost only hotel guests there. The rooms are very nice, quite trendy, beautiful bathrooms, and as we had a sea view, we had an amazing terrace overlooking the sea, beautiful!! Breakfast was nice and filling, and we had it on our terrace a few times, which was lovely. I agree with a previous reviewer that the bar is pricey (€10 for a cocktail, alcoholfree or not), which is a shame. I didn't try the restaurant, as the hotel is only 15mn away from both Bonifacio and Porto-Vecchio, and there's also a small convenient store a 10mn walk away where a lot of people grabbed baguettes and sandwiches for quick lunches on the beach.
Overall, if you can afford it, stay there!

  • Liked — stunning location, romantic getaway
  • Disliked — price of restaurant and bar
  • Stayed October 2008, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Check-in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 4 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
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Brussels, Belgium
Top Contributor
51 reviews 51 reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
62 helpful votes 62 helpful votes
“Moby Dick Pavillons : reasonnable price for beachfront bungallow”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 30 September 2008
3
people found this review helpful

We stayed the 3rd week of September 2008 at the Moby Dick Pavillons and it was overall a very pleasant experience.

Location: purely on Santa Giulia beach, one of the most beautiful one there (with Palombaggia), very secured for children, with clear water. Like everywhere else in Corsica, you'll need a car to move, dinner in the city, day at the beach, walk in the mountains... so people shouldn't be complaining about this need of a car.

Accomodation: the bungallow is very basic, but very comfy and up-to-date with a small terrace outdoor. note that there are 2 types of bungallows (X ou Y) depending if you choose see view or not, the second row is nice too and only a couple meters behind the first one. We only missed the TV...
The Moby Dick Pavillons are based on the previous CLUB MED, so i guess they kept the same bungallow, and did a nice update.

- BUT -
...but a few things are lacking: check-in are on Mondays and Tuesdays only (why???), the desk is open only a couple hours on these days, otherwise you're pretty much on your own.
We have experienced a major blackout one day (at 7 o'clock the staff said they were on it and it should be back in 10min, but like always in corsica 10min. means 10 hours!)
The bungallow is comfortable but sheets and blanket... come on! seriously? bring some extra towels you'll need it with all the sand you bring in.
Concerning bugs, nothing scary, a few ants on your pillow but still nice

+ amazing location, reasonnable prices, nice beachfront atmosphere overall
- you know you're in France considering the very poor attention you get, and the room standards way below the bungallow you find in Asia...

  • Liked — Santa Giulia beach, good quality/price
  • Disliked — so far from the international standard...
  • Stayed September 2008, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Check-in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
    • 1 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
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Additional Information about Moby Dick Hotel

  • Moby Dick Porto Vecchio
Address: Baie de Santa Guilia, 20537 Porto-Vecchio, Corsica, France
Price range (per night):* INR16,859 - 25,036

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