Forte Village Resort - Bouganville

We don’t recommend staying at Forte Village. It’s not all bad, the beach is nice and we can commend the evening entertainment at the piazza as well as kids club. But ultimately Forte cannot escape its heritage and history. It’s now more than 50 years old and some of the facilities / rooms are very dated (not all). The concept is also outdated, focused on keeping guests and their wallets inside the compound, barely interacting with let alone celebrating the Sardinian environment, culture and cuisine. Ultimately also its ownership shines through (the resort is owned by Chechen-Russian oil men since 2014). About 1/3 of the guests seem to be Russian, 1/3 English football families, the rest Italian and others. The price charged is not justified in terms of facilities and service (we stayed in Bouganvillia boungalows) even before you account for some of the optional children activities which are charged at high price. Activities and booking of places by the pool and sea seems uncoordinated and haphazard. Most of the food that is included in the price may look attractive but the taste is bland. Plus the wifi network is very poor (unless you pay a surcharge)!

We have just returned from the most amazing week at Forte Village. This was our first holiday in a resort and as a family of 4 (children aged 3.5 and 7months) and it was the most brilliant experience. From the moment we arrived to the minute we left, everyone was so helpful and friendly - not in your face but obliging and making the stay feel effortless. The site is vast but the landscaping doesn’t make it feel so. It’s beautifully lush and green and the atmosphere created is serene. The Aqua Park was brilliant as were all the pools. The beach was so clean and service was excellent. We visited the Children’s Wonderland for our children to play and use the pools but never left them for the kids club as we wanted to share our holiday experience with them - but those there seemed to be having a great time and staff were great. Our eldest loved the train and nicety of golf buggy rides. We had the added bonus of being upgraded from Bougainville to a bungalow in Castello which was amazing. We didn’t take full advantage of all the other restaurants - mainly due to the age of our children and ease of the buffet, but we were so impressed at the offering and variety for dinner - lots of lovely seafood and salads. We aren’t the sort of people to normally return somewhere on holiday, but we would gladly come back to Forte Village (when our budget permits!). My only ****** is we left some children’s toys in our room and emailed immediately and have also tried calling and messaging via Facebook but so far no one has replied…we will gladly pay for postage but just hope they can be returned!

I deliberated writing this review, because I wrote the same whilst I will still there, I also complained directly, and then hotel offered us an upgrade along with a direct request to remove it. The whole experience was really awkward, and whilst the second half of our holiday was far better than the first (due to the upgrade and better food options included), I still think the overly positive reviews on here, along with the massive effort on marketing, means that most people will still end up being duped, a bit like we were. There are still areas where the hotel needs to take feedback and make improvements and people need to know what to watch out for. Hence an honest and balanced review now. Kudos to the amazing staff who did their best to make the stay as good as we had hoped. The pros: the beach is stunning, the grounds and gardens generally glorious, and again, the staff go out of their way to please, where they can. The kids club is excellent, the entertainment in the evenings, and kids activities are something special, but you do pay extra for most of it, and so be prepared to top up the cost of the holiday with classes, activities etc, which they market heavily to you whilst you are there. Our kids had magic classes, did climbing and go-carting as well as art classes with their resident artist. We paid extra for all of this, but if you want to spoil your kids a bit, this is a good place for it! The cons: we booked half board in an area called ‘Bougainvillea’ in a family bungalow. It entitled you to meals in 2 buffets and 2 restaurants of their 28. The food was pretty poor, the breakfast was in a tatty, damp area behind the pool and there was cluttered tables left uncleared, few staff and not huge choice. The evening buffet felt like feeding time at the zoo and it was more quantity than quality I had expected. Our room was dirty, things were broken, the door didn’t close, and it backed onto the piazza, which meant no-one could sleep until the entertainment had finished. No USB ports, no robes, no- where to hang wet clothes and storage very limited. Now keep in mind we paid close to £10k for the week, not a small amount of money, on the basis of marketing that promises high end luxury. So I complained, wrote a review and immediately got the attention of the manager. The upgrade was to another bungalow in a nicer area with more space, and the buffet at the seemingly more luxurious hotel Il Castillo. But, the reference to my review was explicit and they basically asked me to remove it. It was 10x better both for breakfast and dinner. These buffets were staffed, they were decent quality and choice. The room was the same but had the robes, the space, the outdoor furniture and although the door still didn’t lock properly, it was better located in a quiet neighbourhood. The thing is, on checking the price difference for the room we booked, vs were moved to, the difference was close to £6k, when in fact what we got was what I had been led to expect

I had the most incredible experience at Forte Village in Sardinia! 🌴🌊 The resort's location right by the Mediterranean Sea is a visual dream come true, offering everything you need inside the resort! There is plenty of space in the rooms and they are air-conditioned, which is a must for me! The staff is friendly and attentive. Excellent hygiene standards and plenty of towels! The service was top-notch, with the staff going out of their way to make my stay comfortable and memorable. 🏖️ Several guests that I met have been visiting the resort every summer for years, as a couple or with their family, which is impressive! The range of dining options serving both Italian delights and international cuisine was a gastronomic delight. I highly recommend going after dinner to Tikki for shisha, cocktails, and a boogie or a glass at The Wine Bar with live entertainment. The Thalasso del Forte Spa is a must-visit for relaxation enthusiasts. It consists of six pure Sardinian seawater pools offering the ultimate detox. Sports lovers will be spoiled for choice with golf, tennis, water sports, and an upbeat HIIT class. If you're looking for a luxurious escape and are ready to splurge, this place is worth it. 🏝️ All in all, Forte Village offers a lavish retreat in one of Italy's most beautiful spots. If you're up for indulgence, relaxation, and an unforgettable time, don't miss out on this gem! ✨

We don’t recommend staying at Forte Village. It’s not all bad, the beach is nice and we can commend the evening entertainment at the piazza as well as kids club. But ultimately Forte cannot escape its heritage and history. It’s now more than 50 years old and some of the facilities / rooms are very dated (not all). The concept is also outdated, focused on keeping guests and their wallets inside the compound, barely interacting with let alone celebrating the Sardinian environment, culture and cuisine. Ultimately also its ownership shines through (the resort is owned by Chechen-Russian oil men since 2014, sanctikmed by EU and US). About 1/3 of the guests seem to be Russian, 1/3 English football families, the rest Italian and others. The price charged is not justified in terms of facilities and service (we stayed in Bouganvillia boungalows) even before you account for some of the optional children activities which are charged at high price. Activities and booking of places by the pool and sea seems uncoordinated and haphazard. Most of the food that is included in the price may look attractive but the taste is bland. Plus the wifi network is very poor (unless you pay a surcharge)! We will not return.

The pluses: the beach, the gardens and the setting are stunning, it really is paradise, the food generally high quality and wonderful choice. Kids activities were extensive and thus is very good for the youngest family members. The minuses: The resort is tired, the Bougainvillea bungalows were apparently upgraded recently but they lack any style, basics are missing like usb ports, doors that open and lock easily, storage is appalling and for a family of four there isn’t enough space. The bougainvillea rooms are too close to the piazza and a lack of soundproofing made it hard to sleep before midnight. Generally it felt like despite the cost of a half board package the extras were everywhere and it was expensive just for bottled water. We are happy to spend money on holiday but this felt OTT. Maybe they are catering to an audience with more money than sense. Not sure I would gone back unless I was staying in one of the villas in the forest.

Like a heaven on earth! Very nice area, the nicest and always available staff. A large selection of food for breakfast and dinner. delicious food and almost all kinds of sports - a perfect combination of relaxation. Football, tennis, padel, boxing, fencing, dancing, and much more. I can’t even count how many activities there are in the Forte! Talking about the Spa center is like coming to another world, very quiet and cozy atmosphere, there are all kinds of treatments, massages, even aesthetic medicine. A wonderful clean beach, many pools, Acquapark was amazing! So, in Forte Village you can choose the kind of holiday you would like to have. Relaxing, active or escaping to busy city what is 30-40mins from Forte mixing with quite and private area

Fantastic week at Forte Village! It was our first time here and it was a wonderful time spent. Everyone at the resort was so friendly and helpful - we definitely felt well taken care of. Our family had great conversations with the staff at the Pool Bar, Piazza, Sports Center and Teen U Club. It was really such an amazing week. Our rooms were very comfortable and clean. Beds were also very comfortable. The doors to get in the room are confusing and heavy but otherwise - our Deluxe Family Bungalow was great! My only note is we would love to have seen more dining options for the dining package that is included in the rate. Otherwise it was truly a lovely time spent and we cannot wait to return in the future!