This Italian-owned low-rise beachside property is a few minutes' drive from the island capital of Sal Rei and 20 minutes from the airport. It has well-planted grounds, and rooms are arranged in groups of three or four. This resort is built into the hillside in the style of a stone-built hillside village and has been regularly extended.
Staffers are on duty at the gate, and the reception is open 7 am-11 pm. Reception staffers are friendly and efficient with good English. Luggage is delivered to rooms along steep and uneven pathways.
The main dining room provides buffet-style dining with a wide selection of Italian and international dishes. Dining staffers are poorly trained, and there was plenty of chipped crockery at inspection, but the food is good. The main bar beside the restaurant has an attractive pier jutting out to sea with a seating and dining area at the end. A poolside snack bar provides drinks and a brunch menu.
The two large outdoor pools were in need of cleaning at inspection. Pool towels are provided, and there are sun loungers on the small private beach. Massage is available in the spa but must be booked in advance. The Columbus Club provides noisy entertainment, games and shows, primarily for the predominantly Italian guests.
A gift shop sells local crafts, souvenirs and beach sundries. Cars, scooters and quad bikes can be rented from reception. There are no dedicated meeting facilities, but the little-used cinema can host 15-20 delegates and has good computer projection equipment. Parking is available, and a shuttle bus is available for tours and airport transfers.
Rooms are accessed along rustic (twisty and uneven), open-air pathways. Rooms are without Internet, voice mail, minibar or tea/coffee facilities. Superior rooms are spacious with king beds, air-conditioning and TVs (but no English stations), along with a good-sized balcony or terrace, and most have good sea views. Suites are more like larger superior rooms, and standard rooms are best avoided, as they're small with a queen-size bed, fan only and no balcony. Villa apartments are a good family option with an extra bedroom. Showers are standard throughout, but bigger and better in superior rooms. There are bidets and anonymous toiletries. Superior rooms and suites usually have good sea views.
There are no smoke-free rooms, and this place is not suitable for disabled guests. Pets are permitted. Breakfast only is available as room service. Generally, staffers have little sense of customer service, and good English is spoken at reception but is variable elsewhere in the resort.
The Marine Club is an attractive complex, and the superior rooms are good-quality, as is the food, but it is let down by poor service standards. It has an intimate ambience compared to the vast, sprawling Venta Club resort a few miles away. The Venta Club is all-inclusive with a better beach but all the style and ambience of a theme park.
