La Dimora

Rooms

All rooms have a similar style with beautiful beds, pretty fabrics and lovely bathrooms. As they get more expensive, they become more refined and some open onto small semi-private terraces. All rooms have flat-screen TVs and WiFi; all bathrooms have robes and fancy oils. There are 5 categories:

Charme: the least expensive, but this room was rather beautiful, so don't feel you need something pricier. It was large, with an enormous walk-in shower, rustic wood, a gorgeous bed and pretty armchairs. But it was on the ground floor, so a little dark, and it overlooked the path, so you might hear guests pottering by.

Privilege: we stayed in one of these and thought it utterly lovely – clipped and elegant, with an English country-house feel courtesy of beautiful upholstery and mahogany furniture. It was up on the first floor with double-aspect windows that gave views over the pool. All Privileges have big showers in lovely bathrooms.

Luxury: noticeably bigger. We saw one on the first floor, so it had no terrace (others on the ground floor do). Expect stone walls, vast beds, leather armchairs and voile curtains. Of nine Luxury Rooms, six have a shower and three have tubs.

Junior Suite: an enormous room in a barn conversion close to the pool. Think golden stone walls and space for a sofa and armchairs. Doors open onto a terrace, shielded by plants; it has parasols and chairs, too. There's a separate bath with balneotherapy and a shower.

Suites: at the back of the main house, so private and quiet, with sofas and loungers on big terraces. Bedrooms are big and airy with double-aspect windows and pretty views. Bathrooms have baths with balneotherapy and separate showers. Good for honeymooners.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Bathrobes
• Central heating
• Cots available
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Minibar
• Safe box
• Toiletries
• TV
• WiFi

Eating

Breakfast is an extensive help-yourself buffet. You’ll find delicious Corsican hams and cheeses, plates of seasonal fruit salad and yoghurts, artisanal jams, cereals and dried fruits, baskets of patisserie, then extremely tasty local breads. There’s strong coffee and freshly squeezed juices, too, and various hot dishes can be ordered (the scrambled eggs with panzetta are recommended).

Lunch and dinner take place at Pera Bianca, the lovely restaurant housed inside the property's old stone sheep fold. Its exposed stone walls, comfy wicker chairs with soft wool blankets, feature lighting and pool views create a relaxed ambiance. The menu changes regularly according to seasonal ingredients and the chef's creativity, and the food is sourced from local producers. For lunch we had ceviche of sea bass and prawn; dinner was langoustine ravioli with a seafood bisque and herbs from the garden. Dessert was poached peaches with a saffron and honey ice cream.

If you fancy eating out, Saint-Florent has plenty of options: gourmet restaurant La Gaffe comes recommended by Michelin, or L'Orizonte for excellent grilled meat beside the sea and a lively local crowd. A Forge in Oletta serves unfussy, tasty Mediterranean fare, with beautiful views from the dining terrace.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Light meals
• Restaurant
• Room service

Activities

• Hanging out at the hotel is a great way to spend your day, and as well as the pool and the terrace, you’ll find a hot tub, a treatment room and a hamam. You can book whatever you require at reception
  
• The best beaches - Plage du Lotu and Plage de Saleccia - are both beyond the reach of cars. Instead, boats whisk you over from St Florent, then return to pick you up. White sands and clear waters wait; there’s a beach restaurant and a bar in summer. You can transfer between the beaches by calèche, a horse-drawn wagon
  
• The Cap du Corse, the island’s northern peninsula, is a great day out. Take the east coast up and the west coast down - that way you keep the sun with you all day. There are some lovely little villages to explore, beaches to swim from, and excellent restaurants to ensure a good lunch
  
• All sorts of watersports can be arranged, from boat trips along the coast to diving and kayaking, sailing and jet skiing. Reception will advise. They can also point you towards a bicycle hire shop
  
• Head into the mountains - they’re wild and wonderful and well worth a day of your holiday. There’s great walking, magnificent views, and horses to ride through spectacular landscape. You’ll be equally happy driving through it all
  
• Some great music festivals run over the summer. They take place all over the island, mostly from July to September; some are free. Highlights in the northeast are the July guitar festival in Patrimono and the Latin music festival in St Florent in August

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Boat trips
• Cycling
• Hiking
• Horse riding
• Jet skiing
• Kayaking
• Plantlife / flora
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Scuba diving courses
• Shopping / markets
• Snorkelling
• Swimming
• Well being

Kids

Children of all ages are welcome. There are cots for babies and extra beds for older kids (extra cost). However, on the whole this hotel is popular with couples and there is little for kids to do, so it might not suit families.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

The best options are the Junior Suite and the Suite, each with a double sofabed and space for a baby cot. The slightly smaller Luxury and Privilege rooms can fit either an extra bed or baby cot.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

La Dimora is 25km northwest of Bastia airport and 4km south of St Florent, just inland from the coast in northern Corsica.

By Air:
Bastia is the island’s second city and is well connected to France for frequent flights. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving this airport. Alternatively you can fly into Calvi (75km away) and drive up.

From the Airport
We'd recommend hiring a car, see our car rental recommendations. If you can't drive, you will be able to get a taxi transfer.

By Boat:
Ferries to Bastia sail from Marseille, Toulon and Nice in France and from Livorno, Savona and Genoa in Italy.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.

More on getting to Corsica