Hi Rich.
Have to say I really recommend Hotel Dory, we are thinking of going back again next year.
The hotel is pretty good, the room perhaps best described as very adequate rather than a luxurious suite, but the staff were very helpful and friendly - all pretty motivated, good atmosphere.
The food was seriously superb (and so much of it ! you could easily gain weight...)
It's a 'super half-board' price, meaning you get breakfast and dinner, but you get bananas and ham/cheese rolls to take on the bike, then at 2pm there's a buffet for cyclists when you return - basically some pasta plus salads & meats, cakes, etc left-over from lunch.
Soft drinks and coffee are included at the bar, as is wine/beer/water with dinner in the restaurant, so other than on the rest day when we ate lunch out, we only spent money on a few beers/wine at the bar, plus a few coffees, drinks and ice-creams out.
No unexpected extras - we paid for the hotel room, a few drinks and bike hire, no other unplanned things to bump the price up.
They were a bit slow replying to emails before we went, but I think that was just inefficiency/language-issues at reception, things worked very slickly whilst we were there.
The whole place is very bike-orientated - 5 organised day rides a week, hire bikes (carbon Scott CR1's - well maintained), laundry for bike kit (laundry's free, but you need to buy a laundry bag for €8).
The bike guides were pretty good, knew decent routes, very picturesque and light traffic - but the standard of Italian driving is sooo much better towards cyclists anyway. The coastline is built-up, you can cycle inland and quickly get into the countryside
The hotel owner, Stefano, goes out once a week in one of the groups and we bumped into him out riding another day.
The hotel's in the centre of town, it only has a very small pool but it's 200m from the beach, or go 50m the other way and onto a pedestrian street with lots of shops & restaurants, etc.
Pretty busy when we got there (Italian bank holiday weekend), but then quietened-down a lot as soon as the weekend was over.
So not a quiet secluded rural location, it's right in the middle of town and handy for all facilities, but it's not that busy or noisy and Riccione is a fairly stylish resort.
The only problem was the timing - which will affect you even more as you're going later.
The main cycling weeks are in Spring or Autumn, people don't tend to go in high Summer.
The week before us, last week in May, they were running three bike groups, different speeds, each with about 12-15 people.
But it's getting to the end of the bike season, moving over towards mainstream 'summer holidays', so last week there were only two groups with perhaps 10 in each at the start of the week, but then by Friday I was out on my own with the guide as the 'faster group' and there were 5 in the slower group.
(BTW, the bike weeks are organised Sat -> Friday, with welcome/intro talk on the Saturday, rides Sun/Mon/Tue/Thurs/Fri, day-off Weds, then a week-ending photo show and prize thing on the Friday evening
- but due to flights and so on, people were arriving/departing at different times all week and most people didn't do Sat->Fri : not a problem, you'd just need to ask what's going on and go with the flow)
With only two groups, due to less people, there's less choices of speed.
I was happy in the faster group, but my wife felt that the slower group was a bit too fast for her and there was another woman in there who was being dragged along a bit, but there were also others in that group who were unhappy that it was too slow for them and were muttering. Fortunately they left early in the week and it settled down to an easier pace, with the faster people willing to wait at the tops of hills and to stop for coffee and a chat a couple of times.
The guide Edi was very good with the slower group, patient and helpful, setting a pace everyone could manage, helping and encouraging on the hills. The other guide Drelli was a bit less so, whereas Bartolo in my faster group just put his head down, which was fine in the faster group.
Do be aware though that it is a cycling holiday - even the slower 'borghe & castille' group were doing 40-50 miles a day and the 'visits to castles' the website talks about consisted of riding by and pointing at them ! The faster 'cappucino super' group was a 60-70m hilly training ride, no stopping for photos or sightseeing.
But all the days are optional of course, you could do some and drop out of others, or get a bikeroute map and do your own thing.
Having re-read this, I hope I don't put you off, we had a really good time.
The hotel's great, the food and staff super.
But it is a cycling holiday rather than a bit of gentle sightseeing on a bike is all I'm trying to say.
There was the definite impression that cycling was winding down for more 'summer holiday' emphasis, but while we were actually there they sent an email flyer saying
The 11th cycling season got of to a great start and the sports events hosted here in Romagna are living proof of that. In fact,
the Giro d’Italia touched Mount Cippo, just a few kilometres from Riccione.
Romagna is without doubt a
“paradise for cyclists” thanks to its delightful inland area, its mediaeval boroughs and above all, its numerous cycle itineraries, which are ideal for training.
IT’S GREAT CYCLING…. UNDER THE SUN!
In fact, our cycling programme continues with all our facilities for cyclists on offer throughout the summer too and the guarantee of the free organisation of
3 “boroughs and castles group” or “cappuccino group” cycling excursions, an excursion on a sailboat and two trekking excursions.
There are also lots of exclusive facilities for your kids included in the price!
AND FOR AUTUMN?
Book your holiday in advance and we’ll offer you
a 20% DISCOUNT!
CYCLING IN JUNE - SPECIAL OFFER
Until 14th June, a week on super half-board for € 549.00
The
Orchidea-type packet includes:
*
Super half board: free buffet for cyclists when they return from excursions served until 4.00 p.m.
* Up to
4 groups of different levels of intensity
*
Free access to the wellness centre
*
Free water, wine and draught beer in the restaurant
* 1 lunch at our estate in the countryside
* 1 free tasting of wine, olive oil and typical cheeses
* 20% discount for the hire of Scott CR1 pro bikes
*
1 child up to 12 years of age stays free when sharing with 2 adults
*
And all our FREE facilities for cyclists
Weekly package offer per person.
AND FOR THE FIRST 5 BOOKINGS…
FREE SCOTT CARBON BIKE HIRE
so it looks like things are still planned to be on, even though it's now down to 3 guided rides a week and two groups, plus the sailboat and trekking, whatever that means !
Up to you. We'll probably go back again.
Regards, Andy
