Cas'Anna Lidia - Hôtel de Charme

We had such a relaxing week up in the villages of the Haute Balagne and a good part of that was due to the joys of Cas'Anna Lidia. It's a boutique hotel (8 rooms?) and so the staff know you and your tastes and choices so can be helpful in guidance about restaurants and destinations. Gardens and pool are relaxed, the jacuzzi is more hydrotherapy than hot springs but still lovely in mid-September. The breakfasts are simple and home-made. The rooms are well-furnished, the beds comforable, the bathroom is ideal and the views are idyllix. You'll need a car but the roads in and out aren't bad (by Corsican standards!). Calvi, L'ile Rousse, Fango, Corte, Feliceto and Bastia are all within easy reach as well as the stunning villages all around. A perfect week.

We booked the same day and were fortunate that the hotel had availability for two nights. It's in a remote area in the mountains, but just a lovely drive to get there. Don't follow Apple Maps as it will take you somewhere else. They are just off the main road as you drive into town (Feliceto) easy to find as long as you don't use GPS ;-). They are a 4 Star Hotel and live up to it. The rooms, gardens and facility are beautiful. We got a room with a balcony and view and were glad we did. It only took us 40 mins to drive from Calvi and between the time we made the reservation and arrived, they somehow managed to sprinkle flower petals in the shape of a heart on our bed to congratulate us on our 25th wedding anniversary. It was a sweet and thoughtful touch. There was no restaurant on property but they served a delicious continental breakfast in the morning (for an additional fee) that consisted of fresh baked treats (different each morning), yogurt, granola, fruit, bread, meats and cheeses, juice and coffee....even cappuccinos (well worth the price that was charged). The mini fridge had reasonably priced sodas, water and local wine in small bottle format. They had really lovely bath products and really beautiful French pool/beach towels. The quality was so nice I wanted to buy one, but they were unable to accommodate me ;-( The one disappointment was the pool and jacuzzi area. The area is beautiful with garden sculptures, but the 'hot' tub was not hot. It had strong jets if you were willing to get into a cold tub, but there was no heat in the "hot tub". There was however a working Turkish Bath (aka steam room) that was very hot and made up for the jacuzzi that was not functional. We loved the Turkish bath! We spent 8 days in Corsica and saw 5 different hotels. Cas 'Anna Lidia was one of our favorite places we stayed. I highly recommend driving into the mountains to experience this lovely establishment. We were unable to extend our stay as it was sold out...so if you can, book in advance! Couple things to note: They had a charger in the parking lot for your electric car. Our room (Casa Lidia) was up a flight of stairs...no elevator). Even though they did not have a restaurant there were other places close by (walking distance) to grab a bite to eat or get a drink.