Hotel Club Marina Viva

Some of the large peach stucco buildings of the Hotel Club Marina Viva look like an apartment complex. Others look more like a resort, topped with striped canopies. And other sections, set up for kids, look like a camp with toys and play sets. These numerous structures are arranged over several acres of manicured lawns dotted with tropical trees and flowery bushes that reflect the Corsica landscape. But most of the resort has a mid-range, generic look: Common areas have tile, cement, or polished wood floors. There's a playroom with a pool table, foosball, and board games. Plenty of TVs are set to sports channels. It's a casual, activity-focused property that attracts families and boisterous tourists.

The island of Corsica, situated in the Mediterranean Sea to the west of Italy, is currently a French territory, but was once ruled by the Republic of Genoa. As a result, the culture is mixed, with many of its inhabitants speaking a dialect close to Tuscany's. The Hotel Club Marina Viva is a short distance from the Island's capital, Ajaccio, and  a 15-minute drive to the Ajaccio Airport. Depending on what part of the grounds a guest is staying in, the walk from the hotel to the seaside is five to 10 minutes. A five-minute drive down the road from the hotel in either direction takes guest to a few restaurants and small stores.

There's a notable difference between the Hotel Club Marina Viva's rooms and apartments. Rooms have a shabby-chic style with distressed-wooden furniture and polished-wood floors. Bathrooms are small, and families and groups might be challenged by the close room quarters even in the Triple Superior Rooms. The bathrooms have only showers -- no bathtubs -- and include hairdryers and toiletries. Apartments are spartan, with white-tile floors, a couch, and metal furniture, and kitchens with full-size refrigerators, microwaves, dishware and cookware, and coffeemakers. All rooms have free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs. 

A large, resort-style lap pool offers lap surrounded by loungers facing the sea, and the grounds include tennis courts and barbecue grills. There's various kids' clubs with activities for ages 2 to 18, playground equipment, and ping-pong. Cribs are available at no extra charge, and babysitting can be arranged for a fee. The breakfast buffets have a lot of variety, although they are not included in the room rate. The main restaurant offers themed buffets on the beachfront, and the annex restaurant (open only in the summer) has evening barbecues. The bar U Paradisu has a terrace, and is a nice spot for cocktails and ice cream. The snack pool bar is open only in July and August. Six conference rooms are on the grounds for conferences and events.