We spent 3 nights at this hotel just before Easter 2007 having booked via the hotel website as we wanted to ensure a room with sea view.

The hotel is about 1hr 30 minutes south of Rome and is very Italian, but with lots of English speaking staff which was perfect for us with our tourist level Italianl. Our room was on floor 3 (which is the same level as reception) but nicely situated above sea level as the hotel is built into the dunes, hence the name.

Of themselves, the rooms are not really special, but they are clean and pleasant. We had a double bed and a single bed for our 5 year old son, which cut down the space a bit, but was still fine. The bathroom actually has a bath which is a nice treat in the euro shower zone. The balcony was great and a must have to get the the most from the hotel's location. It overlooks the beach (and windsurfers at this season), and gives great views south towards San Circeo mountain. The room also offers a minibar and central heating (we had to leave the balcony door open at night as it was too warm for us).

The buffet breakfast was very nice, continental of course, but with lots of choice of pastries, fruit, meats, cheeses etc.

We ate in the restaurant all 3 nights and enjoyed some very good food. The staff are very attentive and again speak good english, and even did magic tricks for our son!

There is a set 4 course menu for 43 euros (antipasti, pasta/risotto, main course and dessert - we never managed all four!). The prawn risotto was a particular favourite of mine, but all the seafood was excellent, and antipasti with artichokes and buffalo mozzarella were superb as these are the area's most famous produce. If you can, try and squeeze in dessert if it's the tiramisu. The Lazio wines from San Circeo were also excellent, very fruity whites and robust reds. And don't forget to finish with a grappa.

We had some great fun playing on the sandy beach. The hotel was quiet at this season except on Good Friday when lots of families arrived. Sabaudia is a pleasant town offering some good shops, and San Circeo is a nice excursion (lighthouse, mountain etc). The whole area is a national park, important for migrating birds, and we greatly enjoyed its chilled out atmosphere.

We would certainly stay at the Dune again and recommend it to anyone. It is one of those places that is even better than the sum of its parts - great for kids and adults alike.