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I don't really know the story regarding this series, but it sure looked like a harem to me with a poster featuring a slew of girls and a single guy.
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It depends on how we define a harem. As you've described, Sola is most definitely a bishoujo series (not sure if this term is used in anime) aimed at the otaku/moé crowd, which might be enough to turn off some viewers.
However, bishoujo story concepts differ from title to title. Some are all about fanservice and silly sexually-charged antics, which is how I'd describe a harem. However, there're other types of stories, such as gentle one-on-one romances (Lamune), conflict-centered soap operas (KGNE), idealistic/non-romantic high school friendships (To Heart, Lamune to a certain degree), and tragic fairy tales (Air).
All bishoujo products are characterized by a slew of girls and a single guy. I'd also say that character and scenario complexity tend to be downplayed in favor of emphasizing a cute and often innocent/dreamy atmosphere. However, it'd be grossly inaccurate to classify all of them as harem series.
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I've finally terminated all expectations of any 'romance' series to have the same kick as Honey and Clover, and that was why the expectations of mine were bleak.
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Well, yeah. Honey and Clover was aimed at a different viewer demographic, so I wouldn't expect any otaku/moé-centered series (which might not even be strongly romantic, despite the slew of girls) to be remotely similar.
That series was an experiment to draw in young working women who normally have no interest in anime. On Fuji's Noitamina time block, H&C, Hataraki Man, and Nodame Cantabile have been quite successful, so similar series might just be offered in the future.