"The Falesia is a lovely hotel without question. We first came in 2009 and liked it so much have been back approximately a dozen times, including March 2026.
However our 2 week stay this year was hugely disappointing.
Whilst the hotel has gone through a fairly major refurb over the last couple of years, our holiday this year was marked by so many negatives; no spa, tennis courts bulldozed during our 2 week stay, pool bar not open, evening entertainment reduced to every other night, indoor pool without handrails, no depth markings, the toilet wasn't in place so we were told by a staff member that anyone needing it would have to use the ones next to the dining area, quite a hike... and now available 24 hrs a day !!!. Late night swimming, no safety measures/lifeguard...etc. Needless to say we didn't make use of the pool.
But the biggest disappointment was the food. The evening buffet was awful - little choice, same every night, potatoes, white rice, dry pasta, tasteless fish, tough/inedible meat, no gravy or sauces, trays empty for long periods, the mixed salad dishes didn't list the ingredients that were included so a nightmare for any with particular allergies, no ice cream (unless at extra cost), uninspiring deserts on the whole, no roast/grill table/cooking station....etc. All the things that were there in the past.
Many guests complained so the hotel's answer was to enforce a booking system whereby a time had to be specified by guests at breakfast for that evening's dinner. Turn up a few minutes early and you were made to wait until the exact appointed time and then you were admitted. Awful experience - school dinners were better. This was devised to prevent too many guests entering the dining area at once but if you have 50+ guests all trying for a table at 7pm and then heading towards the salad bar it does get a tad cramped. At least someone had the sense to allow tables to be set in the other areas of the dining room that had previously been unused. On our first night only one area of the dining area was open and it wasn't easy to get a seat but we managed. On the second evening the number of guests had increased quite a lot with new arrivals but no extra tables had been prepared to deal with this, so many were left milling around waiting for tables and guests were seen clearing their own tables as the staff were unable to cope.
But the hotel has now added a speciality restaurant to give you added choice. For a price.....! This seemed to be hardly used during our stay and maybe a cynic may wonder if the poor quality in the main dining room and the provision of a costly alternative were somehow connected.
No printed menus in the bar - could only be accessed if QR code was scanned.
A 10% charge now added to all bar and restaurant drinks purchases. OK it can be declined but it's the default position and you have to ask to have it removed every time often whilst other guests are adjacent. The bar used to be a vibrant area with good entertainment who could get the guests on their feet for a dance. When we came in after eating our evening meal outside the hotel, there could be as few as six people in.
Three nights in a row we had no hot water and had to ring reception. On the second night they sent one of the receptionists up to the room. He ran his hand under the tap for 2 minutes and agreed we had no hot water. That was it. While he was there he was asked about operating the room thermostat as we couldn't get any air con. He told us to open our balcony door at night as it wasn't being used yet.
Not all was bad. Our room was spotless and our maid was a gem. The more established staff were friendly and efficient but the newer staff had not been trained properly and this needs to be addressed. You can't learn on the job when there is no positive, well oiled routine in place around you to follow.
We, and many others we learned, contacted Jet2 and they were excellent. We spoke to 3 different reps in person and they also followed up complaints via phone calls and texts. We moved to bed and breakfast only and ate out in the evenings. They acted swiftly and changes should occur with any luck.
We so looked forward to going to the Falesia Hotel but it felt as though we were in Fawlty Towers. We love the area but will not return to this hotel."
