"I am writing to express my disappointment with what was, sadly, one of the most underwhelming hotel stays I have ever experienced.
From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere was less luxury resort and more “Still Hopes Retirement Residence welcomes coach parties on alternate Tuesdays.” No music, no energy, no warmth, and certainly no sense that guests were arriving somewhere advertised as a five-star resort.
The welcome set the tone perfectly. We were greeted by a stern receptionist who appeared to regard smiling as a breach of company policy.
Although we arrived after the official check-in time, we then had to wait over an hour for our rooms because an escort was apparently required to take us there. I have checked into many hotels, but this was the first time I felt I was waiting for a hospital porter.
When we finally reached our Junior Suite Deluxe Garden View, we were less than delighted with the spectacular view of one rather defeated-looking palm tree, a patch of dirt, and a fence approximately 2.5 metres away. I have seen more inspiring scenery from a supermarket car park.
The room itself was long, dark, and joyless. The walls featured large empty panels that looked as though artwork had been ordered but never actually arrived. Most astonishingly, there were no mirrors in the suite apart from the bathroom and the inside of a wardrobe door. The writing desk had inadequate lighting and no mirror at all, making it completely impractical for applying makeup unless one enjoys standing in a wardrobe like Harry Potter preparing for a night out. For a hotel that presumably welcomes female guests, this feels remarkably poorly thought through.
Each morning we were awakened by the housekeeping staff conducting their daily stand-up scrum directly outside our door, at the end of the corridor.
The activities programme was equally impressive in its absence. We were informed that the activities team “have the weekends off” — which, while undoubtedly delightful for them, left guests with precisely nothing to do. No table tennis, no tennis courts, no padel, no darts, no games, no entertainment beyond sitting quietly and contemplating one’s life choices.
The spa offered the thrilling prospect of aqua aerobics and stretching, but with the added indignity that guests were required to wear shower caps in the pool. In a supposedly five-star hotel, being forced to resemble a contestant in a 1970s swimming lesson is not quite the luxury wellness experience I had imagined. Perhaps investing in better pool filtration would be less humiliating for your guests.
Architecturally, the enclosed courtyard deserves a special mention. Remarkably, it was windier inside the courtyard than outside the hotel, apparently thanks to a highly effective wind-tunnel design that created its own miniature weather system.
In fact, the hotel atmosphere was so depressing, that we ended up driving to a nearby beach resort every day and paying for cocktails there, despite having booked all-inclusive. That rather defeats the purpose of an all-inclusive holiday. The local beach bars had better drinks, friendlier staff, and considerably more soul.
The hotel’s evening entertainment consisted of a musical act performing for a few hours in the lobby, which might have been pleasant had the surrounding atmosphere not been so flat. The lobby bar staff were particularly frustrating: my partner could order directly at the bar when it was quiet, yet I was repeatedly told to sit down and wait for table service simply to order a single drink. The inconsistency felt unnecessary and frankly rather sexist.
The food was another major disappointment. Overall I would rate it 2/5. Much of the restaurant food was bland and uninspired, and one member of our party felt unwell on two separate evenings after dining there. The sushi bar was genuinely excellent, and the breakfast omelettes were very good, but these were isolated highlights rather than evidence of an otherwise strong culinary offering. The buffet’s hot food was frequently barely warm.
What baffles me most is the number of four- and five-star reviews this property receives. I have stayed at Secrets hotels before and had excellent experiences, which makes this contrast even more surprising. This stay was characterised by:
● Poor food
● Erratic and often unfriendly service
● A dark and depressing room
● Inconsistent drinks
● No atmosphere
● Virtually no activities (but shower caps in the pool!?)
● And the extraordinary situation of preferring to leave an all-inclusive resort and pay for cocktails elsewhere every day
In short, this did not feel like a Hyatt collection five-star luxury resort. It felt like a beautifully photographed brochure attached to a very different reality.
I hope you will take this feedback seriously, because the property has potential, but the current guest experience falls dramatically short of the standard your brand promises."
