"Very disappointed with our stay. This is the first time we have experienced a vacation like this.
We had already stayed at Club Jumbo hotels several times and therefore knew what to expect: present activity leaders, activities, guidance, and a real club atmosphere. Here, we were extremely disappointed, because the experience was completely different.
The hotel was sold to us by Promovacances/Plein Vent without us really knowing where we were going to land. When booking, we had, however, asked for advice over the phone. My partner had specifically asked: “Do you recommend this one or Crete more?” We trusted the advice that was given to us. In hindsight, we might have been better off choosing the other establishment.
When checking TripAdvisor, the reviews seemed decent enough, but once we were there, what a disappointment!
Let’s start with the positive points: the room was pretty and clean, nothing to complain about on that front.
We also want to thank the few people who were truly pleasant and who helped make our stay a little better. Mélissa, at the bar, is very friendly and really does her best despite the obvious lack of staff. Letty, in the dining room upstairs, is also a very pleasant person. Torres, also in the dining room, is always smiling and friendly. And we really appreciated Giovanni, who offers a very nice water aerobics session in the morning even though he is not even affiliated with Club Jumbo. It’s a good thing that activity existed!
As for the rest, unfortunately, many disappointments.
The pool is small, shallow, and far from large.
Regarding the sea, we must also be very clear: it is not really accessible for swimming. During our stay, the flag was orange and swimming was not allowed. There are also a lot of rocks. You really have to check on this point before booking, especially if you choose this hotel to enjoy the sea.
The hotel is also located in an extremely isolated area. We were really in the middle of nowhere. There is no real town nearby and you have to take a taxi to go to the neighboring town. And once there, there are ultimately only a few shops, hotels, and the sea. It is therefore not the ideal place if you want to be able to go out easily and visit the surroundings on foot.
The dining also disappointed us a lot. The dishes lacked quality and some food was clearly poorly cooked: the fries were not cooked enough, just like some vegetables. This is not the type of dining we expected for this kind of stay.
Regarding the Club Jumbo, it is probably our biggest disappointment. Since we have already stayed in other Club Jumbos, we know that the activity leaders are normally present, offer activities, and create a real atmosphere with the vacationers. Here, we absolutely did not find that.
We saw the activity leaders very little: sometimes only for a few moments during the day, and some people almost never. We therefore had to look for activities ourselves, including going to get balls to be able to play pétanque. We really had the impression that it was up to the vacationers to find things to do.
We even asked to be able to change hotels because we were so disappointed, but that was not possible and we did not feel that we were really supported in this process.
Upon our arrival, the reception was also not up to par. The person at the front desk was on the phone and we waited a long time before being helped.
Regarding the management, we were also surprised. In other hotels where we have stayed, the manager is present, welcomes guests, interacts with them, and regularly comes to meet them, especially in the restaurant. Here, we rather had the feeling that the management was very rarely present with the clientele. We notably saw the manager eating twice, but without any real contact with the guests or particular presence with them.
The bar is also clearly understaffed. A single person has to manage the service, which is not easy. Once again, it is fortunate that Mélissa was there to keep smiling and remain pleasant despite these conditions.
In summary, we were very disappointed with this stay. The room was pleasant and clean, and some people like Mélissa, Letty, Torres, and Giovanni were really very friendly, but unfortunately, that is not enough to compensate for the rest.
We will not set foot in this establishment again, and we especially advise future vacationers to do their research before booking: the hotel's isolation, the swimming conditions, the small pool, the dining, and especially the actual level of entertainment at the Club Jumbo are important elements to know.
For us, this stay absolutely did not match the image we had of a Club Jumbo based on our previous experiences."
