"Probably One of the Worst Holiday Experiences We’ve Had
We have stayed in several TUI Blue hotels over the years because we know what to expect. The service is usually excellent, the staff go above and beyond, and we’ve always enjoyed the familiar TUI Blue experience. Unfortunately, our stay at TUI Blue Xanthe was the complete opposite and was one of the worst holidays we’ve had.
Arrival
Our holiday got off to a terrible start. As we arrived at reception, there was a guest shouting at the receptionist, refusing to leave the desk, repeatedly calling the hotel “sh*t” and demanding to see the manager. This was far from the welcoming atmosphere we expected, especially with families and young children arriving at the same time.
Check-in was also slow because only one receptionist appeared to be working while a long queue of guests waited. We were eventually escorted to our room on the fourth floor, only to find that our key card didn’t work.
Unlike every other TUI Blue hotel we’ve visited, there was no assistance with our luggage.
The receptionist returned to reception to reprogram the key, came back, and it still didn’t work. He left again, and eventually another staff member arrived with a master key. Unfortunately, he spoke no English, so we couldn’t ask any questions.
Room
Although the room was clean, it was extremely disappointing.
The air conditioning wasn’t working.
The television was still set up in German and displayed another guest’s name.
Our key cards still didn’t work.
We were later told that the electronic door lock had failed and every single time we wanted to enter our room, we had to queue at reception for someone to let us in with a master key. We asked to move rooms but were simply told no and that nobody could repair it that evening.
This completely ruined our first evening as we stayed in the room because we didn’t want the hassle of repeatedly going to reception every time we returned.
Our room was on the fourth floor and, having since read other reviews, these rooms are often described as “attic rooms”—which is exactly what they feel like. The sloping ceilings were so low that we regularly banged our heads throughout the holiday.
The balcony was also extremely small. Being on the top floor meant there was no parasol, no shade, nowhere suitable to dry towels apart from a tiny hook that could barely hold a hand towel.
Pool & Sunbeds
By 6:00am on our first morning, virtually every sunbed had already been reserved with towels despite hotel rules stating this isn’t allowed.
Many beds remained empty for hours while other guests couldn’t find anywhere to sit.
The hotel feels very cramped overall. It is long and narrow, and every area feels overcrowded with very little personal space.
The main pools are also quite small. There is an Olympic pool, but this is adults-only (16+) and located some distance from the main facilities and pool bar.
Food & Drink
Breakfast offered some choice but was fairly limited compared to other TUI Blue hotels we’ve visited.
One thing that surprised us was that guests simply seat themselves. We’ve never experienced this at another TUI Blue hotel.
Lunch was better, particularly at the pool bar where burgers, chips, pizza and pasta were served. This was probably the best food available during our stay.
However, the pool bar itself is very small, meaning you often have to wait for tables to become available before you can even order food.
Dinner featured various themed evenings, but overall we found the food disappointing. More often than not we ended up eating from the children’s section because it was the most enjoyable option.
Getting drinks throughout the hotel was another frustration. The hotel appeared significantly understaffed, and waits of 20–30 minutes before anyone acknowledged you were common.
Staff & Service
This was perhaps the biggest disappointment.
Throughout our stay we found communication extremely difficult. Many staff struggled to understand English, making even simple requests unnecessarily frustrating.
We encountered only one other British family during the entire week, and the hotel felt heavily geared towards German and Russian guests.
Sadly, we also found several members of staff to be unfriendly. On multiple occasions staff rolled their eyes, sighed or appeared irritated when taking orders or answering questions.
This is completely unlike any other TUI Blue hotel we’ve experienced.
Entertainment & Facilities
Entertainment followed the usual format of a children’s mini disco followed by an evening show.
However, the entertainment area is relatively small and quickly becomes crowded.
The pool bar closes at midnight, while the final indoor bar closes at 2:00am.
Drinks themselves were perfectly acceptable, but again, long queues and slow service often took away from the experience.
The rooms also do not provide an iron or ironing board, something we’ve come to expect from TUI Blue hotels and found disappointing.
Housekeeping
Overall cleanliness was good.
However, towel replacement was inconsistent. Towels were often changed but hand towels were forgotten, meaning we regularly had to request replacements.
Overall
For us, this hotel simply did not deliver the TUI Blue standard we’ve come to expect.
There appeared to be little enforcement of the hotel’s own rules, particularly regarding sunbed reservations.
The hotel feels far too small for the number of guests it accommodates, particularly families. The pool areas are cramped, with additional sunbeds placed on grass simply because there isn’t enough space around the pools.
Queues seemed to exist everywhere—for reception, drinks, food and even access to our own room.
While we appreciate that every hotel can have occasional issues, the number of problems we encountered from the moment we arrived until we left meant we simply couldn’t enjoy our holiday.
Sadly, we do not believe this hotel offers good value for money and we would not return.
Having stayed in many TUI Blue hotels previously, this was by far our most disappointing experience."
