"We stayed at the Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa for one week in September. While the hotel itself is beautiful, our overall experience fell well short of what you would expect from a five star Hotel.
We booked a Premium Room and were extremely disappointed. The room was very outdated and run down and bore no resemblance to the photos used on the hotel’s website and social media. The following morning, I overheard another guest raising the same issue and being fobbed off by staff, which was concerning. My advice would be to double check exactly what room you are getting before arrival.
During the week, the hotel is clearly geared towards corporate guests, which is understandable. However, if you are booking with the expectation of five star luxury or a relaxed holiday atmosphere, this may not be the right choice. Sitting in the lounge area in pool attire with a coffee and sweet treat, you are surrounded almost entirely by men in suits, which takes away from any sense of a luxury leisure stay.
The pool area itself was lovely, but cleanliness was inconsistent. There was a bloody plaster near one section of the pool that remained there for most of our stay. The pool staff, however, were excellent, attentive, friendly, and a real positive.
One of our biggest issues was that non residents can pay to use the pool for the day. It is very obvious who is and isn’t staying at the hotel. Large groups and couples would arrive, take over sections of the pool, and be loud, which really took away from the sense of class. On two days, we (and several other hotel guests) came down late in the morning to find no sun beds available at all. We overheard multiple guests complaining about this throughout the week. It felt like a money driven decision at the expense of paying guests.
Food and drink were a highlight. The Italian restaurant was by far some of the best food we have ever eaten , we ended up dining there for our last two nights, and the staff truly made those evenings special. We also ate at Bahia, which was different and very enjoyable. The poolside restaurant was consistently good, and the coffee shop became a daily favourite for coffees and treats.
Check out was another disappointment. Our bed only stay cost close to €2,000, and we spent an additional €3,000 over the week (excluding Bahia). When settling the final bill, the staff member didn’t ask how our stay was and seemed more focused on chatting with colleagues. A €400 deposit was also taken and took nearly a month to be returned, it’s unclear why this wasn’t simply deducted from the final bill.
Our final day left a particularly bad impression. We had a late flight and planned to relax by the pool, have lunch, and then use the spa facilities to shower and change before heading to the airport. We had a lovely lunch and a pleasant final afternoon by the pool. However, around 4pm, when I went to use the spa changing facilities, after spending over €1,000 there that week on treatments and tips,I was told by a staff member that I could not use them. I explained that the website states guests may use the facilities until departure. She reluctantly allowed me to shower but told me to be quick.
When I asked for a towel, I was initially refused. I was so embarrassed I nearly cried and briefly considered using a used towel left behind. Only after going back and explaining I had no way to dry myself was I finally given one. I was also not allowed to lock my belongings in a locker, meaning I had to leave everything unsecured and bring my phone and purse into the shower with me. By the time I left for the airport, I was simply relieved for the stay to be over.
I have stayed in many five star hotels around the world, and unfortunately, this does not meet that standard. While there are some positives, the experience overall did not justify the price or the five star label."
