"We stayed at the Michelangelo Resort & Spa in Kos and unfortunately, despite trying to look past several issues throughout our stay, we came away extremely disappointed. For a resort marketed and priced as 5-star, the overall standard, service and attention to detail fell considerably below what we would expect. Having stayed at a number of genuinely outstanding 5-star resorts in Greece, this simply does not compare.
1. A disastrous start and poor handling of a basic room issue
We arrived on Monday evening and were immediately underwhelmed by the reception area. There was no welcome drink, no real sense of welcome and the peeling, dated reception counter did little to suggest we were arriving at a 5-star resort. Unfortunately, this set the tone for what followed.
We were shown to our room, only to discover that our toilet was not simply broken, it had clearly been removed or worked on and had not even been put back together. We contacted reception and were advised that we could stay in the room. When we quite reasonably asked, “What about having a toilet?”, we were incredibly told that we could use the public toilets during the night. For a 5-star resort, this was an absolutely absurd suggestion.
We requested to be moved and, around 45 minutes later, were taken to a downgraded room from the seaview one we had actually paid for. We were then left to chase reception ourselves the following day to find out when we could return to our original room. It was not until well past midday that we were finally allowed back into the room we had originally booked and paid for and still entered to find a disgusting dirty robe.
We were offered a complimentary spa voucher as compensation, which we appreciated, but frankly this does not make up for the experience or the inconvenience. A working toilet should be the absolute minimum standard in a hotel room, let alone a resort charging 5-star prices.
2. The overall resort is dated and does not feel 5-star
Even after putting the initial experience aside, the overall aesthetic and standard of the resort was disappointing. Much of the decor feels dated and lacks the quality and finish expected of a 5-star hotel.
The infinity pool is lovely, but unfortunately the sun loungers around the upper pool were visibly dirty.
The main dining room in particular feels more like a school canteen or conference hall than a 5-star hotel restaurant. The tables and chairs are extremely old and tired-looking, and the lighting is particularly poor, creating a dull and uninviting atmosphere rather than the sophisticated dining environment you would expect from a 5-star resort. Birds were allowed to roam the indoor dining hall and fly over the table and chairs - a clear health and safety hazard.
The tables positioned towards the back of the dining hall also look particularly awkward and out of place, giving the area a very conference-hall-like appearance rather than a thoughtfully designed restaurant. Overall, the furniture, layout and lighting do very little to create the feeling of a premium dining experience.
The so-called à la carte restaurants were also disappointing in terms of both presentation and overall standard.
At the Asian restaurant, we were particularly disappointed to be seated overlooking the children’s pool and guests were allowed to smoke at the table during dinner. At the Mediterranean restaurant, we had been expecting a pleasant terrace and Mediterranean view, but instead were seated with a delightful view of a dirty, self-service ice cream machine and a white wall. These are hardly the experiences you would expect when booking à la carte restaurants at a 5-star resort.
3. The service was by far the biggest disappointment
The biggest issue throughout our stay was the standard of hospitality.
Our cleaning ladies were genuinely lovely, alongside the evening bar staff, and are one of the few positives we can take from the experience. The pool staff serving and taking drinks were also friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for much of the front-of-house, breakfast, lunch and dinner staff.
The front desk staff, including Theo and others, were often extremely unwelcoming, abrupt and unaccommodating. On one occasion, we simply asked whether we could play tennis and were given a very stern response. We were also advised to book our spa treatment downstairs. We followed the instruction and were apparently watched walking downstairs, only for the same member of staff to then say, “Yeah, it’s shut right now.” The whole interaction felt unnecessarily dismissive.
The hotel’s own app also advertises WhatsApp chat support. I sent two messages at the beginning of our holiday and, despite the holiday now having progressed, I have still received no response to either message. This makes the advertised support feel somewhat pointless and is another example of the lack of responsiveness we experienced. The same came be said when we were enquiring about bus/taxi times and were shocked to learn that it was €20 for a hotel taxi to kos town (9 minutes away), versus €1.70 for the bus (which ran late into the evening and from outside the hotel. The front desk staff were unresponsive when we missed one of the buses from kos town back to the hotel and simply gave me a local taxi number to just ring myself.
The experience with the restaurant staff was even worse.
The main dinner and breakfast hall often felt as though guests were being processed on a conveyor belt outside rather than welcomed into a 5-star restaurant. One morning, my partner politely asked a female waitress whether there were any free tables outside. Rather than simply answering the question, a different waitress marched over and told him that “he must wait to be served coffee and not ask.”
When he explained that he was simply asking whether there was a free table, she responded:
“We are very busy, and I work 8 hours a day.”
We were completely taken aback by this response. Whatever the pressures of a busy restaurant, guests should not be spoken to in this manner.
Later, I politely asked the same waitress for a spoon to stir my coffee, as there were none provided. Rather than simply bringing one, she told me “spoons are in the buffet hall” and walked away.
Again, for a 5-star resort, I found it astonishing that a guest politely asking for a spoon, which should be provided at breakfast, was effectively told to go and get one themselves.
What made the situation even more uncomfortable was what happened later that day. At lunchtime, I saw the same waitress approach our table with two spoons in a napkin and place them down. Spoons were not normally provided at lunch and we certainly would not have expected them. My partner then noticed in the reflection of the outside window that three members of the waiting staff were laughing, talking and pointing towards us.
Whether or not that was directly related to the earlier interaction, it certainly made us feel mocked and extremely uncomfortable.
This was particularly upsetting because this was a special trip for us, I got engaged during this holiday, and instead of feeling celebrated and looked after, we were left feeling uncomfortable because of the behaviour of certain members of staff.
The evening bar staff were considerably more attentive and pleasant, and, as mentioned, the pool staff were also lovely. However, the lunch bar staff were similarly abrupt and there was no table service in the bar, which again felt below the standard expected.
In our view, the front-of-house and restaurant teams would benefit significantly from further hospitality and customer-service training.
4. The entertainment is another interesting perspective on what the resort considers to be 5-star
The entertainment package was another area where we were left questioning the 5-star classification.
The entertainment had a very school disco-style atmosphere, which felt completely out of keeping with what we would expect from a premium 5-star resort. On another evening, a rock band performed, but the presentation again felt very casual, with the band members arriving in trainers and jogging bottoms.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with casual entertainment in itself, but when a resort markets itself as 5-star and charges accordingly, we would expect the overall entertainment offering, presentation and atmosphere to reflect that standard.
Having experienced entertainment at other 5-star resorts in Greece, the difference was noticeable. Unfortunately, this again felt more like a standard resort entertainment package than something befitting a high-end 5-star property.
5. Poor-quality facilities and products throughout
There were also numerous smaller details which collectively reinforced the feeling that this was not a genuine 5-star experience.
The kettles provided in the rooms were very low quality, the Rituals shower products appeared to be watered down, the wine served at dinner was extremely poor quality and there is snagging all around the hotel.
On one occasion, my partner was served his beer in what appeared to be a latte glass, which we photographed. Whilst this may seem like a small issue in isolation, it is another example of the lack of attention to detail that we experienced throughout the resort.
It was the accumulation of these details that made it difficult to understand how the resort maintains a 5-star rating.
6. The gym is also misleading and below standard
The gym was another disappointment. The equipment is limited and does not appear to match what is advertised.
The running machines would suddenly and unsafely stop when attempting to run beyond a certain speed, which is particularly concerning from a safety perspective.
The pulley machine also had only one attachment available and was extremely limited compared with what you would reasonably expect from a 5-star resort gym.
Overall
Unfortunately, we would not return to the Michelangelo Resort & Spa and would not recommend it to others looking for a genuine 5-star Greek resort experience.
To be clear, this review is not based on comparing the Michelangelo to budget accommodation or even average hotels. We have stayed at a number of outstanding 5-star resorts in Greece, and the difference in quality, service, attention to detail, hospitality and overall experience is significant.
The beautiful infinity pool and housekeeping staff were positives, but they were not enough to outweigh the numerous issues we experienced.
For us, the resort is not 5-star in the way we understand 5-star hospitality to be. The dated surroundings, poor room experience, old furniture, poor lighting, low-quality facilities, disappointing food and restaurant environment, limited gym, underwhelming entertainment and, most importantly, the attitude of several front-of-house and restaurant staff all fell below the standard we expected for the price we paid.
We strongly recommend that the hotel reviews its customer service and hospitality training, particularly for the front desk and lunch/dinner restaurant teams. Guests should feel welcomed, respected and looked after, especially at a resort charging 5-star prices.
Sadly, what should have been an incredibly special holiday, particularly given that I got engaged during the trip, was significantly affected by the lack of hospitality and the overall standard of the resort.
We would not return."
