"1. General
We were very much looking forward to our two-week family vacation at the Iberostar Selection Creta Marine. Unfortunately, our expectations for a five-star hotel were disappointed in several essential points.
The hotel complex is basically beautifully designed, well-maintained, and makes an overall clean impression. Our room was also appealing in terms of its furnishings and design.
Unfortunately, these positive impressions were overshadowed by significant shortcomings in room cleaning, service, and gastronomy.
The situation regarding the gastrointestinal illnesses, which were discussed repeatedly during our stay, was particularly distressing. According to a hotel employee, there had already been a major wave of illness a few weeks earlier. She even reported guests who were walking around with IV stands due to their health condition.
Even during our stay, illnesses among guests were a constantly recurring topic of conversation. We naturally cannot judge the actual number of sick people and the exact cause.
Nevertheless, the situation led to significant uncertainty. In particular, restaurant visits were increasingly associated with an uneasy feeling for us.
We would have wished for more transparent communication and a more confident handling of guests' concerns on the part of the hotel.
The pool area also only convinced us to a limited extent. The pools were generally nice, but we found the water temperatures to be significantly too cold. The children's water park was particularly disappointing, as the water was much too cold for our liking. As a result, its use was severely limited for our daughter.
We ended our stay, originally planned until October 31, on October 26. We had to organize our return trip ourselves on short notice.
Overall, we are extremely disappointed with our stay. The beautiful hotel grounds alone could not compensate for the numerous negative experiences.
For a hotel of this category and price range, we would have expected significantly more. Based on our personal experiences, we cannot recommend the hotel at this time.
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2. Restaurant & Bars
Food selection: 1/6 – Very poor
Taste: 3/6 – Rather poor
The gastronomic offerings unfortunately could not meet our expectations for a five-star hotel.
The buffet restaurant in particular disappointed us significantly at both breakfast and dinner.
The selection was not very varied, and largely the same dishes were offered daily. We missed the variety and diversity that we expect from a hotel of this category.
Especially for a stay originally planned for two weeks, a varied selection of food is an important part of a successful vacation for us.
We cannot judge the lunch, as we did not use this service.
On two evenings, we visited the hotel's à la carte restaurants, once the Italian and once the Mediterranean restaurant.
Both restaurants were fine from our perspective. The food was acceptable and the selection was sufficient. However, it was not a special culinary experience. Nevertheless, we found these restaurant visits to be a pleasant change from the monotonous buffet.
We also noticed the handling of the reused plastic cups at the bars and at the food truck to be particularly critical. According to our observations, these were merely wiped out or cleaned with a rag.
Especially against the backdrop of reports about gastrointestinal illnesses, we found this procedure to be extremely concerning.
We naturally cannot judge what additional cleaning and disinfection measures were carried out in the background. However, the procedure we observed did not give us sufficient confidence in the hygiene.
Our conclusion regarding the gastronomy: The à la carte restaurants were okay, but the breakfast and dinner buffet disappointed us significantly due to the lack of variety.
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3. Room
Room size: 4/6 – Rather good
Sleep quality: 3/6 – Rather poor
Cleanliness: 1/6 – Very poor
Our room was really beautiful in terms of its furnishings and design. We also found the room size to be pleasant.
Unfortunately, the cleanliness in particular left a lot to be desired.
There were, in some places, actual dirty corners. Especially under the bed, it was clearly recognizable that it had apparently not been cleaned thoroughly for a long time.
In our view, the room cleaning in no way met the standard we expect from a five-star hotel.
Especially against the background of the gastrointestinal illnesses that were repeatedly discussed during our stay, we found this cleaning performance to be particularly inadequate.
The hotel did communicate that extensive disinfection measures were being carried out. However, the actual condition of our room did not give us the necessary confidence.
We would like to explicitly distinguish between the overall well-maintained hotel grounds and the deficient room cleaning.
An attractively designed room alone is not enough. Cleanliness and thorough cleaning are fundamental requirements for us for a pleasant hotel stay. Unfortunately, these expectations were not met.
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4. Service
German language skills: 1/6 – Very poor
Best service: Nowhere
Another significant point of criticism for us was the service.
We experienced a predominant part of the staff as unfriendly, inattentive, and partially disinterested.
In our perception, concerns or questions were sometimes barely or not at all responded to.
We often missed the friendliness, helpfulness, and service orientation that we expect from an internationally oriented five-star hotel.
In addition, there were significant language communication problems.
It was not about the employees having to speak German. Rather, even basic communication in English was hardly possible with many employees.
Especially in an international vacation hotel, we found this to be extremely disappointing.
Especially in the tense situation surrounding the reports of gastrointestinal illnesses, we would have wished for an attentive, understanding, and professional handling of the guests' concerns.
Overall, we often did not have the feeling that the needs and concerns of the guests were sufficiently addressed.
For a hotel of this category, we would have wished for significantly more friendliness, attentiveness, communication skills, and service orientation."
