"Honest review (7th -18th April)
I will break this down into specific categories as I know people are wanting to know certain things etc which is understandable and totally reasonable as I was doing the same before i arrived. So be prepared as it’s long and detailed but hopefully I can cover everything you want to know
Overall I enjoyed my stay, was lucky with the weather we had and found the staff most helpful and truly went above and beyond and you could see how hard they worked:
would I choose to come again - probably not however I did enjoy my stay
Airport situation with finger print etc ✈️
I personally avoided this as I had special assistance scheduled so was taken straight through and they just stamped my passport and no prints were taken. I was then taken to the facility people as my suitcase arrived broken off the conveyer belts which made me emotional as I was by myself travelling and honestly I was just tired. The staff were brilliant though, filled out all the forms and took my details and it was sorted and they said they’d issue a £30 refund within 5-7 days. I will be buying a new case when I get back in the UK.
Flying back was as smooth as arriving. Again I had special assistance so I did avoid the finger print scanners again and went straight through and just had my passport stamped
Arrival and check in 🏠
arrived around 1:45pm and was checked in within 10 minutes and my room was ready so headed straight there
Room 🏠
Like mentioned room was ready earlier (usually check in from 3pm) which was a bonus as a long morning of travelling.
I had standard room with pool view and the room was spacious, clean and had amenities provided.
Kettle was in the room. (tea/coffee/chocolate/sugar sachets) can be collected in snack cafe or drink area so there is no issue with that. You will just need milk however if at breakfast time you fill up a cup you can bring it back with you and put in your fridge if you don’t fancy buying a whole carton.
Safe worked for free and mini fridge worked great.
Shower soaps, shampoo and conditioner provided and I personally love their conditioner it was brilliant for my curls
My room and balcony overlooked the entertainment pool and was great for sun in the late afternoons and good view for sunrise and sunset.
However due to it being over the entertainment side the volume of entertainment was very loud until 11pm so if you have little children that side may not be suitable for you. It didn’t bother me personally but I am deaf and wear hearing aids so at night I don’t wear them and hear the noise
Food 🍟🍝🍤🍣
I can’t give a full opinion on food due to the fact I have medical complications so my diet contains of special feed bottles and eating liquid food such as yoghurt. I was able to try some solid foods however mainly yoghurt and their selection was great to be fair and in the evenings had chocolate custard
Food was repetitive but anywhere you go will be the same. Breakfast was always a mixture of your cooked foods so bacon eggs etc and then your pastries, fruit, yoghurt and satchets of chocolate milk shake powder aswell as milkshakes in dispensers
Lunch and dinner was usually pasta, chips, potatoes, some form of meat and fish and then special plates created to taste different dishes which looked great
Pudding was always cakes, yoghurt, ice cream, pastries but again looked great.
Children’s food / food everyone enjoys 🍟🍔
These are some of your basic foods that everyone likes, children but also those with sensory needs and like to eat the same foods
Chips were always served in the restaurant and plain pasta. The pasta shape varied from macaroni to bow to penne. Sauce can be added alongside cheese if wanted. These foods were found in the children’s area labelled as “panchii” with a blue shark but can also be found in the normal buffet area
Burgers, nuggets, hot dogs were served in the snack cafe which was open 11am-11pm and this is where a lot of families based themselves as they knew it was something their children would eat and that’s understandable.
So If you are looking for your safe options of foods then snack cafe is your place to be. On the occasion I did try some solid foods I had the sausage from the hot dog and that tasted just like your usual hot dog so was great. I didn’t attempt the burgers on the basis of I didn’t want to flare up my medical conditions but also the appearance and it saying “Mixed meat burger” didn’t reassure me but I saw plenty of people eat them. They had plain burgers, cheese burgers and chicken burgers. Again these would have probably been great but I didn’t want to risk it.
Chips were usually good, only a few times they were cold or a bit hard but nothing a bit of ketchup can’t fix.
Puddings were all offered here aswell as mini tubs of ice cream.
Sunbed wars? ☀️
No matter what time you arrive to the pool there are always plenty of sunbeds however it was still entertaining to watch a group of people each morning queue to get to their favourite bed and ensure them and their families could sit together. I personally had no issue with this as there was always enough extra and everyone finds their favorite bed and that’s okay, sometimes it’s more helpful for them if they have children too. So no issue but entertaining to watch from my balcony
Pool 🏊♀️🌊
Pool areas were good. I spent time on either side. Entertainment side involves games and entertainment so will naturally be louder so if you prefer quieter then head to the other side. (The hotel are also big fans of Adele, the weekend and imagine dragons and when they put on a playlist during the day it 80% consists of these artists with a few other songs from other artists. If you’re not a fan bring your own headphones to listen to your own music. I think I lasted a day and then for my own sanity listened to my own) 😂
Pools were okay temperature wise, a little cold at first however if you’ve spent some time baking in the sun the pool will feel very refreshing when you get in.
Children’s area also on the other side, seemed fine and never too busy. Children seemed happy with their little pool and swings.
Adult area further along entertainment side, hardly used by anyone and it did have a small hot tub which was lovely to sit in. If anything I’m surprised there isn’t a small pool in that area - maybe that’s why it’s not used at much?
FLOATS, WATER GUNS AND BALLS ARE NOT ALLOWED. (Arm bands are allowed however any other float support item will not be allowed)
TOYS THAT SINK ARE ALLOWED AND CAN BE BROUGHT AT THE SHOP
Despite them selling the “prohibited items” in the shop on hotel premises which is right beside the pool you cannot use them. People are buying the items thinking they can use them then life guards and managers are telling them no.
3 days before I was due to leave a family said they were spoken to on their first day by life guard and manager and told they cannot use their floats and ball that they brought at the hotel shop.
Some days children were being allowed to use floats and the next day they are being told not to. So those who were being told no are then left feeling confused, upset and annoyed which is understandable. It was very hit and miss but 90% of my holiday children and young adults were not allowed to play with these in the pool. It was one rule for one and one rule for the other.
They do have the foam pool noodles in the hut that can be used however not many children were keen on using them and much preferred and wanted to use their own floats as they were more exciting. Honestly fair enough because even I got bored in the pool without having a rubber ring or lilo.
Facilities on site 💪🏼🏋️💇🏼♀️💈👾🕹️🛒🛍️
- hair dresser and massage. Didn’t use either but plenty of children and adults had their hair braided and looked lovely
- Gym I did go in one day. It’s small and has your basic machines so treadmill etc
- Arcades are brilliant and so many games. I had a few turns on the games on my final day when waiting for coach to arrive
- Supermarket - great and convenient to grab items such as water and snacks or baby items if you don’t want to leave the hotel. There are supermarkets outside the hotel which do offer same items but a little cheaper. For example the hyperdino sold water bottles for cheaper prices. There is also a Lidl but 15-30 min walk but it is down hill so be prepared to walk back up in the heat.I brought 2 waters so I could keep them in my fridge and then when 1 was cold enough I would put in my water bottle flask then refill it back up in the drink station and replace back in the fridge. This meant I always had cold cold water.
🏖️ 🚶👨🏼⚕️🩺🧽🫧
Beach is a 10/15 minute walk depending how fast you walk. I went a few early mornings to watch sunrise and it was nice and cool.
Pharmacies on both sides when leaving the hotel and close by. Very helpful and similar prices at both. I wanted to compare prices at first but both were similar and staff were ever so helpful:
Cleanliness is probably the only slight downfall and that is in the snack cafe, restaurant.
Mostly children but also adults would pick up the food with their hands even though tongs or other tools were provided. I saw a few adults cough and sneeze and then use their hands which was very off putting and this was in the snack cafe
A lot of people were mentioning on the hotel guest facebook pages but also I met a few families here who said themselves they had gone down with the stomach bug during their stay. Also witnessed 2 children be sick in the public areas however it was cleaned very quickly.
Now so many people are quick to get defensive about this subject however we all know no matter where you go whether you are on holiday or in your own country that you MAY get sick and that’s always a risk anywhere you go. BUT people are allowed to feel upset or frustrated about this considering they spent money to come away and either themselves or their children have become unwell. It’s something that can happen anywhere but I will confirm that I met A LOT of families who became unwell. I personally didn’t however I was unwell with my other medical conditions which does not link to anything here food or hotel wise as it is genetic and medical conditions were diagnosed before coming.
Again hotel staff were brilliant and when I was away from my room but needed my feed bottles they were happy to store them in their fridge which meant I didn’t have to go up to my room every lunchtime to drink them (I was floor 7)
Check out 🏠
I was told on arrival I could not use my AL after 12pm even though my flight wasn’t until 9:45pm. Many people also said they were told the same but then others were told different. Due to my suitcase being broken in the airport I was already talking to the JET2 rep after checking in as she was in the hotel and helping me with my insurance. She told me straight up “they probably told you this but because you are booked with JET2 you can use all AL facilities until you leave.”
This however was my experience, when checking out I got my deposit returned and I was able to keep my band on. When I asked about vouchers or using the restraunt I was told no. I was told that I am now unable to use those facilities and would need to pay if I wanted to use the restaurant or cafe.
However my wristband remained and I was able to use the snack cafe as usual. It’s helpful to know that its only when going into the restraunt you are really checked as your asked for your key card but snack cafe is a free for all. I continued getting myself soft drinks from the counter. If you wanted to order your drinks from the bar near the pool you would not be affected as the servers would be unaware you are leaving and again my wristband remained.
I will add that I made friends with a family who was also leaving today and they were given a voucher to go to the restaurant. I was wondering if it was because they were a family with Children and I was by myself so I wasn’t certain.
Again I’m not complaining as this didn’t affect me hugely due to not being able to eat a lot however this could be a different situation and experience for you.
This was just my personal experience of my holiday. Everyone will have their own unique experience. From my review I do not want this to affect your views on your holiday and just see my review as some helpful heads up or tips or advice.
(Food photos and videos are from the snack cafe)"
