"We have just returned from our stay at Abora Continental and, unfortunately, we left feeling disappointed. While there were some positives, particularly the entertainment team, several aspects of the hotel fell well below what we expected.
One thing that should be made much clearer is the hotel’s star rating. TUI markets this hotel as a 4-star property, whereas the hotel’s own website describes it as a 3-star plus hotel. We only became aware of this after arriving. Looking back, the hotel felt much closer to a 3-star standard than a 4-star one, particularly in terms of housekeeping, food quality and the overall condition of the facilities. Had we known this before booking, we would likely have chosen another hotel.
On our final day, while waiting in reception for our airport transfer, a guest was openly vaping inside the reception area in full view of reception staff, who did nothing to intervene. This was particularly frustrating because earlier in the holiday my partner had been told by hotel staff that vaping was only permitted in the designated smoking area.
Housekeeping was another area that let the hotel down. We ran out of toilet paper twice during our stay and had to phone reception late at night on both occasions to have more delivered. Once could perhaps be overlooked, but twice suggests a lack of attention to the rooms. In addition, our bed sheets were not changed once during the entire stay.
The pool area is looking tired and would benefit from repainting and general refurbishment. The music played around the pool throughout the day was also far too loud if you simply wanted to relax.
The hotel’s sunbed policy was also applied inconsistently. We completely understand and support the rule against reserving sunbeds. However, we left our towels on our loungers while we went to the designated smoking area for around 10 minutes. When we returned, our towels had been folded with a note left on them, despite us only being away briefly. Meanwhile, many other sunbeds remained reserved with towels for much longer periods without any action being taken.
The restaurant was another disappointment. The food was rarely hot, usually only warm, and the choice became repetitive very quickly. If you’re a fussy eater, your options are extremely limited, with pizza or chips often being the safest choices. There was only one fish option available each evening, and pork appeared to be the main meat served night after night. They also label the foods on the buffet but this is inconsistent, as not everything is labelled.
Another rule we found unusual was that guests were not allowed to approach the pool bar unless they were completely dry, which wasn’t always practical when spending the day by the pool.
One of the biggest disappointments was discovering after arrival that there is an All Inclusive Plus package. This option was never mentioned or offered to us by our travel agent. Guests on the standard all-inclusive package are limited to pre-mixed cocktails poured from bottles, while branded spirits and freshly made cocktails are only available if you pay to upgrade or purchase them separately. This is something that should be made much clearer before booking.
The Wi-Fi was intermittent and unreliable throughout our stay, regularly disconnecting and making it difficult to stay connected.
We were also disappointed that bottled water was not included. If you wanted a bottle of water, you had to purchase one from the bar. The water was served in a glass bottle with a metal cap that had to be removed using a bottle opener, meaning it could not be resealed. This made it inconvenient to carry around the hotel or take out for the day.
The entertainment team worked incredibly hard every day, were enthusiastic and friendly, and genuinely made an effort to involve guests of all ages. They were the highlight of our stay. The only downside was that if you wanted a seat for the evening entertainment, you needed to arrive quite early as seating filled up quickly.
Overall, we expected a much higher standard based on the way the hotel was marketed. There were too many issues with housekeeping, maintenance, food quality and inconsistent enforcement of hotel policies for us to consider this a 4-star experience. While the entertainment team deserve a great deal of credit, the hotel itself has significant room for improvement, and unfortunately we would not choose to stay here again."
