"I am writing this as my interaction with this hotel’s management must be one of the most surprising from my entire life. I am a seasoned traveler, and I also used to work in the industry so I can appreciate the fine balance between keeping clients happy and running a business. A somewhat short summary: I called the hotel as I wanted to surprise my daughter and ensure she had a nice sea view upon check in. I went out of my way to explain to Lucrezia at the front desk the reasons why this trip was very special for my daughter and she said she would do the necessary (while she could not confirm my daughter’s arrival for confidentiality reasons which I fully appreciate). When my daughter arrived, she told me that the room was not with a sea view and at that point I called Lucrezia back to inquire. She told me that all upgrades must be paid for and when I asked about the potential to have a complimentary upgrade the answer was a firm ‘no’ because the hotel never did it for anyone’. I then offered to provide my credit card over the phone or email, and I was told that I had to pay via a link which would be sent to me. I tried the multiple links however they did not work advising that it was a merchant issue (the transactions never made it to my cards hence it was evidently the hotel’s issue). I called back kindly asking Lucrezia to at least provide the room key to my daughter who was tired and not feeling great while we were figuring out the arrangement. The response was a stern ‘no’ and that unless the money is fronted, there will be no key. The amount in question was EUR 120 and the hotel would surely not have gone bankrupt if the payment waited a little bit longer (the room and taxes had been fully paid for this was just the cost for the upgrade). I wanted this to be a surprise however, more than one hour later, there was no solution in sight so I asked to speak with a manager and I was told that there was no manager on duty. I asked to have the situation escalated and, again, the answer was ‘nobody is around’, ‘call back tomorrow’…I decided pragmatically that I would ask my daughter to go downstairs and use her credit card (hence ruining the surprise) so that she can finally move to the new room almost 2 hours later (close to 8pm). I then called Lucrezia once more suggesting that perhaps they could make a small gesture and offer my daughter a complimentary drink/snack as a sign of hospitality. The answer was ‘we never offer anyone anything complimentary’ but I was encouraged to call back the next day. I did call back the next day and spoke with a manager (sadly I forgot her name) who maintained the same line. I then asked to speak with the hotel’s owners Rafa Torres or Juana María Torres Marí so that I can understand what their view of the situation was. I was repeatedly refused this and I was never provided with their e-mail address so that I can contact them directly. I did receive a call from Mr. Ángel Piné, Sales and Marketing Director and he also did not see any issue with a surprise being spoiled or with my having suggested that there would have been multiple ways to solution the initial request or the situation created after. After a 35 minute discussion, he personally promised that he would make it up to my daughter, ensure he talks to her and also show a small gesture of the hotel’s hospitality towards her. I was convinced that this would happen and happy with the promise. Nothing happened that day or the day after. I called the hotel one day before my daughter’s departure and I spoke with a lady by the name of Laura at the front desk asking once more to speak with Mr Piné or the owners or the manager on duty. I was told that there was no manager on duty and that Mr Piné had left for the day and that I could not have the e-mail addresses for the owners. I had left my phone number for someone to give me a call back however that never happened either. My daughter left the hotel and there was never a small token towards the spoiled surprise nor the promised conversation that was supposed to take place between her and Mr. Piné. I would maybe not have written this long review had it not been for the hotel’s statement on their website which reads ‘OUR OBJECTIVE: EXCEED YOUR EXPECTATIONS… To make your stay in Ibiza an unforgettable experience’…In a world surrounded by conflict and where humans are replaced by AI, I was hoping that we can still remember who we are at our core: human beings who care about one another and who will try, whenever possible, to still make dreams and promises come true. This did not happen with Hotel Torre del Mar and I find it extremely hard to believe that the policy the owners allegedly have instructed their employees to abide by concerns only money and nothing else… To be fair, my daughter did say that the room was nice, the facilities were nice as well which covered the ‘what’ but the management’s / front desk’s interaction with her were nowhere near a 4star superior which the hotel identifies itself with. From my interaction with the hotel and following my multiple calls and requests to speak with the owners (still waiting for anyone to contact me) this hotel may be nicely positioned, with nice rooms and facilities but if you want to feel valued (and not your money) you may want to look elsewhere…."
