"Our stay at Vigilia Park has been extremely disappointing and, in our experience, the hotel is nowhere near the standard shown when we booked.
Room condition, cleanliness and security
There were numerous issues with the condition and cleanliness of our apartment. The room had a strong smell of cigarette smoke, and we found multiple clumps of hair around the room. There was mould on both shower heads, as well as black mould growing on the anti-slip mat inside the bathroom shower.
There were also damaged fixtures and items throughout the apartment, wonky kitchen cupboards, and a strange substance on the fridge.
Most concerning of all was a damaged electrical cable with exposed wiring, which we consider to be a serious safety hazard.
The security peephole in the front door was also broken, meaning we were unable to see who was outside our apartment before opening the door. We consider this to be a serious security concern, particularly in accommodation where guests should be able to identify who is outside their room before allowing access.
After raising our concerns, we were eventually moved to another room. Unfortunately, this made absolutely no difference. The replacement room was just as bad, with similar problems and the same poor standard of cleanliness and maintenance.
Even more concerning was the fact that approximately 10 minutes after we had left our original room, another guest was already being put into it, despite there having been no apparent cleaning or proper turnaround of the room. Given the cleanliness issues we had already reported, we found this extremely concerning.
We also experienced issues with staff entering our room despite having the “Do Not Disturb” sign displayed. On one occasion, we had specifically left the Do Not Disturb sign on the door while we went out, yet cleaners still entered the apartment and moved our belongings around. We found this completely unacceptable and felt that our privacy was not being respected.
To make matters even worse, when the cleaners eventually did clean the room and change the sheets towards the end of our trip, both of our replacement sheets had stains on them that appeared to be period/blood stains. Having already experienced such poor standards of cleanliness, finding what appeared to be blood stains on freshly changed bedding was absolutely unacceptable and extremely unhygienic.
Noise and lack of privacy
Regardless of which room you are given, be prepared for a significant amount of noise, particularly from around 9pm and throughout the night.
The apartment block does not appear to properly close off, meaning people can wander in and out of the building and cause disruption at all hours.
The walls are also extremely thin. We could clearly hear people walking around in the apartment above us, as well as general noise from other guests. This made it very difficult to relax or get a decent night’s sleep.
Pool – extremely disappointing
The pool facilities were another major disappointment.
The only pool available to us was tiny, realistically providing space for around 10 people at most. It was full for much of our stay, meaning there was often nowhere to properly sit, relax or enjoy the pool.
There was also water everywhere around the pool area, making the surroundings unpleasant. The pool itself had an awful fish-like smell, while the water was extremely cloudy and appeared to be heavily chlorinated.
With so little space and the pool being full for much of the time, it was simply impossible to properly relax by the pool. This is particularly disappointing when a swimming pool is one of the facilities you expect to be able to enjoy during a holiday.
To make matters worse, the main pool was unavailable during our stay, leaving the already inadequate alternative as our only option.
Hotel facilities and additional charges
The hotel facilities in general appear to be in a very poor condition and do not look clean or well maintained.
The hotel also looks completely different from the photographs advertised when we booked through easyJet Holidays. The difference between what was advertised and what we have actually experienced is significant and, in our opinion, extremely misleading.
We were also disappointed to find that facilities we would normally expect to be available came with additional charges.
There was no safe provided for us to use unless we paid an additional $21 per week. This was particularly frustrating given the overall standard of the accommodation.
The Wi-Fi also came at an additional cost, rather than being included with the accommodation. If you are considering staying here, be prepared for these extra charges on top of the price you have already paid for your holiday.
We also have family members staying at the hotel in a separate room, and they are experiencing many of the same issues. This suggests that these problems are not isolated to our particular room.
Extremely poor treatment by reception
Our experience with reception has also been extremely poor.
When we raised our concerns, the receptionist was rude and confrontational. On one occasion, she entered our room without our authorisation and demanded that we go to reception.
She then attempted to go towards the bathroom despite us telling her multiple times that somebody was in there. She nearly entered the bathroom even after being told that it was occupied.
We found the entire situation extremely uncomfortable and felt that our privacy was not respected.
Overall
Overall, this has been an extremely disappointing and unacceptable experience.
The poor condition and cleanliness of the accommodation, cigarette smell, black mould and other mould issues, serious maintenance and safety concerns, broken security peephole, staff entering our room despite the Do Not Disturb sign, our belongings being moved, what appeared to be blood/period stains on freshly changed bedding, excessive noise, lack of privacy, inadequate pool facilities, poor condition of the hotel, additional charges for facilities such as the safe and Wi-Fi, the significant difference between the advertised photographs and the actual property, and the way our concerns have been handled by reception have left us extremely unhappy.
Based on our experience, I would not recommend Vigilia Park. I would strongly advise anyone considering staying here to read the recent reviews carefully and consider whether the accommodation genuinely matches the standard being advertised before booking.
If you are considering staying here, be prepared for poor cleanliness, maintenance and security issues, noise, limited facilities and additional charges for things you may reasonably expect to be included."
