"We stayed in no 17 in the village area.
We discovered on day one the bedroom window was broken. It was partially open permanently, but could be neither fully shut nor fully opened as the closure mechanism was broken. This meant the shutters could also not be opened because their opening mechanism was on the inside, so the room was permanently dark and open to the mosquitos. We reported the issue, maintenance attended and advised they were aware of it and had ordered a part but didn't known when it would arrive. It never did.
The headboard in the bedroom was missing and had been for some time judging by the greasy patch on the wall where people's heads had been.
On day two the toilet's flush mechanism broke. The maintenance man duly attended and advised he was aware of it, a part had been ordered but he did not know when it may arrive. We were shown how to remove the toilet lid and hold down a part within the cistern to allow it to fill up with water so we could keep using the toilet for the rest of the stay.
On Tuesday 26th, the air conditioning unit broke. We reported it, someone attended and advised it could not be fixed. We were kindly offered a room in the main hotel for the rest of our holiday and we accepted this. The difference in furnishing and standard between the village accommodation and the hotel accommodation is huge, yet they are rated the same
To describe and sell the accommodation we had in the village as both a 'suite' and having the same 4 star rating as the main hotel is disingenuous, as was selling our accommodation at a premium for it's 'seaside' balcony. I agree it had a balcony and I agreed it is located at the seaside, but the view from it is of the rear of the two chalets in front and accompanied by the constant noise of the air conditioning condenser which we now know was so loud because it was dying and for some reason was located on the balcony .
On return I sought a price on Loveholidays website to stay in the main hotel building for 2026 for the same week in August next year, with the same board type, staying in the 'superior double' rooms with a balcony over the sea that we were offered when the air con broke (and stayed in for the last 2 days of our holiday) and the total price for the week is about £100 less than I paid to stay in a accommodation akin to a 1 or 2 star hotel with it's broken toilet, window and air conditioning and with a view of a wall.
'Hot' food was consistently poor. Poor quality, bland, unimaginatively presented and then re-presented and always, without any day being an exception, cold.
However cold foods, baked goods, fruit and anything that doesn't need to be cooked was good.
The restaurant is self service and there are no drinks available in the restaurant at all at the evening meal as all drinks must be purchased. This presents a problem as the restaurant staff do not engage with customers. They don't wait the tables, so getting a drink is tough !
I do not know if the approach to service is a cultural difference and perhaps I am not being entirely fair as I noticed when on my quests for water & wine to go with our meal that at the bar too unless you first initiate interaction with the bar staff they will ignore you and go about their business or chat together as if there could be a hundred reasons why you might be stood on the other side of the bar looking directly at them. Interrupt them though and say what you want and they are helpful and courteous.
There was an exception to this general experience of the service though and that was with the reception staff who were proactive, helpful and always welcoming.
Putting the broken facilities aside as I accept that could just be a freak occurrence, the problem with this place is how it marketed and sold by the holiday companies.
It is sold and priced as 4 star and words like 'suite' and 'seaside balcony' are disingenuously used and this extends to the marketing with the holiday firm we used. They were very many pictures of the hotel and its amenities and furnishings and very few of the village and it's accommodation.
There is nothing actually too much wrong with it, it just needs to be more transparent in what you are getting and market itself as two star.
Nobody spends their time moaning about Travelodges on the internet do they ? That's because they're about £70 a night and don't pretend to be something they are not, but you would if they sold their rooms as 4 star and at £300 a night as Aminess have chosen to do."
