"I stayed at Stella Blue Seaside Resort in Crete around six months ago, and I have waited until now to write this review because I had been in discussions with TUI about how my complaint would be handled. Unfortunately, I feel my concerns have ultimately been brushed aside, so I am now sharing my experience to help other guests make an informed decision before booking.
If you have coeliac disease, a food allergy, an intolerance or another medically necessary dietary requirement, please read this carefully before choosing this hotel.
Before travelling, I contacted the hotel by email to explain that I have coeliac disease and require a strict gluten-free diet. I was assured that the hotel could cater for me, and this was reiterated upon arrival and in the restaurant. Unfortunately, my experience did not live up to those assurances.
The biggest concern was the allergen labelling in the buffet restaurant. Labels were missing, inaccurate or simply wrong. On at least one occasion, I ate food labelled gluten-free that was subsequently identified as containing gluten. There were labels identifying items such as pasta dishes, pies and other foods as gluten-free when they contained gluten. This is not a minor issue for someone with coeliac disease; it is a serious food safety concern.
I was also given incorrect information by the sous chef, who showed me and another guest with coeliac disease foods that were not safe for us to eat. Thankfully, I had been guided by the head chef over the preceding days and recognised that the items we were being shown were unsuitable. Without that prior guidance, the consequences could have been serious.
The head chef deserves special recognition
I want to make it absolutely clear that Demetrius, the head chef, was amazing. He was knowledgeable, understanding and incredibly helpful. He guided me through the food options for much of my stay, and I genuinely believe I would have struggled to eat anything at all without his help. I even gave him a tip at the end of the holiday because I appreciated how much he had done for me.
However, guests with dietary requirements should be able to navigate a buffet safely themselves, using accurate food labels and reliable information. They should not have to depend on one particular member of staff being available every time they want to eat.
Maria, the head waitress, was also lovely and very accommodating. Chris, Raf, Kirilos and Miya were fantastic too. They made our holiday more enjoyable, remembered our drinks orders and even made drinks that weren’t on the menu. Their friendliness and hospitality deserve recognition, and they made us feel genuinely welcome.
Unfortunately, the positive experiences with these staff members could not make up for the ongoing concerns about food safety.
How the hotel handled my concerns
Hotel customer services were somewhat helpful, and the hotel manager and customer services team held several meetings with me and another guest who was experiencing similar difficulties with her dietary requirements. During these discussions, we had to explain our conditions and the potential consequences of exposure. I was concerned that there appeared to be gaps in their understanding of the seriousness of these conditions.
When I explained that incorrect allergen information could have life-threatening consequences for someone with a severe allergy, one member of the customer services team became defensive. I found this disappointing, as I was raising a genuine safety concern, not trying to cause trouble.
I suggested that the kitchen and restaurant staff, particularly the sous chef involved in the incidents, receive further training on food allergies, intolerances and the risks of providing incorrect information. I was told that staff had already received training. However, based on what I personally experienced, I believe further training and much more reliable procedures are needed.
After these meetings, the labelling did begin to improve, but it was still not consistently accurate. That did not give me the confidence I needed to eat safely.
As we were leaving, the hotel spoke to me once more. I was given a candle as an apology or thank-you gift, and an additional à la carte reservation had also been offered. We did not attend the additional meal. While I appreciated the gesture, what I really wanted was for the underlying safety concerns to be properly addressed.
I subsequently raised my complaint with TUI. Unfortunately, TUI considered the offer of a complimentary à la carte meal sufficient, despite the fact that we did not attend it and it did not resolve the problems I had experienced throughout the holiday.
How this affected our holiday
Our holiday was significantly affected because I could not confidently use the all-inclusive buffet facilities that we had paid for. Instead of being able to choose food independently and enjoy meals without worry, I had to be extremely cautious, repeatedly seek assistance and restrict what I ate.
I booked this hotel because I had been told in advance that my dietary requirements could be accommodated. Had I known how unreliable the allergen information would be, I would have chosen somewhere else.
I want to stress that I am not writing this review out of lingering resentment. There were positives about the hotel, and several members of staff were genuinely wonderful. I am writing because I believe other guests deserve to know about my experience before making a booking.
My advice is simple: if you have coeliac disease, a food allergy, an intolerance or a medically necessary dietary requirement, please contact the hotel directly and carefully consider whether you are comfortable with the arrangements they can provide. In my experience, the assurances I received did not translate into consistently accurate allergen information in the restaurant.
I hope the hotel takes these concerns seriously, improves its labelling and staff training, and ensures that future guests can make informed decisions about what they eat without having to put their health at risk."
