Alia Palace

"I am writing regards to our recent stay at the hotel we came here 2 years ago and it was a 5 star experience from beginning to end. We expected the same upon our return however for a multitude of reasons the holiday was disappointing and failed miserably at giving me some happiness after the sad news about my fathers illness. Here are the issues that myself and my partner encountered; The booking process needs addressing. The deposit should have been taken at the time of the booking,this failure meant our bank declined the payment they tried to make 3 weeks later as it was from an an ambiguous looking account with NO reference to the Alia Palace on it. At no time did they call or email us to ask why they could not get payment!! When they did eventually call they said the week we wanted was fully booked so we had to move our dates.We then had to make several calls to rearrange our dates thus incurring charges from the airline to rearrange our flights. We then had the added stress of having to re book our house-sitter to look after our elderly cat at more inconvenience to them and us. We had to also re book our airport transfers from home to the airport and visa versa for the journey home.This cost us both time and money. Upon arriving to our room we find that it is on the very end of the block allowing other members of the public who used the parking area a partial view into our private pool area and was slightly smaller than the others. This i know cant be helped as the hotel is built this way however we did request the room we had previously when we booked and considering the upheaval we had already encountered before arriving it would of been nice for that to have been taken into consideration.This spoiled the use of the pool so we used it not as much as the times on our previous visit. For a 5 Star hotel there should be metal spoons to use with the cups for making coffee i appreciate they wish to be sustainable however the wooden sticks were not good to use and are wasteful.It also makes it feel that money is being saved by the hotel.To charge to refill the coffee pods for the coffee machine at 2 euros a pod is outrageous for a 5 star resort. The complimentary basket of fruit was not removed even though it was obvious it was not going to be eaten after several days and was going off!! The inside of the private pool had damage that had been covered over with blue lining tape however you could feel the pool structure crumbling behind it.This is unacceptable from a health risk perspective this is not 3 star let alone 5 star!The step had a black rubber cover missing which was left on the side of the pool ledge.Other hotels do the repairs etc during shutdown why had nothing been repaired since last year. Upon entering the pool area and having a swim, i noticed the steps to the small infinity pool still were loose and dangerous as they were 2 years ago only worse and had no rubber safety covers on so it was slippery to get in and out of the pool. I had rubber water shoes thank fully otherwise it would of been dangerous.The main pool had dirty tiles and grout throughout most of it.The poolside men's toilet door handle was broken and my partner became unable to to get out at first .This is wholly unacceptable and was never fixed throughout the time we stayed.Staff maintenance must of been aware of this and it should of been rectified.The sun lounger tables were not wiped down everyday,on one occasion some chocolate ice cream had been dropped by the bar and it had melted,the next day it was still there dried out on the floor!! We decided to do A La Carte on the first night we arrived as we had had a long journey and the food previously has been excellent.The menu was limited and when the food arrived it was very disappointing. The steak was large but had a lot of fat and gristle in it so most of it went to the stray cats later that night.There was a small portion of mash underneath it with NO vegetables at all!!!! My pork was nice but again no vegetables except 1 tiny carrot and 2 soapy tasting potatoes The tables had lights that didn't work so the waiter kept changing them, in the end i put a lantern on the table which was on the floor.The bread used to come warm in a basket this time it was rolls that are used at breakfast they are not of a high quality and are definitely not for fine dining.They were not warm. The breakfast buffet was average at best and there was nothing we could see appealing or safe to eat as most of it was dried out after being left under the heat,we ate toast with a bit of cheese most days some days we didn't bother eating breakfast at all.The all inclusive snacks were very poor! bread rolls and sandwiches in a basket on the pool bar in the sun all day with no refrigeration at all which is a major health and safety risk and some dry cake and pastries obviously left over from breakfast! The blatant use of foods from the previous days were very evident at the lunchtime buffet meal as well. We normally wouldnt go all inclusive as we know its always hit and miss but as the food was superb 2 years ago we thought why not and make life easy for ourselves.Sadly the food was not great and yes i know they have to cater for a lot of tastes thats expected however it was the quality and lack of choice that was the problem,having 3 different variations of the same item on the lunch menu which were also at breakfast isnt choice thats being lazy and cost cutting. Again it comes down to what is 5 star and as we use 5 star hotels across Europe 3 times a year we know what it is when we see it.We ended up eating out not by choice but necessity as we could not risk getting unwell on holiday eating under cooked/ over cooked foods and not temperature controlled foods. One night we ordered a pizza and we do not eat pizza at home! we did it out of desperation! For us the food was one of the main attractions to come back here,having to go out every night was not acceptable for an all inclusive holiday.We never got the value we should of had and it was so so disapointing Again 2 years ago the evening entertainment was great, the schedule for this season wass dire! A DJ on 3 days a week with someone playing a musical instrument alongside it!!!! The volume level was far too loud to be able to sit and enjoy the evening and chat to other guests and each other,this meant we went and drank in our room! the bar area was very quiet most evening and i am not surprised. It was not a calming relaxing space to enjoy a drink to wind down the day.The karaoke was the only night where the bar was busy! I did enjoy that night and even sang a song butt he rest of the holiday we had one drink and went to our room as it was just too noisy. The Greek night was ridiculously loud and seemed to be just for the manager and his families entertainment.There was a very large group of non paying guests there on the Greek night holding court and there were young children there. It is meant to be adults only and a main reason why people choose to stay here..... Those people were not guests and we had never seen them at any other time during our stay.The Greek night was obviously for non paying guests so the manager could celebrate his wedding anniversary at the expense of all the other guests who were there,many who went to their rooms as they felt they were not welcome.It was noisy and the hotel should not be used for personal functions during season. All in all the whole experience was not conducive of a 5 star resort. I sent receipts for the food we had to buy out and we are requested that we receive compensation for having to eat out and for the fact we hardly ate at the hotel.We also wanted compensation for a holiday that fell way short of the experience shown on the website regarding the quality of the food. The whole experience has left us feeling cheated out of money and robbed of an experience which should of been as magical as the views were. I recieved a very cleverly worded email after chasing many times to get a resolution upon my return. The response was woeful and insinuated that i was the one with the problem despite sevaral other reviews from guests on this site complaining about similar things.Of course some people are delighted with the hotel and if they are then thats great for them but the hotel was so much better before and some peoples idea of a 5 star or a great hotel with great food may have different ideas to most !!! The staff were very good and could only work with what they have however it was evident they could see some people were not happy and thats embarrasing for them. The manager at one point said he was going to offer a stay at a massive discount when i complained on the phone to him when i got back home however after i wrote an email to him that never came to fruition !!! For those reading this review and thinking i am being fussy or entitled i just want you to realise that we all pay hard earned money for our holidays so my opinion on this hotel may be different to yours but doesnt make it any less valid. It is the disapointment of wanting and needing a relaxing holiday only to come back more stressed than before... I am always looking for the positives and the weather and some of the clientelle and the staff and the views were a positive however the food and ambience outweighted this in a negative way I wish i could of given a great review for this hotel as it was magnificent in the past, sadly the views are stunning but that is all the hotel has to offer at the moment...."

"Just back from a week at this hotel, and I’m honestly struggling to work out where the fifth star is hiding. Maybe it’s halfway up one of the hills and I simply ran out of oxygen before I found it. We all want different things from a holiday. Personally, I’m looking for comfort, relaxation, and good food. Unfortunately, this holiday turned into an unexpected fitness boot camp. If you have any sort of walking difficulty, I’d think twice before booking. The hotel is perched on top of a hill, and getting from reception to your room can feel like training for a mountain expedition. There is a golf buggy available... sometimes. Spotting one, however, became a bit like trying to spot a rare wildlife species. Walking into town is easy enough. Walking back is another story entirely. The climb is so steep it should probably come with a health warning and complimentary hiking poles. There is a hotel bus, but it seemed to operate on the exact schedule that ensured we always missed it. Getting a taxi in the afternoon was also a challenge, which is why we ended up tackling Mount Hotel twice on foot. For me, this is a solid 4-star hotel at best, so let me explain. The main pool area is lovely. You’re not packed in like sardines, the sunbeds are high quality, and in September there are plenty available. Both infinity pools look great, and there’s a cute little dipping pool with beanbags. The reception and restaurant area also look beautiful when lit up at night. The problems start when you actually get in the pool. Neither pool is heated, so entering one requires the courage usually reserved for polar explorers. If it rains, the sunbeds stay outside soaking wet, meaning you either wait for them to dry or embrace the experience of lying on a giant sponge. If you’re all-inclusive, don’t expect much excitement from the drinks menu. A surprising number of drinks seem to live behind a paywall. The rooms are located behind the main building and, depending on which block you're in, may require another uphill trek. Ours was a decent size and generally comfortable. We received one little milk portion on arrival, which apparently was so precious it was never replaced. We did at least get a bottle of water every day. The bathroom was where the real adventures happened. The shower leaked and regularly flooded the floor. The glossy tiles were so slippery that on my first exit from the shower I nearly recreated a scene from a cartoon and ended up banging my head. The shower head sprayed water in every direction except the one intended, the pressure was weak, and the temperature seemed to be selected by a random number generator. The biggest disappointment was the food. Nothing was ever hot. We watched fresh food being brought out and tipped on top of the existing trays, yet somehow it was still cold. It was genuinely impressive. After two days we gave up and started eating out, which wasn't an expense we'd planned on having. The staff are what save this hotel. They work hard, are friendly, and do their best. Without them, the hotel would have little to offer beyond a nice-looking pool area and an impressive cardio workout. One of our best days was spent at the beach, largely because the sea was warmer than the swimming pool, which tells its own story. By the end of the week, we were more than ready to go home. Sadly, this is not a hotel I would return to, unless I suddenly develop a passion for hill climbing, cold swimming, and mystery-temperature showers."

"After reading some of the recent TripAdvisor reviews before we travelled, particularly from other UK guests, I have to admit I was feeling a little apprehensive about our stay at Alia Palace. Many of the comments mentioned the food and the all-inclusive drinks, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m so pleased to say those concerns couldn’t have been further from our experience. We visited as a couple for a relaxing break, and from the moment we arrived we felt welcomed.Our room was beautiful, spotlessly clean and well maintained throughout our stay. The entire hotel was clean and it was clear that the housekeeping and maintenance teams work incredibly hard. The food was consistently of a good standard with plenty of choice at every meal. There was something for everyone, with a variety of dishes to suit different tastes, and everything we tried was fresh and well presented. Again the staff here work incredibly hard keeping the dining area spotlessly clean. We also found the all inclusive drinks selection absolutely fine for what we wanted on holiday. The staff really made our stay special. The reception team were always friendly and happy to help with any questions, while the bar staff were welcoming, attentive and worked tirelessly. Every member of staff we encountered seemed genuinely committed to ensuring guests had a great holiday There was a good mix of nationalities staying at the hotel, including plenty of English and German guests, creating a lovely, relaxed atmosphere. We had such a wonderful, peaceful break and left feeling refreshed. We’d happily return to Alia Palace in the future and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to other couples looking for a relaxing getaway. Beaches nearby are amazing, I would recommend hiring a car to explore. A big thank you to everyone at Alia Palace for making our wedding anniversary holiday so enjoyable."