"Positives:
• The resort itself is aesthetically beautiful, so first impressions were great. It is well laid out and easy to navigate on foot.
• Due to low occupancy, we were upgraded to a suite which was very kind. Again, the room was beautifully designed and spacious.
• The resort itself was very chilled, so we found it very relaxing in one sense, but a bit lifeless in another.
• Again, due to low occupancy, we were offered a 75 euro pp credit to put towards a meal in AMA, the Icona’s signature restaurant (their sister resort), which was only a short, 10-minute walk away from our room.
Negatives:
This is most definitely what we perceive to be a 3-star offering in a 5-star resort. The resort has 3 main restaurants (the grill, a pizzeria, and the buffet). It also has the pool bar and the beach bar.
The buffet:
• Breakfast was the best experience and had enough options. Out of the 8 mornings, we were only offered coffee on the last 3. We were left to get our own on the others.
• Dinners were a bizarre experience and can only be described as eating in a canteen. The nights we ate in there, it lacked any sort of atmosphere, with no background music. One evening it was buffet; the next it was à la carte, but we weren’t told; we were just left to ask where all the food was. When it was à la carte, we each ordered a starter and main course. We had to chase up our order after waiting over 1 hour 15 mins, only to be brought just the main course. We ate it and left. Drink options are whatever is laid out, so choices are very limited. At times throughout the week, we also had to look for our own cutlery.
The grill;
• The menu choice was very limited and was the same on both nights we dined there (a few nights apart). The all-inclusive offering for the main meal was only two options; everything else was an extra charge, ranging from 20 euros pp to 60.
• They had no ceiling fans outside, so the first evening was pretty unbearable. It was unusually muggy, so everyone had sweat dripping from them.
• Not open for lunch.
The pizzeria:
• This was ok but as it only serves pizza, we only ate there once. I find pizza really heavy, so I didn’t want it more than once. Offering salads, pasta dishes, etc would have made it more inviting.
• Not open for lunch.
The pool bar;
• One word, basic! – no drinks menu, just two very cheap-looking laminated A4 sheets on the bar itself. They had about 5 cocktails listed, Aperol, some beer, and cold drinks etc. We asked for a Piña Colada (not on the sheet) and were told it wasn’t included, so we would have to pay. I didn’t mind paying, but it was a very poor cocktail, so from then on I just stuck to what was on the sheet (again, not the best).
• Food options were 3 salads or a tiny roll, which were given in takeaway boxes. We asked for chips, which we were allowed. Why not show them on the menu?
• No waiter service around the pool, so you got your own drinks and, most of the time, cleared your own glasses.
Beach bar:
• Definitely the best place for lunch, although it only seats around 30 people. We were turned away on our first attempt, so we pre-booked for two lunches. I can’t imagine it will be easy to get in when the hotel is full.
• We used the beach on three days, and not one of them had 0% beer available, meaning my husband just stuck to sparkling water. It was available at the pool bar so this was frustrating.
• Again, no waiter service available, so you ordered your own drinks at the bar.
Menu’s – any menus available are viewed by a QR code on the table, which was unexpected in a 5-star resort. On occasion, it took a few attempts to convert it to English, which was frustrating.
Staff – All friendly enough, but we felt the resort was really geared to the Italian market. Most staff spoke very limited English, so beyond asking for something on the menu, it was difficult to communicate what we wanted. As an example, my husband asked for a 0% alcohol beer in the main evening bar, and got a mocktail made with beer.
Concierge – I had read reviews before we arrived stating restaurants were difficult to get into, so I emailed ahead to pre-book a few nights. Despite receiving a response, this wasn’t done. We were also told by concierge in resort that we would need to check with the restaurants ourselves.
Checking in/out - Our room wasn't ready at check-in, so we were advised to go for lunch, and they would call us when it was ready. They clearly forgot. After quite a while, we went to concierge ourselves, who told us the room was ready. Not great when you're sat in jeans in 45-degree heat. Checking out, the bill was incorrect.
We ate at AMA on our last evening, which was the best experience by far, and the setting is stunning. BUT, the meal came to 260 euros. It was fine for an evening, but if we had stayed at the Icona, and paid that just for dinner, the cost of the holiday just wouldn’t have matched the experience. We have had what we consider to be much more luxurious breaks with the Ikos, Melia and Sani resorts for what would be less money.
In summary, for us, the overall experience simply did not feel consistent with what we expect from a 5-star resort. The all-inclusive offering is both very limited and confused, and we can get a much better standard of holiday for this price point elsewhere."
