Evenia Olympic Palace

"We travelled to the hotel as a group of 22 people – 10 adults and 12 children. For the first five days, we had a great time. The children’s pool area with slides is excellent and suitable for a wide range of ages. The main pool is also a good size, and there was never any issue finding sunbeds, as there were plenty available. The food in the main restaurant was typical all-inclusive buffet fare – there was something for everyone, although it became repetitive after a few days. We often used the poolside snack bar, where fresh food was cooked throughout the day. Unfortunately, on day six, my husband became extremely ill with sickness and diarrhoea. Within a few hours, both my sons and I had developed the same symptoms. It was a very unpleasant experience, although we initially assumed it was simply bad luck. We remained in our room for the duration of our illness. Over the following days, several other members of our group also became unwell with similar symptoms. Notably, all of us were staying on the second floor. We understand that viruses can spread quickly in hotels, but we were concerned about the measures in place to prevent further transmission. When the hotel became aware that we had been ill, the manager called to say that plain food such as rice could be prepared for us. We assumed this would be delivered to our room, but were later informed that it would be available in the restaurant. As we did not want to risk spreading germs by visiting a busy dining area, we chose not to collect it. What we witnessed on our final day was particularly concerning. At breakfast in the snack bar, we saw a child vomit on the artificial grass at the entrance to the dining area. Although staff were informed, the area was not cleaned immediately. The child was then sent by his parents to use the water machine without washing his hands. Staff looked on and did nothing to stop this. Shortly afterwards, the child was playing in the splash park and later using the arcade machines. We also witnessed other children being sick into bins around the pool area that same day. After seeing this, our group decided not to eat in the hotel again for the remainder of the holiday. The facilities, pools and overall setup of the hotel are excellent, particularly for families. However, our experience with illness and what appeared to be inadequate hygiene and infection-control practices left us very disappointed and ultimately overshadowed what had otherwise been an enjoyable stay."

"We’ve stayed here twice now as a family of 5. Honestly I can say I had no complaints either one of my stays. The hotel itself is beautiful, rooms beautiful decorated, amazing pools for big and small kids, lovely kids play room, plenty of entertainment during day and night time shows was great. Food average but I expected that for all inclusive plenty of options though, all staff was friendly and polite, not to far from shops, beach and water world, I would definitely recommend this hotel to families. We’re even considering booking again next year as a family we all had the best time."

"We recently stayed at the Evenia Olympic Suites in Lloret de Mar and decided to upgrade to the nicest room available, expecting a higher standard overall. The room itself was visually very nice and clearly recently refurbished. The decor felt modern, clean, and fresh, and on first impressions we were really pleased with the upgrade. Unfortunately, after settling in, quite a few issues quickly became apparent. One of the biggest disappointments was actually the beds. Despite the room looking modern, the beds were extremely uncomfortable and we really struggled to get a decent night’s sleep throughout the holiday. For what was supposed to be one of the best rooms available, comfort should have been a priority, especially in a family resort where people are trying to relax and recharge. Another major issue was the walk-in shower. The shower base does not seem to have been fitted correctly because the water barely drained properly and almost overflowed out of the shower area after every use. We constantly had water spreading across the bathroom floor and ended up using multiple towels every day just to stop it becoming a slipping hazard, especially with children around. This really should not be happening in a newly refurbished premium room. There were also several strange design choices that made the room feel poorly thought out. There was a desk/vanity area which looked like it was meant for getting ready, yet there was no mirror anywhere near it, making it practically useless. Another frustrating issue was the balcony sliding door only having a handle on the inside. If the door closed while you were sitting outside, there was no proper way to open it again from the balcony side, which just seemed bizarre. The reception staff were genuinely the best part of the hotel. Every interaction we had with reception was pleasant and they were always polite, friendly, and helpful whenever we needed anything. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for much of the rest of the staff around the resort. The bar staff in particular came across as rude and unwelcoming throughout the stay. Most interactions felt abrupt, with staff often just grunting at guests rather than speaking properly or being friendly. One thing that really stood out was that I was served by the same barman almost every day during our stay, yet on the sixth day he suddenly questioned whether I was even all-inclusive despite having served me all week already. It just added to the feeling that English guests were treated differently. On another occasion, we openly overheard staff mocking a Scottish lady and her child, which was honestly uncomfortable and very unprofessional to witness. What made this stand out even more was that everywhere outside of the resort, the people of Lloret de Mar were absolutely lovely. Every shop we visited, every local bar, and most places around the town were full of friendly, welcoming people who made us feel comfortable and appreciated as tourists. The contrast between the warmth of the local people and the attitude we experienced from some staff within the resort was honestly disappointing. It’s a shame that same friendliness and hospitality didn’t carry through into the hotel itself. The restaurant was another disappointment. For a large resort, the food variety was very poor and repetitive. Most days felt like exactly the same meals over and over again with very little effort to change things up. While some food was fine, overall it was mediocre at best and not what we expected from a resort of this size. It also felt like the hotel catered far more towards French guests in terms of both food choices and overall atmosphere. Daytime entertainment was seriously lacking as well. One of the things we usually enjoy at family resorts is a fun atmosphere around the pool with games, activities, music, and entertainment staff engaging with guests during the day. Here, there was very little atmosphere at all. Apparently there were some activities for adults and children, but they were poorly advertised and we only found out about some of them towards the end of the holiday, which says a lot about the organisation and communication. The evening entertainment timings were also very disappointing for families. Entertainment didn’t start until 9:30pm, which is far too late for younger children. By that point our children were exhausted and ready for bed, meaning we barely got to enjoy any of the evening entertainment at all. Most family resorts we’ve stayed at previously usually begin children’s entertainment around 7:30pm or 8pm, which works much better for families. Overall, while the refurbished room initially looked impressive and the reception staff were lovely, the uncomfortable beds, poor room practicality, rude bar staff, repetitive food, lack of daytime atmosphere, and badly timed entertainment completely let the holiday down for us. Sadly, despite a few positives, this is not somewhere we would choose to stay again or personally recommend to families expecting a relaxing and welcoming resort experience."