"Very disappointing – not the 4-star experience we expected
We recently stayed at this hotel and, unfortunately, it fell well below the standard we expected from a hotel advertised as 4 stars.
The biggest disappointment was the food. There were very few labels identifying what the dishes were or highlighting allergens, making it difficult to know what you were eating, particularly for anyone with allergies or dietary requirements. On several occasions the food was cold, and when I tried to explain this to the restaurant staff, there was a significant language barrier. I eventually had to ask reception to intervene, only to be told that I could use the microwave to heat my meal myself, which I didn't feel was an acceptable solution in a 4-star hotel.
The food was also replenished very slowly, with empty trays often left sitting for long periods before being refilled. On one occasion, the digital display above the hot buffet serving potatoes was showing -13°C, while another hot food station displayed 18°C. Although I cannot say exactly what these displays measured, seeing these readings above hot buffet food only increased my concerns, especially as much of the food was already lukewarm or completely cold.
The quality of the food was equally disappointing. One chicken leg appeared soft and pink around the bone, and I did not feel confident it was fully cooked, so I chose not to eat it. The chicken burgers also regularly appeared pale and undercooked, making them very unappetising. After eating at the hotel, I suffered from an upset stomach, which meant we ended up eating out on most days instead, adding significant unexpected expense to our holiday.
The restaurant itself also lacked attention to detail. Buffet counters were often left with food debris and spillages, the drinks station was regularly dirty, and even outdoor tables were left with stains and dirt instead of being cleaned promptly. Overall, the restaurant did not reflect the standard we expected from a 4-star hotel.
I had booked the holiday through On the Beach and tried to contact them while we were away to discuss the problems we were experiencing. Unfortunately, their WhatsApp contact service was unreliable and, despite eventually receiving a response, I was unable to get any meaningful assistance. When I asked the hotel about changing our board basis because we were unable to eat many of the meals, reception advised that they could not help and that any changes had to be dealt with by On the Beach. This left us with no practical support while we were on holiday.
The swimming pool also raised serious concerns. During our stay, a child defecated in and around the pool. There were no staff or lifeguard present for over 30 minutes, despite there being no notice advising guests that the pool would be unsupervised. I reported the incident to the bar staff, who told me to find the lifeguard. When I explained there wasn't one around, another guest commented that the lifeguard was inside having lunch. The pool was eventually cordoned off nearly an hour later, but I never saw it being cleaned or treated before it reopened the following morning. This left me questioning whether the correct hygiene procedures had been followed.
For the first couple of days, the hotel was occupied by several large groups of teenagers. They spent hours jumping into the pool and playing ball games despite signs clearly stating that both activities were prohibited. At one point I was hit by a ball. Staff made no attempt to enforce the rules, making it difficult for other guests to relax or enjoy the pool.
Service throughout the hotel was also frustrating. There was often only one member of staff on reception, resulting in long queues whether you needed to ask a question, order a taxi or gain access to the gym. It felt understaffed for the number of guests staying at the hotel.
One area I cannot fault was the housekeeping team. The rooms were cleaned to a very high standard, and they worked extremely hard throughout our stay. The only issue was that, on more than one occasion, we had our "Do Not Disturb" sign displayed on the door, yet housekeeping still entered the room. We later discovered that someone had removed the sign from our door, but it was still an unsettling experience.
In my opinion, this hotel does not deserve its advertised 4-star rating. While some members of staff were friendly and the housekeeping team were excellent, the problems with the food, cleanliness of communal areas, pool supervision, customer service and general organisation meant this was not the relaxing holiday we had expected.
Overall, we left feeling extremely disappointed. We chose this hotel expecting a comfortable and enjoyable holiday but instead spent much of our time dealing with problems. Between the poor quality and temperature of the food, concerns about cleanliness, the lack of pool supervision, and the inability to receive meaningful support from either the hotel or our holiday provider while the issues were occurring, this was not the experience we had paid for. Sadly, I would not stay here again and cannot recommend it based on our experience."
