"I do not usually write reviews but It was so bad I have to say it…..
We’ve been coming to this resort for years, so writing this is genuinely disappointing. It wasn’t great last Christmas, but we were told last year 24/25 refurbishment was planned. Sadly, there is no evidence of that anywhere. The place has deteriorated badly and is now shockingly run down. Everything feels broken, worn out, or neglected.
Rooms
The rooms were dreadful. We specifically requested and were promised a pool-view room. On arrival, we were again told we had a pool view by the Con concierge who just wanted us booked in and driven to our complex (Royal Level adults only is away from the other parts) —only to open the door and find ourselves overlooking a public pathway with people playing volleyball on the beach. When we complained, we were told, “In this hotel, a beach view and a pool view are the same.”
They clearly are not.
We were offered the option to change rooms, after a few days but no one helped us move our luggage or show us the new room. Reception is in a completely different complex, requiring a long walk to change wristbands and key cards. It was absolute chaos. My husband is disabled.
The shower was literally held together with wire string. Water was lukewarm at best, shower heads were broken and worn out, and one day the water was completely cut off. Dressing gowns had missing belts and holes under the arms—we were laughing about it, walking around like ragged urchins at Christmas , while paying £4,200 for the privilege.
There was mould in the bathroom and a dead fly stuck to the shower screen when we arrived that had clearly been there some weeks. Despite multiple complaints, nothing happened until we physically brought the cleaner into the bathroom and insisted it be properly cleaned. The air conditioning never worked. Eventually, we just gave up.
Safety & Maintenance
The pool pods are falling apart, with flat, worn cushions and stains. Our patio door was secured with a garden gate bolt because the door had previously been broken into. Even worse, cleaners repeatedly forgot to close it. When we raised this with management, they couldn’t understand why we were concerned and told us, “We have CCTV.”
That’s not much comfort once your passports and money are gone. Still I suppose we could have in the event watched the thieves go off with them!
The paths and decking down to the harbour are dangerous—broken boards, lifting planks, and trip hazards everywhere. The entire resort feels dirty, neglected, and unsafe. It was never this run down.
The Reps hardly saw them to be honest. There was no music around the pool or the restaurant in years gone by the afternoons used to be fun everyone would join in the water aerobics this year a couple of people the pool is just depressing and souless.
Food & All-Inclusive
Where do you even start with the food? Barceló has always been known for excellent food, but this year it was horrendous. Guests were walking out of the restaurants because they simply couldn’t find anything edible. We met so many miserable people who were upset at the food. One elderly couple all inclusive gave up entirely and started eating at the local Chinese restaurant.
There was “lobster” on offer one night —except there was no lobster meat in the shell just potatoe. . One lobster appeared to have been stretched across the entire resort: a watery soup, a salad, a canapé, and a shell stuffed with potato. I’m not sure what miracle they were hoping for. The loaves & The Fishes ?
Bagels were cut into six tiny pieces to make them look plentiful on the buffet everything was spread out but there was little there. Fruit had been cut to tiny pieces - and it was not even good fruit it was squishy and loads of water melon. Never saw any pineapple or peaches the citrus fruits had so much piff cut on them it was awful to ear. . Meat was mostly scrag ends—bones, gristle, and tough goat appeared regularly. Christmas Day was a strange rolled turkey that clearly came out of a tin. The same cheese was wheeled out repeatedly, rock hard and unappetising. Complaints were constant. Lunchtime was so bad people simply walked out.
All the little touches have disappeared. The bare minimum. Mini bars are no longer replenished. Bathroom supplies aren’t restocked. Everything must be requested via the app—which rarely works—and the Wi-Fi is dreadful.
Frankly, my dog ate better in the kennels than we did here.
Staff & Final Thoughts
To be fair, the restaurant and bar staff tried their best while dealing with a very unhappy clientele. They deserve credit. The only genuinely good points were the New Year’s Eve band and the bar staff that evening—although even then, the food was awful that night and people were moaning.
The other highlight was going home. We tried so hard to get flights home.
I am a Barceló Unique member and have holidayed with Barceló for over 14 years. It’s incredibly sad to see how badly this resort has declined. Many Christmas regulars we’ve come to know over the years won’t be returning—and neither will we. Management simply nod and acknowledge complaints but nothing changes. We even tried to get an earlier flight home because it was so bad.
This resort needs to close, undergo a full refurbishment, and bring in chefs who can actually cook. I have never been so unhappy. The whole place needs an overhaul"
