Hotel Taimar

"We have just come back from a 7 night stay in a premium suite at Hotel Taimar. I was a bit apprehensive having read lots of mixed reviews but I have to say we were both pleasantly surprised! We were not expecting too much as it was our first all inclusive holiday, our second holiday this year, and we had booked last minute. However we were pleasantly surprised at the attentiveness and accommodating nature of the majority of the staff. We were quite delayed upon arrival and were due to arrive shortly before dinner finished at 9.30. We rang ahead and spoke to the hotel manager who confirmed dinner shut at 9.30. On arrival, he brought us straight through to dinner so we could have something to eat before we checked in, which we really appreciated after a long journey and having paid for the first night. The rest of the staff worked very hard and most were accommodating and friendly. Our premium suite room was spacious and mostly clean, which was more than enough space for the both of us. We had an outside area and our own sunbeds/ day bed too, but we didn’t use this too much as we always found sunbeds at the pool everyday. Nothing was too much trouble when we asked the staff for extra towels and pillows. The cleaning was okay, although there was one day we felt it hadn’t been finished properly as dirty cups had been left, and toilet roll not replenished. We did also have a couple of problems in the room, with our shower flooding and the air con not working on the last night, but these were resolved very quickly and the staff were very attentive. Again, we were expecting average so this was sort of line with expectations! Having said that, the shower pressure was great and it was spacious. The pool area was fine and we always found a sunbed each day. The pool bar is also advertised as a snack bar, but my husband was disappointed as the first few days there were no snacks, just crisps or the occasional pastry left over from breakfast. So probably wouldn’t class this as a snack bar as well. Despite this, there was a wide range of drinks for all inclusive included, and the cocktails were great. It was quiet by the pool area, but depending who was on shift, there was music occasionally, often later in the afternoon. However we didn’t see this as a problem as we’d brought headphones to listen to our own music. And the silence was quite relaxing! There wasn’t entertainment at night, but we knew this having read the reviews so we weren’t expecting it. We brought a pack of cards and played a few games then went back to our room, which was fine for us! There was always music on in the restaurant so that was fine. The hotel has mini markets a couple of minutes walk away, and there are some beautiful sandy beaches within 20 minutes walk of the hotel. It’s an easy, mostly flat walk and there are buses, e scooters and taxis to get around too. I’ve got mobility issues at the moment but managed the walk just fine! The rest of Costa calma does seem quite run down, but there are a couple of beach bars and shops around. There is an African market on Sundays and Wednesdays too, which is definitely worth a trip! I was quite nervous about the food being mostly vegetarian and reading the reviews. But we were both quite impressed! There was a range of choice at every meal time and plenty of vegetables, salads, meats, fish, hot and cold selections, as well as bread, pasta and the pizza was especially delicious. The selection changed at lunch and dinner every day too. I always found plenty to eat and everything tasted very good. We weren’t expecting fine dining, or restaurant quality. I would say it’s best to get to the restaurant as the services begin though, as everything is fresh and well stocked then. All in all, we came here with pretty low expectations, having been used to premium 4 star hotels in Greece, but we were pleasantly surprised. We weren’t expecting luxury and just wanted a relaxing break with good food. I’d say this was a good 3 star plus hotel. The food, staff, drinks were bonuses for us and we definitely had a relaxing holiday. Particular shout out to Ahmed on the bar who was smiley, friendly and always kept our drinks topped up! Thank you for your hospitality, we would come back to stay!"

"Very peculiar hotel. Large, comfortable room. Nice pool. But I would say it lacks class and care. Buffet that no one cleans regularly, (drips around the dishes, poorly presented, food by the head...) choice of hot dishes but not at all for appetizers and desserts. Overall far from being a 4*. Only one restaurant. 0 entertainment."

"Hotel Taimar is shocking and I advise you to book elsewhere, the food choices are very limited, the hotel itself is run down and in need of a major facelift, I have been here 2 days so far and have spent my holiday stressed and angry spending my time with the hotel manager complaining, do not believe the website photos as they are from when it was first installed and the upkeep of this is non existent. I booked the premier suite at an extra cost only to be extremely disappointed"