"Throughout our visit, the staff were generally not very friendly, lacked a customer-oriented mindset, and failed to deliver the luxury experience expected of a 5-star hotel.
Positive aspects
Arrival & check-in experience: The check-in experience was very pleasant. Staff waited for us, assisted with our luggage, and offered us coffee and water, which made for a warm welcome.
Room & amenities: The rooms were clean and well-stocked with a generous selection of complimentary drinks and sweets in the fridge, which was a lovely touch. We also appreciated the provision of towels and washing products for our little one.
General housekeeping: Overall cleaning was maintained to a good standard throughout our stay.
Design & atmosphere: The lobby area and the Biniterra restaurant were beautifully designed and provided a very relaxing environment.
Areas for improvement & serious concerns
1. Reception & billing errors
Check-out payment issue: At check-out, I requested to pay the full final amount using a euro card instead of the credit card used for the deposit, assuming the initial deposit was merely a pending pre-authorisation. However, the hotel had already processed the €500 deposit upon arrival. Due to a language barrier and a complete misunderstanding, the staff member charged only the remaining balance to my euro card rather than charging the full amount on one card as explicitly requested.
2. Housekeeping & hygiene maintenance
Bed linen: Despite overall room cleanliness, the top sheet on our bed was not changed once during our entire holiday.
Odour issues: There was a strong, unpleasant smell of sewage present at times around the pool area as well as on our room balcony.
3. Staff service & communication
Language barrier & errors: Staff consistently struggled to understand basic requests due to a persistent language barrier. There was not a single day or moment of the day when mistakes were not made with our orders.
Lack of attention: On several occasions, no cutlery was provided when food was delivered to our table, and staff failed to check if we had basic necessities.
4. Breakfast & main dining service
Drink delays & omissions: Staff routinely forgot our drinks during breakfast or brought them exceptionally late.
Table clearance: Used plates were left sitting on tables for long periods without being collected.
Food quality & live stations: Several items lacked freshness and appeared merely reheated. Given the venue’s layout, there was ample space for live cooking stations to prepare fresh food. Instead, pre-made items—such as pancakes—were served cold/pre-cooked.
Children’s options & variety: Food options for young children were severely lacking. The cereal selection was geared strictly towards adults, and the only porridge available was prepared with oat milk and dried fruits, making it unsuitable for young kids. We expected better variety and suitability for a 5-star hotel.
5. Pool bar experience & food safety
Order tracking & disorganisation: Pool bar staff were routinely unable to locate us to deliver orders. Because one person took the order and another delivered it—with no tracking system in place around the pool—orders were frequently lost, missed, or delayed while other tables were served first.
Food quality & high prices: The menu was limited and overpriced for the quality provided. Dishes appeared repurposed from breakfast, tasting either bland or overpowered by salt and vinegar.
Undercooked food & staff response: Disturbingly, I was served raw, undercooked chicken that was completely inedible. When I returned it, the staff member unprofessionally remarked, "Hope it has nothing now," without offering proper cutlery.
Overpriced drinks: Cocktails were very expensive and did not meet the high standards advertised by the resort.
6. Pool & garden facilities
Unsafe flooring: The flooring around the pool area becomes extremely slippery when wet, posing a genuine safety hazard for both adults and young children.
Grass sunbed area: Having sunbeds positioned directly on the grass was inconvenient, as it required constantly wearing slippers/shoes when moving around.
7. Hotel policies & external environment
Smoking policy: Guests were permitted to smoke directly on their sunbeds by the pool, merely two metres away from others. Experiencing secondhand smoke while sitting with a baby is extremely unpleasant and unacceptable for a 5-star hotel. Smoking should be strictly confined to dedicated, designated areas.
Beach conditions: While we understand beach maintenance may not fall entirely under hotel control, we wanted to highlight that the beach area felt poorly maintained. The sand did not appear to be cleaned regularly, there were noticeable sewage and algae odours, and we found plastic bags near the water. Additionally, smoking was allowed directly on beach sunbeds, which detracted from the experience."
