"Blue Beach Golf & Spa Hotel – Extremely Disappointing Stay
We booked this hotel for a family holiday with three children and unfortunately ended up leaving after four days and paying for another hotel. The only positive aspect of our stay was the family room.
Check-in
Check-in was chaotic from the moment we arrived. Every guest was handed a small piece of paper with tiny English writing to complete. Once we handed it back, we were simply told to sit in the lobby with no explanation of what was happening. We understood our room wouldn’t be ready as we arrived at 11am and check-in wasn’t until 3pm, but there was no communication.
After waiting around an hour, we asked if we could at least get a drink. We were told we needed our wristbands first, something that seemed like an inconvenience for reception to provide. Once we finally received them, my husband went to get a drink, only for a member of staff to come over in a very abrupt manner asking where he had gone because our room was ready, despite us only doing what we’d just been told.
The Room
Our family room was excellent. It was spacious, centrally located, had a beautiful sea view, one double bedroom, a separate room with three single beds and two bathrooms. It was by far the highlight of the holiday.
However, there was very little storage for a family of five, and the room safe was locked shut. We reported this but were simply told nothing could be done.
Pool Towels
Trying to obtain pool towels became a ridiculous exercise. Reception sent us to the lifeguards, who sent us to the animation team, who then sent us back to reception. We were eventually told there were no towels because none had returned from the laundry and to come back later.
After lunch we asked again, only for the receptionist to shout at us in front of our children that he had already told us there were no towels. It was intimidating and completely unnecessary.
In the end another guest advised us to buy towels from the hotel shop, where there were plenty available for sale. It genuinely felt as though purchasing them was the only reliable option.
By the time we’d sorted everything, our first day had effectively been wasted and the pool was already closing.
Restaurant & Dining
The restaurant was one of the worst parts of the hotel.
The placemats had dried food stuck to them, the chairs were covered in old food and grease, and despite several hours between meal services, they remained in the same condition throughout our stay.
Meal times were complete chaos. Guests pushed and shoved to get food, queues simply didn’t exist, and there were no staff attempting to manage the crowds. We saw food dropped on the floor and walked through repeatedly.
At dinner on our first evening, my 5-year-old was knocked over by adults rushing towards the food while I was carrying plates. The restaurant was so overcrowded it often didn’t feel safe to move around with children.
The snack bar was no better. Staff would only allow me to take one plate at a time, despite explaining I was collecting food for three children. Meanwhile, guests wearing red wristbands were regularly allowed to leave with multiple plates. Service was extremely slow and again there was no orderly queuing. The seating area remained dirty throughout the four days we stayed.
The drinks selection was also very limited, consisting mainly of apple, orange and lemon juice, Boga lemonade, Coca-Cola, Fanta and water.
Our final lunch was the breaking point when my 5-year-old was served a burger that was still raw in the middle.
Cleanliness & Facilities
Cleanliness across the hotel was extremely poor.
On two separate occasions there was human faeces on the floor inside the lifts.
The outdoor pool had to be closed twice due to faecal contamination.
The indoor pool, despite being advertised, was not open during our stay.
The Turkish bath was also closed.
Spa
We also experienced inconsistent treatment at the spa. We were repeatedly told there were no treatments available, yet immediately afterwards guests wearing red wristbands were being offered appointments. Whether this was coincidence or preferential treatment, it certainly gave that impression.
Housekeeping
Housekeeping was probably the most upsetting part of our stay.
Our towels were removed daily, even when left hanging to indicate they didn’t need replacing. Whenever we asked for fresh towels, the housekeeper repeatedly rubbed her fingers together indicating she wanted a tip.
On the one day we didn’t tip, our beds were not made and replacement towels weren’t provided.
One morning, despite our “Do Not Disturb” sign clearly displayed, housekeeping repeatedly knocked loudly at around 8am asking for towels, waking the whole family.
Later that morning our room key suddenly stopped working. After three separate trips to reception to have it reset, it still wouldn’t open the door. The housekeeper appeared, opened it with her master card and once again gestured for money before allowing access. Nobody should feel pressured into tipping simply to access their own room.
By this point we no longer felt comfortable leaving the room unattended, so our 14-year-old remained there while the rest of us went to lunch.
Our Decision
After being served an undercooked burger to our youngest child, we’d had enough. We contacted our holiday provider asking if we could pay to move hotels, but this wasn’t possible. We then spoke to hotel management and were simply told that if we weren’t happy they could arrange a taxi.
So that’s exactly what we did.
We paid ourselves to move to another hotel and salvaged the remainder of our family holiday.
When checking out, reception initially assumed we were simply leaving at the end of our stay. My husband explained all of the issues we’d experienced, but the response was simply, “OK, safe journey.”
Overall
Aside from having a lovely family room, this was one of the most disappointing hotel experiences we’ve had. Poor cleanliness, chaotic dining, intimidating interactions with staff, housekeeping issues, unavailable advertised facilities and concerns over food safety meant we could not justify staying any longer.
Sadly, we would not return or recommend this hotel to other families."
