"I travel several times a year, so I feel I have a good comparison when it comes to hotels. After reading the reviews, I was really looking forward to staying here, but unfortunately I left feeling extremely disappointed.
Our first impression wasn't great. We arrived very early in the morning and found the lobby to be dark, dated and smelling of cigarette smoke. Check-in was slow as there was only one member of staff on duty, although they were polite.
When we entered our room, it smelled damp and felt very old. The bed cover was rough and too small for two people. Throughout the night we could hear people outside, and it genuinely sounded as though our door wasn't shut properly, even though it was. We had very little sleep.
The following morning we were woken at 6am by a cockerel, followed by very noisy neighbours using the pool. After speaking to reception, I was told I couldn't move rooms until the following day because the manager wasn't in. Guest Relations later arranged for the manager to meet me.
The hotel itself is quite dated. The main pool is a good size and there were no sunbed issues initially, although by the middle of the week they were all taken by around 8:30am, was getting earlier as the week went on. Towels are collected from the spa, which also felt old and in need of refurbishment. Many areas of the hotel have a stale, damp smell.
Breakfast was average. There was plenty of choice, but not much I particularly enjoyed. Fresh fruit was limited mainly to melon, with the rest being tinned fruit. The children's chocolate sauce wasn't very nice either.
The snack bar was decent but lacked healthier options. One thing that really surprised me was that the pool area only had one female and one male toilet for everyone to use.
Dinner was acceptable and there was always something to eat, especially for picky children with nuggets and chips available. However, none of the cold food was covered, meaning there were flies around it. The desserts looked lovely but were mostly tasteless.
One issue we found difficult was the number of cats around the outdoor dining area. My youngest was frightened of them, while my other child is allergic. Although the hotel asks guests not to feed them, many people still did, encouraging them to gather around diners.
The biggest issue throughout the holiday was the noise. Every evening the neighbouring hotel played extremely loud music until around midnight. Our room actually vibrated from the volume. Reception apologised but said there was nothing they could do. Combined with noisy guests, cats fighting overnight and the cockerel every morning, we returned home exhausted rather than refreshed.
After two sleepless nights, the manager offered us another room further away, which we accepted. It was definitely quieter, although we could still hear the music every night, and unfortunately the air conditioning didn't work properly, making the room very hot.
One member of staff who helped us move rooms then told me a story about another guest only tipping him 5p and explained he was a single dad wanting to buy things for his son. It very much felt like he was trying to encourage a tip, which left a poor impression.
The entertainment was, without doubt, the worst I've experienced at any hotel. The activities rarely followed the advertised schedule, instructions often made little sense, games were poorly organised and regularly left unfinished, and children seemed to come second to entertaining adults. My children quickly lost interest because they didn't feel included.
The evening entertainment was also disappointing. The children's disco lasted around nine minutes and repeated the same songs every night. The main entertainment often didn't begin until 10pm, which is far too late for young families. The dancers and acrobats were talented, but overall the programme lacked variety.
Smoking was another major issue. Guests smoked around the pool, during meals and throughout the evening entertainment. My children regularly had to cover their noses or move away because of the smoke. Designated smoking areas would make a huge difference.
The shared pool concept beside the rooms also seemed strange. Guests staying upstairs were told they weren't allowed to use the pool directly outside their room because it was reserved for the ground-floor rooms. Even several guests staying downstairs agreed this rule didn't make much sense.
The water slide also worried me. Sometimes there was a lifeguard enforcing rules, but often there wasn't, leaving children and adults using inflatables together. It felt like an accident waiting to happen.
There were positives. The staff were genuinely lovely, friendly and hardworking. The hotel felt safe, the pool itself was nice, the crepes were delicious (although there was often a wait), and the food was generally okay.
Sadly, though, the negatives outweighed the positives for us. Between the constant noise, poor entertainment, smoking, dated facilities and lack of sleep, this was not the relaxing family holiday we had hoped for.
I tried to put a post on their facebook page, but this wasnt accepted! Funny that."
