"We had a nice holiday overall, but this hotel was a very mixed experience and, in my honest opinion, it did not live up to its advertised rating.
On arrival, the reception area was lovely, with a nice bar and patisserie. This was probably the part of the hotel that felt closest to the four-star-plus standard we had been promised. Check-in, however, involved quite a long queue that moved very slowly.
Our room was comfortable and generally fine, but unfortunately it had not been cleaned properly before we arrived. There were visible white marks and residue in the bathroom sink, and the toilet would not flush. We reported both issues to reception. The toilet was repaired fairly quickly, but the bathroom was never cleaned, so luckily I had wipes with me and cleaned it myself.
There was an electronic panel outside the room which allowed you to request cleaning. We used this every two or three days, but the room was never actually cleaned. The beds were made, the bin was emptied, toilet paper was replenished and the towels were changed, but the bathroom and other areas were left untouched. I raised this with reception on more than one occasion, but unfortunately nothing changed.
The pools themselves were nice and were cleaned at night. However, the sunbeds were packed extremely closely together, which made the area feel very cramped and almost claustrophobic. I naturally wake up early, so I was able to sit by the pool with my book and find a sunbed, but they were all taken later in the morning.
As the day went on, the pool area could become quite dirty, with a lot of rubbish left around. To be fair, staff were trying to keep on top of it, and much of this was caused by inconsiderate guests rather than the hotel itself.
Most members of staff were absolutely lovely. However, there was usually only one person serving at each of the pool bars and at the reception bar, so queues could become quite long. The bar near the beach was much quieter and it was normally easy to get served there.
We only watched the evening entertainment twice. It took place in an amphitheatre-style area, which was not the most comfortable setting, but we saw the fire show and the magician and thought both were good by typical holiday-entertainment standards.
Unfortunately, the main restaurant was what really let the holiday down for us. Breakfast was fine when we went at around 7.00 am, although it appeared much busier later. Dinner was a completely different experience. The only way I can describe it is like something out of Mad Max: Thunderdome.
The restaurant opened at 7.00 pm, but even at 8.00 or 8.30 pm it was extremely difficult to find a table. There were only two of us, yet finding somewhere to sit was a constant struggle. Some guests were incredibly rude and pushy, and on one evening I was physically pushed out of the way.
The quality of the food was also disappointing. There was always something you could eat, such as salad or bread, but much of the hot food was questionable. There was only one main live-cooking station serving freshly cooked fish and meat, and the queues were ridiculous. First you had to struggle to find a table, and then queue for a very long time to get the main part of your meal. There were clearly not enough tables, chairs or serving points for the number of guests the hotel accommodated.
I complained to the Jet2 representative, but he simply shrugged his shoulders. I also tried to speak to Guest Services during our first two days but could not find anyone there. On the third day, I finally managed to speak to them and explained that I have a medical condition which means I cannot stand or sit waiting for 40 minutes for a table. They kindly allowed us to eat in the à la carte restaurants for the rest of our stay, for which I was extremely grateful.
The steakhouse was lovely, with good food and no complaints from us. Kumsal was our favourite restaurant. The food was outstanding and the staff were wonderful. I would definitely recommend booking it if you stay here.
Unfortunately, the Sunset restaurant was very disappointing. I ordered the salmon, but after one mouthful I knew that it did not taste right. My son ordered the meatballs with cheese, and those were not enjoyable either. The restaurants were therefore quite hit and miss, but Kumsal and the steakhouse were definite positives.
We also visited Casablanca restaurant in town one evening. They collected us from the hotel and gave us time to walk around the shops before our meal. I can honestly say that I had one of the best steaks I have ever eaten, and I do not say that lightly. I have eaten in Michelin-starred restaurants, and this steak was on par with them. The staff were unbelievably friendly, took time to speak with us and even showed my son magic tricks. If you are in the area, I would highly recommend visiting Casablanca.
We used the hotel spa three times and found it very relaxing. We had no complaints at all about the treatments or our experience there.
The beach was another disappointing area. The sunbeds were packed in like sardines, assuming you could find one at all, and there was barely enough room to move without knocking into someone. We visited twice, but unfortunately found the beach extremely dirty on both occasions, which put us off returning.
Overall, we did have a nice holiday and there were some lovely parts, particularly the spa, Kumsal restaurant, the steakhouse and the majority of the staff. However, I would not return to this hotel. The cleanliness was below the standard expected, the pool and beach areas were far too cramped, and the evening dining experience had a significant negative impact on our stay.
Evening meals are usually an enjoyable part of a holiday, but here they became something we dreaded. The main restaurant simply did not have the space, staffing or facilities needed for the number of guests staying at the hotel."
