"A Once-Proud Five-Star Resort Reduced to a Shadow of Its Former Self
What was supposed to be a special birthday celebration and a memorable family weekend became one of the most disappointing hotel experiences we have ever had.
We deliberately chose this hotel because of its reputation and booked a suite expecting the level of comfort, quality and service normally associated with a five-star property. What we found instead was a hotel that appears to have suffered from years of neglect, deferred maintenance and a worrying lack of quality control.
From the moment we entered our suite, the problems were impossible to ignore.
The most alarming issue was the absence of a smoke detector. One of the most basic safety devices that every guest should be able to take for granted was simply missing.
The bathroom was in an equally unacceptable condition. The shower fixture was partially detached from the wall, several tiles were cracked and damaged, and the shower floor became extremely slippery when wet, creating a serious risk of injury. We genuinely questioned how such obvious hazards could still exist in a hotel that continues to market itself as a luxury resort.
The rest of the suite was no better. The sofa was visibly stained, carpets and flooring throughout the room showed extensive signs of wear and staining, and the overall impression was one of a property that has not received the investment or attention it desperately needs.
What makes this particularly concerning is that these were not hidden defects. Anyone entering the room for even a few seconds would immediately notice them. This raises serious questions about the effectiveness of maintenance procedures, room inspections and overall management oversight.
Unfortunately, the condition of the suite was only the beginning.
As we walked through the hotel, the same pattern became apparent everywhere. Worn carpets, visible signs of deterioration and an overall atmosphere that felt tired and neglected rather than luxurious. Instead of feeling like a five-star resort, the property felt like a hotel that has slowly been allowed to decline while continuing to charge premium prices.
The disappointment continued at the pool area.
As a family travelling with a three-year-old child, we were shocked to hear explicit music being broadcast through large speakers around the pool on a Sunday afternoon. Repeated profanity and sexually explicit lyrics echoed throughout an area filled with families and young children.
For a hotel positioning itself as a family-friendly destination, this was completely inappropriate and frankly astonishing.
The pool bar experience was equally disappointing.
I ordered a café latte with oat milk. After informing me that oat milk was not immediately available, a staff member eventually returned with some. Rather than preparing the drink properly, cold oat milk was simply poured into the coffee, leaving the beverage lukewarm.
When I politely declined the drink because it was no longer hot and not what had been ordered, another employee made a dismissive remark to his colleague in Spanish suggesting that I had only done so to annoy him.
Unfortunately for them, my Spanish-speaking sister-in-law was standing beside me and understood the entire conversation.
Instead of addressing a legitimate customer concern professionally, staff chose to mock the situation among themselves. It was embarrassing, unprofessional and entirely inconsistent with the standards expected from a hotel of this category.
Hoping to salvage at least part of the weekend, we decided to visit the spa facilities and were fully prepared to pay for the experience.
This turned out to be yet another disappointment.
The water in the spa pool was cold.
The massage jets were not functioning.
Several lockers could not be locked.
Other lockers were visibly dirty.
The entire facility gave the impression of an amenity that had not been properly maintained for a very long time.
After only a few minutes, we informed staff that we did not wish to use the spa and therefore should not be charged. We were assured that the charges would be removed.
Yet when we checked out, the charges still appeared on our account and required additional discussions and phone calls to correct.
By this point, it felt like just another example of the operational failures that seemed to affect every part of the hotel.
What makes this experience particularly sad is that one can still see glimpses of what this property may once have been. The location is excellent, and several employees genuinely tried their best. The Kids Club team, in particular, deserves recognition for being one of the very few highlights of our stay.
The problem is clearly not the dedication of many frontline employees.
The problem appears to be a lack of investment, inadequate maintenance, poor quality control and a management team that has allowed standards to deteriorate to an alarming degree.
Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of this entire experience came after our stay.
After taking the time to carefully document the numerous maintenance failures, safety concerns, service issues and operational shortcomings we encountered, we expected a serious response from management.
Instead, we received what appeared to be nothing more than a generic copy-and-paste apology.
There was no meaningful acknowledgment of the specific issues we raised.
No explanation regarding the missing smoke detector.
No comment on the dangerous condition of the bathroom.
No response concerning the broken spa facilities.
No explanation for the inappropriate music played around young children.
No indication whatsoever that management genuinely understood the seriousness of the concerns that had been brought to their attention.
Even more astonishing, despite the sheer number of documented problems and the fact that our stay fell dramatically below the standard advertised and paid for, not a single gesture of goodwill was offered.
No compensation.
No partial refund.
No rate adjustment.
Nothing.
The message we received was essentially: “We are sorry you were disappointed.”
That was the extent of it.
For a hotel that continues to market itself as a luxury resort, the handling of guest complaints was every bit as disappointing as the condition of the property itself.
The lack of accountability, the absence of any meaningful resolution and the apparent unwillingness to take responsibility for serious maintenance failures and safety concerns demonstrate a level of customer care that is simply unacceptable.
Our stay was not ruined by one isolated incident. It was the cumulative effect of countless problems that together painted a deeply troubling picture of a hotel that appears to have lost sight of the standards it once represented.
We arrived expecting a memorable birthday celebration.
We left wondering how a hotel in this condition can continue to advertise itself as a five-star resort and justify charging premium rates.
Without question one of the most disappointing hotel stays we have experienced anywhere in the world.
We will never return."
