"This was our third consecutive visit to the Golden Taurus, and unfortunately, I’m sad to say it will be our last. The hotel has declined significantly since our first stay, and having spoken to several regular guests during our 10-day holiday, it was clear that we weren’t the only ones who felt the same way.
From the moment we arrived, the experience was frustrating. Shortly after checking in, we received a note under our door asking us to visit reception because they needed us to forward our reservation email. I’m still unclear as to why this was necessary. Had our booking details been lost? Why was this information required after we had already checked in? Whatever the reason, it was a bizarre and unnecessary start to our holiday.
The food has deteriorated considerably. The buffet was extremely repetitive and, in our opinion, very basic for a 4-star hotel. It often felt as though we were eating the same meals night after night. In fact, we ended up leaving the hotel on a couple of evenings to eat elsewhere simply to have some variety.
Then there are the queues, they were a constant feature throughout our stay, unless you arrive at the restaurant as soon as it opens, be prepared for a long wait to get seated, followed by further queues at the various food stations. On several occasions, food that I had already put on my plate had gone cold while I waited in another queue.
Breakfast wasn’t much better. If you enjoy a decent coffee in the morning, you may be disappointed. The queues for the coffee machines were often lengthy, and when you finally reached the front, the coffee was either extremely weak or the machine wasn’t working.
The sunbed situation was another major disappointment. We have never experienced anything like this on our previous visits. Unless you were downstairs queuing from around 7am, finding a sunbed could be extremely difficult. We regularly saw loungers reserved with towels for hours, often with nobody actually using them. Unfortunately, it didn’t appear that staff were doing much to prevent this.
There are also three designated smoking areas around the main family pool, but in our opinion they are far too close to the communal areas. As a result, the smell of cigarette smoke was noticeable around the pool for much of the day.
The Sunset Bar was another major source of frustration. Regardless of your board basis, the queues were significant throughout the day. We regularly waited around 30–45 minutes for drinks. There appeared to be plenty of staff, but the organisation and service often seemed chaotic.
My children also went to the bar themselves on several occasions and came back empty-handed after seemingly being overlooked. We found some of the bar staff unhelpful, and communication in English was sometimes difficult, which was surprising given the large number of English-speaking guests.
If you’re staying all-inclusive, don’t expect much from the food available at the bar. The choice was largely limited to toasties, burgers, chips and similar basic options. There was very little in the way of what I would consider proper food, and portions were often very small. Much of it appeared heavily fried. One guest we spoke to during our stay told us he had essentially lived on pizza for the week because it was the only food he could tolerate.
The biggest concern for us was the pool.
During our stay, three out of the four children in our party developed severe ear infections and required antibiotics, including visits to the nearby medical centre. All three children are regular swimmers and have never previously suffered from ear infections.
We also spoke to other families who told us they had experienced similar problems. We raised our concerns with the hotel and were told that the pool is regularly tested. However, during our 10-day stay, we personally did not see the pool being tested.
I cannot say that the pool caused the infections, and I wouldn’t want to make that claim without evidence. However, given what happened to our children and the conversations we had with other guests, we felt sufficiently concerned to raise the issue. If you have children who spend a lot of time in the pool, I would personally recommend taking appropriate precautions, such as using ear plugs and avoiding getting water in their ears.
The one major positive was the animation team.
They were fantastic and genuinely a credit to the hotel. In particular, Luis was exceptional and, in our opinion, is one of the hotel’s biggest assets. His enthusiasm, personality and interaction with the guests were brilliant. I only hope the hotel recognises his value and manages to retain him, as we would hate to see another great employee leave, as has happened with people such as Aitor and Roberto.
Unfortunately, though, one excellent animation team cannot compensate for the wider decline we experienced.
We have stayed at the Golden Taurus three years in a row, so this isn’t a review from someone visiting once and looking for things to complain about. We have seen the hotel at its best, which is why the decline this year was particularly disappointing.
I’m sure the hotel may respond to this review, but I want to make it clear that this is an honest account of our experience during our 10-day stay. The issues I’ve highlighted are based on what we personally experienced, along with conversations we had with other guests during our holiday.
Sadly, after three consecutive visits, we won’t be returning."
