Gran Melia Palacio de Isora

"We had such a wonderful stay at this hotel and would highly recommend it, especially for families. Our room 4004 was spacious and comfortable for our stay, and I loved having my morning coffee on the balcony over looking the grounds and mountains. We stayed as a family of four with children aged 7 and 11 bed and breakfast. The pools were absolutely lovely, and the children’s pool being heated made such a difference on as it meant the kids could enjoy it comfortably even on overcast days. The splash pool for little ones was great too, My favourite was the main huge fresh water pool. Direct access to the lovely little beach ( and hotel beach bar/cafe) with yummy food! The pool towels were all very clean and new looking. Breakfast was great and full of variety from pastries and fresh baguettes, fruit selection to eggs Benedict, omelettes and cereal. The kids loved the pancakes and fresh smoothies! The staff were all very friendly, polite and willing to help with any questions even recommending nearby restaurants to try. There were so many activities included, which really added value to our stay. We particularly enjoyed the candle making session, as well as the morning yoga and Pilates classes—they were a great way to start the day overlooking the sea. The kids loved the pool inflatables and the padel boarding. The hotel itself is beautiful, with well-maintained grounds that make it feel like a real retreat. Loved the icecream counter and different pool bars! The onsite shop also has everything you might need and a small supermarket is only up the road. Lots of car hire choices to explore the island from the hotel. Overall, a fantastic stay and we would definitely recommend."

"This is not a 5 star hotel, in-fact I’d struggle to rate this as a 3 star. The service is appalling, especially around the pool area. We payed for the Bali beds for 4 days. It took 2 hours to get a menu and a drink and we only received cushions for the sun loungers 2 days into our stay. On more than one occasion when we went up to the pool bar to ask for a drink at 1min before opening we were shouted at and told to go elsewhere. We had money to spend but yet couldn’t spend it as there was no service. When we did actually find a waiter we felt like we were a hassle to them. There are queues for everything we booked half board and ended up eating in the town outside the hotel a lot of the nights as the restaurants apparently are fully booked. Strange as on the one occasion we did manage to get into a restaurant it was half empty. Rooms smell of damp, snd there is no turn down service that you would expect from a 5 star experience. The food is okay but not great, do not come if you are looking for 5 star restaurants. Overall v disappointed and not worth the large price we paid. Will never be back."

"Lovely hotel but showing signs of wear and tear- especially in the bedrooms. This was our second visit and we noticed that the food was not as good as before. We were AI and ate in Asian, Italian and Oasis- unfortunately not impressed with quality. Lunch in Agarve was great , as was buffet breakfast. Dinner in buffet was disappointing as food was often cold. Desserts were delicious! Ice cream station by the pool was very good quality. Cocktails were great and beer always cold! There was always a small queue for buffet and lunch but we never waited long for a table. Wonderful service and helpful staff- shout out to Mechelle (restaurant desk) and Franco (adult pool) absolutely brilliant - thank you. Overall a great stay but food not as good as a few years back."