"A group of 10 of us travelled to Malia and stayed at Happy Days Studios from 11th July to 18th July. Unfortunately, the level of disrespect and rudeness we experienced from members of staff throughout our stay was genuinely shocking and is something that should not be tolerated in the hospitality industry.
From the moment we arrived, we felt as though we were being treated like an inconvenience rather than paying guests. At one point, I was even told to “not even breathe wrong” around the hotel, as if I were a primary school student being told off by a teacher. It was an incredibly disrespectful and unprofessional comment that set the tone for the rest of our stay.
The most disappointing interaction came on our final day when we enquired about late check-out. We had initially been told it was available for €10 per person, so we asked if just one of our rooms (occupied by four people) could have a late check-out while the other two rooms, occupied by three people each, checked out at the normal time. We were then told it would cost €100 because all 10 of us would supposedly still be using the room. We explained that the other six people would not be using the room or its facilities, at which point the price suddenly changed to €45.
I questioned why the price had changed when we had originally been told €10 per person. The receptionist then explained that it was actually a fixed fee of €45 per room, something that had never previously been mentioned. I pointed out that it was unfair to introduce this information only after we had questioned the charge. Rather than explaining the situation professionally, we were accused of being “argumentative” and told that late check-out was “no longer an option” for us. I responded by saying that the hotel offered a late check-out service which we were willing to pay for, yet it was being withdrawn simply because we had questioned the pricing. The receptionist replied, “Why can’t I?” before ending the conversation with, “I’m no longer talking to you.” This was an astonishingly unprofessional way to treat paying guests.
Another major issue was the unexpected charges imposed upon arrival. Before we had even entered our rooms, our group of 10 was required to pay a total of €600, equating to €60 per person. This covered air conditioning, the tourist tax and a €20 refundable deposit. Excluding the deposit, that meant €40 per person for air conditioning and tax.
On our first evening, I asked for a breakdown of the €40 charge and was simply told it was “a package.” Unsatisfied with such a vague explanation, I requested an itemised breakdown again on our final day. I was told it would take approximately 10 minutes, yet we were left waiting around 45 minutes before receiving a handwritten slip stating only “€260 A/C, €75 safe, €65 tax.” How can all of us pay over £7k in total for the holiday and then another €600 springs up on us before we can even check into our rooms? Even then, staff were unable or unwilling to clearly explain what the remaining charges related to. As paying customers, we should not have to repeatedly ask for transparency regarding mandatory charges.
The Wi-Fi was another disappointment. The hotel charges an additional €10 per person for access, yet the connection was extremely inconsistent and frequently unusable. When I politely raised this issue with reception, I was told, “We never said it was good Wi-Fi, we just said we provide Wi-Fi.” For a paid service, this response was both dismissive and unacceptable. If guests are expected to pay extra for internet access, they should at the very least receive a reliable service or be treated with respect when raising concerns.
When you have already paid around €430 per person for flights and accommodation, discovering an additional compulsory €60 charge upon arrival, along with extra fees for basic amenities such as Wi-Fi, without any clear explanation beforehand, is extremely disappointing. Had these costs been made transparent before booking, we would almost certainly have chosen alternative accommodation where pricing was clearer and guests were treated with far greater respect.
While the hotel itself was adequate, our overall experience was overshadowed by the dismissive attitude, poor communication and lack of professionalism shown by members of staff. Courtesy, transparency and respect should be the minimum standard in hospitality, and unfortunately, Happy Days Studios failed to meet those expectations. Based on our experience, I would not recommend staying here."
