"Stayed here recently as part of a family group of adults and older teens and while there were definitely some positives, overall we left disappointed and felt the resort did not come anywhere near the 5-star standard it is marketed and priced as.
One of the most concerning issues throughout the stay was the food labelling. We repeatedly found dishes labelled as vegan while simultaneously listing milk, fish or egg allergens, including items we specifically raised with staff that were then put back out with the same incorrect labels. This is a serious issue for anyone with allergies or dietary requirements and made it very difficult to trust the food offering.
Food overall was one of the biggest let-downs. Honestly, the buffet food was 3-star at best, repetitive, basic in quality and lacking the variety and feature cooking stations you would normally expect even in many 3 or 4-star all-inclusive hotels. Despite themed evenings being advertised, there was no real sense of themed dining at all, with very little changing from night to night. The buffet area itself also felt too small and hectic for the size of the resort, and food was often not replenished properly, with multiple items running out completely more than half an hour before service ended.
The American diner was also underwhelming. We had wanted to try the Italian restaurant during our stay, however for the first few days we were told it was closed, and by the time it finally appeared properly on the app it was fully booked for the remainder of the trip.
Drinks quality was also disappointing. Many cocktails and soft drinks were made from machines and tasted artificial, overly synthetic and unpleasant. Several members of our group actually felt nauseous after drinking some of them. We only later discovered some drinks could be made fresh on request, which improved things slightly. There was also nowhere during the day to get a proper fresh coffee, which became increasingly frustrating over the course of the week.
The resort also clearly was not fully operational during a large part of our stay, which was extremely disappointing considering the price paid. A number of advertised facilities were either closed, unfinished or not functioning properly for nearly half the week. The noodle bar did not open until the Monday despite us arriving on the Friday, the Deluxe/Paaru adults-only bar appeared closed for several days, and the Irish bar was still visibly being renovated until around the Tuesday.
This was especially frustrating because the Irish bar had been advertised as the main indoor venue for live sports and evening entertainment. As it was unavailable, we ended up having to venture outside the resort and spend additional money elsewhere in order to watch major live games during our stay. It also meant that during the cold and rainy weather at the beginning of the holiday there was effectively nowhere comfortable indoors to sit and relax in the evenings, which was particularly disappointing given we had elderly parents travelling with us and had specifically considered indoor facilities when choosing the resort.
The entertainment elsewhere in the resort was also obnoxiously loud to the point that it was impossible to enjoy dinner anywhere nearby without being overwhelmed by it. We actually ended up leaving the resort several evenings just to find somewhere quieter to eat and relax.
Communication from staff was also poor at times. There was a lot of confusion around what facilities were open, how restaurant bookings worked, and where things were located around the resort. The app also didn’t function properly for bookings for much of the trip.
We did raise our concerns with the hotel during the stay. While we appreciated the eventual offer of dinner at an alternative hotel, this was only offered on our final night by which point we had already made other plans. It also did not make up for the fact that several key facilities had been unavailable for a large portion of our holiday.
The surrounding area around the hotel is also quite run down and half-built in places, which was disappointing compared to how the resort is presented online.
That said, there were some positives. The landscaping around the resort is beautiful, with lovely greenery throughout, and there are plenty of pools plus a very good water park. There were also some standout staff members who really did their best to improve the experience, particularly Debbie, Jamie at the ice cream truck and Francis on the buggy, all of whom were fantastic throughout our stay.
There were good elements to the holiday and the resort has potential, but at present it simply does not deliver the standard or experience you would reasonably expect from a 5 or even 4-star resort at this price point."
