409seemag
Google
Insanity in the name of sustainability”||||The hotel grounds are undeniably beautiful, but sadly the service fails on every possible level. What should have been a relaxing luxury stay turned into a frustrating experience from the very beginning.||||Check-in chaos||We booked a junior suite with “Unique” benefits, but none of these were explained at check-in. Instead, we were told our room wasn’t ready, handed a map, and dismissively told to wait in the “Unique Lounge.” No one offered to escort us, and the directions were vague at best. After 20 minutes wandering in the heat (post-early morning flight), asking staff who barely spoke English, we eventually found it—only to be called back almost immediately to collect our keys. Again, we were sent off alone with unclear directions to find our room. Not exactly five-star treatment.||||The ridiculous towel policy||Once in the room, we took the three towels provided and went to the pool—only to encounter the hotel’s baffling and stress-inducing towel policy, which no one explains on arrival. To save others the same confusion, here it is:|| • Guests get 1 pool towel per person in the room at check-in.|| • That single towel must be used on your sunbed and for drying off.|| • If you want a fresh one, you can only exchange it between 10am–12pm. After that, tough luck—wet towel all day.|| • At the end of the day, you must take that towel back to your room, and the cycle repeats daily.||||Requesting an extra towel is treated as if you’ve committed a crime, with staff snapping back curtly about “sustainability.” In reality, it’s penny-pinching dressed up as eco-friendly policy.||||Hidden “benefits” and management indifference||On our second day, we discovered a letter in the room outlining our suite benefits—information we were never told at check-in. These included spa access and a “free drink” (which turned out to mean water or a shockingly bad orange juice). Hardly a perk.||||We met with the manager, Isabella, to raise our concerns. Unfortunately, she seemed uninterested, defensive, and even implied we were lying about missing vouchers. On the towel issue, she stuck to the “sustainability” script but promised two towels per person for the next days. Needless to say, the towels never arrived.||||We tried following up, only to be told by another manager that Isabella was too busy and wouldn’t meet us again. When we asked again about the missing towels, we were met with patronising responses but still no action.||||Final impression||We left feeling extremely disappointed. We paid for a five-star experience but were treated like inconveniences. The resort itself is stunning, but the service, communication, and attitude of management drag it down completely. If we wanted budget-level service, we would have booked a budget hotel. Sadly, what could have been a memorable stay was ruined by poor management and absurd policies.