Radisson Blu Resort and Spa

There were definitely some positive aspects to our stay. The room and the bed were very comfortable Wi-Fi was excellent/fast. Breakfast was very good, with a nice variety, and the service staff in the main restaurant were always polite and pleasant. The shuttle bus to town was also very convenient, and the hotel is close to a lovely promenade which is perfect for walking.

Unfortunately, the overall experience did not match what we would expect from a five-star hotel.

Our arrival was very basic. We were given the room keys and one information leaflet — which was actually very comprehensive — but there was no further welcome or introduction. We also carried our luggage to the room ourselves.

Housekeeping was inconsistent during our stay. On two occasions our room was not cleaned because we had the Do Not Disturb sign on until around 11:30 and again from approximately 15:30. We were told that after 12:00 priority is given to departure rooms. I understand that operational priorities exist, but I have never experienced this resulting in an occupied room simply not being serviced in a five-star hotel.

There were also several smaller housekeeping issues: bath mat was forgotten, coffee was not refilled, and room-service plates with leftover food from the previous evening were left behind.

Some other details added to the feeling of inconsistency. At reception, we asked to change a larger banknote and were told they could not do it; the night receptionist we asked actually told us they did not have cash available.

At the main restaurant terrace, we and other guests used electronic cigarettes for two days without anyone informing us that this was not permitted. On the third day we were suddenly asked to stop. We always want to respect hotel rules, so the issue was not the rule itself, but the inconsistent communication, which made the situation unnecessarily uncomfortable.

On our final day, we chose to spend some time at the spa pool, expecting a quiet and relaxing environment. Instead, it was full of children and quite noisy, so it did not really feel like a relaxation area.

The main issue, however, and ultimately the reason we decided to leave the hotel three days earlier than planned, was the beach and sunbed situation.

At check-in, I specifically asked whether finding sunbeds was difficult and was told that it was not. Unfortunately, our experience was very different.

On our first day we arrived at the beach around 12:00 and could not find two available sunbeds. We eventually found an umbrella where the sunbeds had been taken away and simply sat on the pebbles.

There also seemed to be many external visitors using the area, while we did not notice any real supervision of the sunbed situation. I cannot say whether the beach service team is expected to monitor this, but from a guest's perspective there was no visible management of it.

The second day we deliberately went after 18:00 and fortunately found two sunbeds.

On the following days, instead of worrying about whether we would find somewhere to sit at our own hotel, we chose beach facilities a little further away and paid extra. The staff there were very welcoming and the experience was much more relaxed. We did not choose the hotel's €120 Mistral option simply to guarantee ourselves a place by the sea.

On another day, after returning from an excursion, we went to the Mistral beach at around 19:00 just for a swim and a coffee. There was no longer beach service, as we were told it was closing, although the beach bar itself closed at 20:00. When we went to the bar to order, there was a party taking place and we struggled to get anyone's attention. At approximately 19:15, coffee was no longer available and we were offered only alcoholic drinks.

The whole sunbed situation created exactly the opposite feeling from what we want from a holiday: instead of relaxing, we found ourselves thinking about when and where we needed to go simply to find somewhere to sit.

In one way or another, we mentioned the above issues to the relevant staff during our stay. What disappointed us most was that nobody really took ownership of the overall experience or followed up. Even when we checked out three days earlier than our original departure date, nobody asked why we were leaving early.

Despite all this, we made the most of our trip, enjoyed the destination and found other places where we could relax and enjoy our days.

We are not writing this review because we expect anything from the hotel, but simply to share our actual experience with other travellers.

There are certainly good elements here, and some very pleasant members of staff. However, based on our stay and on the level of consistency, service and attention we experienced, we personally would not consider this a five-star experience.

We came to the hotel for the day with our family and finished the day in the buffet before flying back home. We were atended by Luka B, the best waitress and gentleman ever seen. He was so kind gently, respectful and considerate. He just made our night.