Golden Mare Resort

We paid quite a lot of money at the travel agency - 5 thousand CZK for a room with a sea view. However, we got a room with a side view of the sea located in the garden. We turned to the reception that we had ordered a sea view. After they showed us this room with an alleged sea view, where instead of the sea you look into a strip of greenery, there were garbage cans under the balcony and a driveway for supplies, we ended up keeping the first room offered... so we paid 5 thousand CZK unnecessarily... Furthermore, as part of our all-inclusive stay and the level of a 4* hotel, we only had drinks from the postmix available. We wouldn't mind that, but all the available drinks had a rather pronounced salty taste. Whether we had just plain water, juices and even water for tea, everything was salty. We pointed out this fact to the hotel receptionist and the lady delegate. The hotel offered us 6 pieces of 1.5 l still water for 3 adults for 7 days as compensation for the salty taste of all available drinks. The lady delegate did not solve it somehow, she said that we should file a complaint with CK Fischer and refused to taste the offered water from the postmix. She also told us that in Greece they do not offer bottled drinks in 4*. It is not standard. And she added that none of the other guests complained about the salty taste of all drinks. Which was not true. We were having fun with compatriots staying with us and they also complained about the salty taste of drinks at the hotel reception. Then the hotel manager allegedly gave an order to replace the filters. They subsequently replaced them, they said that everything was drinkable for about 1 day, then everything was salty again. Other guests also brought their own bottled drinks, which could be purchased at a local shop. It is not entirely right for a person to drink salt water for a whole week, it is basically like our Šaratica, which has laxative effects. And so our whole family ended up there. The doctor after returning to the Czech Republic has records that we sought him out for ongoing intestinal problems. We complained about our experience and dissatisfaction to CK Fischer after returning, unfortunately unsuccessfully. The conclusion of the lady who handled the complaint was that it is common to drink such drinks and she rejected our complaint. We subsequently sent an initiative to possibly film a report to ČT-Černé ovce. We also contacted a lawyer to help us in this unfortunate situation. It significantly spoiled our vacation, we paid for all inclusive with drinks included for 80 thousand/week/3 adults and received a few bottled waters and bought the rest ourselves. Do you really want to go to this hotel for this money.

We also point out that the level of the 4* hotel is deplorable in terms of cleaning and equipment. Everywhere is messy, dirty, everything is old, worn out, limescale everywhere on the taps. One toilet next to the restaurant was used for swimmers in the pool, you had to go upstairs and it was also for the restaurant.

Don’t let the glossy pictures and gorgeous location fool you, it is not as it would seam! The pool area is actually gorgeous and very photographic but that’s where the good stuff ends. Rooms are very tatty in areas, sink cupboard screwed shut very roughly, shower leaks out into bathroom so you use towels to stop slipping. We had to get maintenance to come and fix a non flushing toilet which appears to be exactly the same. Very small ants in bathroom which has got worse throughout the week, glass door into bathroom rubs loudly on tiles and makes you feel it’s going to break. Shower has sulphur deposits all over the chrome needs replacing asap. The units in bedroom have pulled apart exposing the screws used to connect them together. Over all room ok very big but they have failed to utilise the space. House keeping very average at best towels not best and bed not changed for days at a time. Actual bed although comfortable has a big dip on my side new mattresses are due. We don’t come away to watch tv but it would be nice to have a few English channels other than news channel!!! They seam to offer more in German/French/ then English. We were all inclusive which we wish we hadn’t now as pretty much same food every day!!!! My wife is a vegetarian so wasn’t ideal for her not a lot of choice except salad everyday! Surprisingly no olives or hummus not once which is odd being in Greece. Most of the staff are really grumpy but then I’m not surprised. Barbati itself is ok but after a day you’ve actually seen everything and no real path as such when walking so watch the traffic as it’s very much dodging the bullet , we took bus into Corfu and had to stand the whole way traffic was bad so took 1.5hours. Corfu nice enough but again a day or so and you’ve seen most of what’s on offer. Local street shops were nice but majority filled with tat. Be careful though there’s loads of hazards walking the old town. Found a few nice places one was Favela No17 cafe do visit. The beaches are large pebble beaches very uncomfortable but the water is crystal clear and warm, snorkelling highly recommend but bring beach shoes of some sort. To be honest the Golden Mare is not a 4 star hotel ( it may have been when firstly opened but not now ) the tiredness is evident where ever you look and it’s in need of upgrading asap. There are I’m sure much better choices for your money make sure you do your research. For us Corfu is not somewhere we would come back too so many other Greek islands to see.

Firstly the good points, the hotel is in a beautiful setting, with a beautiful view, absolutely stunning over looking the sea, you can sit and watch for hours and hours. Now the bad, the food was absolutely diabolical, the choices were limited, the same thing served repeatedly and stone cold, not cooling, not Luke warm, flat cold. It was that bad I felt I had no choice but to email my holiday company to inform them of this. They responded 24 hours later and said they had spoke to the manager of the hotel and they had said the food was probed regularly and met guidelines. They would deal with it with me, offering me a room upgrade and a bottle of wine and would come see me. The food was never probed all the times we went into the restaurant, we stopped going after day 2 I physically couldnt eat any more cold food and spent the rest of the holiday in surrounding restaurants paying for me food (we was supposed to be all inclusive). The surrounding restaurants told us they have a lot of customers from this hotel due to the food issue. Around the pool every single conversation yiu heard was about the same thing, how shocking the food was, one lady was on her 3rd visit to the hotel and said she had never known it be so bad. One day she had soup and she said that was literally flat cold!! The manager never upgraded us rooms, they let themselves into our room with a key card, even though we was in the room and the lcd panel outside the room states so when the key card is in the slot. They never knocked..let themselves in, flounced in put a bottle of wine on the side amd left!! If they had have spoke to me I would have explained they need to speak to their guests, the people that keep them in business because something is going clearly wrong when everyone is saying how bad the food is. I would avoid at all costs on an all inclusive basis as we still ended up paying for all our meals out after day 2!