Abaton Island Resort and Spa

I do currently have a complaint in with the travel provider regarding our holiday however I will share my thoughts & feelings on here also.

Unfortunately, what was supposed to be a very special and relaxing holiday was seriously affected by the behaviour of a large group of guests staying at the hotel and, more importantly, by what we felt was the hotel management’s failure to adequately manage the situation or protect the comfort and safety of other paying guests.

I had wanted to stay at Abaton Island Resort & Spa since 2022 and was particularly excited when we were finally able to book it. This holiday was also intended to celebrate our anniversary and my partner’s belated birthday, making it an especially important occasion for us.

Sadly, the experience fell a very long way below what we reasonably expected from a 5-star hotel

Problems experienced during our stay

On arrival, everything appeared to be fine. We were informed by the concierge that one of the hotel’s restaurants would be closed the following day because the hotel was hosting a private function for a company.

We have stayed at hotels previously where private functions have taken place, and we have no objection to this in principle. We would, however, reasonably expect such an event to be managed in a way that does not significantly interfere with the experience of other paying guests.

We initially went to the pool area but found it very busy, so we went to the private beach instead. At that point, we were unaware that this area was being used by members of the group attending the private function.

The following morning at breakfast, the situation became extremely unpleasant.

There were approximately 60 men from the group occupying the breakfast area. They were shouting, whistling and playing loud videos on their phones. The atmosphere was chaotic and intimidating rather than what you would expect from a 5-star hotel.

While attempting to select food, I was physically pushed out of the way by one of the men. I found this extremely intimidating and also witnessed similar behaviour towards other guests.

We therefore left breakfast shortly afterwards. We had not been able to enjoy the experience and, at the time, there appeared to be no meaningful intervention from hotel staff and no apology or acknowledgement of the situation.

Pool and beach

We subsequently went to the pool, hoping to relax.

After approximately an hour, the same group had effectively taken over the pool area. There was considerable shouting and jumping into the pool and, once alcohol was being served, the behaviour became increasingly disruptive.

We witnessed glasses being smashed around the pool area and alcohol and glasses being thrown into the pool.

Despite this, the group continued to be served.

We then tried the private beach area in the hope that we could find somewhere peaceful to relax. Unfortunately, members of the same group were there as well, with continued shouting, whistling and alcohol consumption.

This was completely at odds with the relaxing 5-star holiday experience we had paid for.

Further incident at breakfast

The following morning, it appeared that the hotel had received complaints about the previous day’s breakfast. The group were seated outside together, but we could still hear considerable shouting and disruption.

As I was entering the breakfast area, one of the men pushed into me, causing my plate to fall to the floor and smash.

Again, there was no meaningful apology or intervention from hotel staff.

Disturbance outside our room and concerns for our safety

The situation became even more distressing later that day.

Our room overlooked the swim-up rooms below us. From our balcony we witnessed behaviour which was completely unacceptable for the setting.

Members of the group were playing very loud music through portable speakers, shouting, swearing and jumping between the swim-up rooms. We also witnessed what appeared to be drug use and they were using a water pistol to spray towards our balcony and other guests’ balconies.

I found this behaviour extremely intimidating and contacted reception to complain.

The response I received was that they had received “a few calls” and were “sorting it”. However, the behaviour continued for approximately another hour.

I subsequently went to reception in person because I wanted to understand what action was actually being taken. The receptionist could see the area where the disturbance was taking place but again provided little reassurance beyond saying that they would deal with it.

We then encountered a member of management, who we now understand to have been the Assistant Manager. We explained the situation, including that we felt intimidated and uncomfortable, and requested that we be moved to another room.

During this conversation, I was extremely uncomfortable with the way the Assistant Manager looked at my breasts rather than giving his full attention to the serious complaint we were making. I felt this was entirely inappropriate, particularly given that we were approaching him because we felt intimidated and were asking for assistance.

Shortly afterwards, members of the group came up the stairs and began swearing at my partner and making offensive hand gestures & racist remarks towards him. This happened in front of hotel staff.

We were extremely upset and intimidated by this behaviour.

Other guests also witnessed what was happening. Two other couples who walked past expressed their concern and shock that this behaviour was being allowed to continue in a hotel of this standard. Another guest staying along the same corridor told us that he had also been verbally abused and sprayed with water. Another lady stated she would never return, she was a lady on a solo holiday.

The Assistant Manager eventually said that he would see whether we could be moved to another room.

We agreed to move, but only on the basis that the alternative room would be quiet and away from the group. Packing up our belongings and moving rooms in temperatures of around 30°C was itself an inconvenience and stress that we should never have had to experience during a relaxing holiday.

Moving rooms did not resolve the problem

We were moved to another room, but subsequently discovered that four members of the same group were staying directly underneath us.

As a result, we continued to experience the same type of disturbance.

Throughout the hotel, it became increasingly difficult to escape the situation. The group appeared to have taken over many of the hotel’s facilities and, when we encountered them around the complex, comments were made towards us which left us feeling uncomfortable and intimidated.

Spa facilities

On our fourth day, the group were again around the main pool, meaning that we could not comfortably use it.

We therefore decided to use the spa pool instead. Given that the temperature was around 30°C, having to retreat indoors simply to find somewhere peaceful was hardly the relaxing holiday experience we had paid for.

Unfortunately, on arrival, approximately 20 members of the group were in the spa pool. They were shouting and drinking and had inflatables in the pool. There was also smashed glass outside the spa area.

At this point, it became clear that there was effectively nowhere within the hotel where we could relax and enjoy the facilities we had paid for.

Hotel management’s response

What is particularly disappointing is that this was not simply one isolated incident.

The behaviour continued throughout the majority of our stay and affected our ability to use the hotel’s facilities, enjoy our room and balcony, eat breakfast peacefully and generally relax.

We spoke with a number of hotel staff members, some of whom indicated to us that the hotel management would not take significant action against the group because they were spending a considerable amount of money at the hotel.

If this is indeed the reason that the behaviour was tolerated, I find this extremely concerning.

Regardless of how much another group spends, all guests paying to stay at a 5-star hotel should be entitled to enjoy the facilities without being subjected to persistent excessive noise, intimidation, aggressive behaviour and disruption.

I did not spend approximately £2,700 on this holiday to find myself unable to enjoy the hotel I had specifically chosen and looked forward to visiting for several years.

At check-out, I was asked whether everything had been okay with our stay. When I explained what had happened, the response from reception was simply “oh yes, I’m sorry.”

Given the seriousness and duration of the problems we had experienced, I found this response extremely disappointing and felt there was very little genuine concern or attempt to address the situation.

This was supposed to be a special holiday to celebrate our anniversary and my partner’s birthday, and we had been looking forward to staying at Abaton Island Resort & Spa for several years.

Instead, we spent a significant proportion of the holiday trying to avoid other guests, being unable to use the pool and spa facilities as intended, experiencing excessive noise and disruption, moving rooms, dealing with intimidating behaviour and repeatedly raising concerns with hotel staff.

We were not the only guests affected, and we witnessed and heard concerns from other guests during our stay.

Just left this fantastic Hotel after 7 blissful days and nights.

This was my fourth visit, and it was as good as ever, the Hotel is beautifully situated with everything facing out to the Aegean sea, it's incredibly stylish, chic and minimal in style, with lots of white walls, marble floors and multiple areas to enjoy the sun from or to relax on one of the deck style areas with a book and take in the scenery, the furnishings in both rooms and public spaces are beautiful, elegant and very tastefully done.

Service is fantastic, from the Lovely housekeeper who wished me good morning on my trip to Breakfast each morning, Irini at breakfast who was so good and friendly, to Konsta in the bar, such a good guy, he made my early evening drink a real highlight of the day, good to see /claudia and a few other familiar faces still here, Popi and Polina as well. the staff are all fantastic, friendly, warm and genuine.

Food as ever was really good, booked half board but upgraded to Bony fish and Buddha bar a couple of nights, the buffet choice at both Breakfast and Dinner were superb, shout out to the Pastry team, the sweet offering at the hotel is exceptional.

The Hotel is almost too beautiful, it's hard to walk anywhere without grabbing your phone to capture the moment, it's not cheap but with service and facilities as good as they are it's worth it, the Pool area and service around it another highlight.

Housekeeping was excellent, roome spotlessly cleaned every day, and a good turndown every evening.

If i had one gripe it would be the Hotel does seem to be attracting a a bit of the Influencer type and a few entitled individuals who were less than polite when it came to how they dealt with staff.

Will return, and highly recommend if you want a laid back elegant and stylish hotel break.