Michelangelo Resort and Spa

Third visit in 3 years and it just gets better. The staff remain the ‘jewel in the crown’ with the superstar employees such as Christa in the main bar, Helena at the beach and Susannah in the main restaurant. Their effortless efficiency always impresses. This year the team is headed by Mr Lampros Paraskevopoulos who has been wonderfully approachable and displays a superb level of customer interface. Together with the excellent service, the food has also really impressed this year both in choice and presentation, everything cooked to perfection. Service staff for the rooms also remain outstanding. Thank you Michelangelo for another amazing holiday.

Whilst we enjoyed exploring Kos during our week holiday, the issues we encountered with the resort and the way they were handled by staff cast a huge shadow over what should have been a relaxing break.

We booked a sea view room. On the first day we noticed a few flies outside our room on the balcony but didn't think much about it. On our third day we were greeted by a steady stream of maggots falling onto our balcony from above, making it completely unusable. We contacted the hotel via WhatsApp but they took hours to reply, which unfortunately became a recurring theme throughout our stay. We ended up going to reception and showing them photos. We were assured the issue would be dealt with.

Several hours later whilst waiting for news by the pool, we were informed via WhatsApp that staff were preparing an alternative room for us to move to and they would let us know when it was ready. Two hours passed without any update. At 6pm, having already packed our belongings and having waited patiently for a message we went to reception only to be told that the room had actually been ready. We were then asked to wait there for assistance moving our luggage. What was supposed to be "a moment" became another ten minute wait until another staff member pointed out we had effectively been forgotten!

After losing a significant portion of our day dealing with the issue and packing/unpacking, we expected some form of goodwill gesture. Instead, we were eventually moved into a room with a broken toilet and a sofa bed made up for a family, taking up half the room. Once again, we contacted reception and waited over an hour for housekeeping and maintenance to attend.

That evening I spoke with the manager (Manos) to explain our disappointment. He provided lengthy explanations for what he suspected had caused all the issues, ranging from poor water quality on the island to problems with the drains (??). But when I asked whether any compensation could be considered in the form of a reduced final bill, he refused, stating he did not have the "authority" to do this. Instead he said he could consider offering us a "service" instead. When I suggested that we had booked in for massages in a few days time and asked if these could be offered as a gesture of goodwill, again he explained he didn't have the "authority", suggesting instead that I talk with TUI if I was unhappy. At this point I could see the conversation was headed nowhere, it was creating more stress for me and taking up more of our holiday so I gave up.

Unfortunately though, the problems continued...

My husband's laundry, collected one morning, was not returned for over two and a half days. After another trip to reception he was asked to wait while staff searched for it. The item was eventually handed back with no apology. Similarly, we experienced intermittent issues with hot water in our room for the remainder of our stay. Given our previous experiences we gave up contacting reception at this point and put up with a few lukewarm showers.

Other areas that fell short of 5 star standards:

• As others have also pointed out, reception staff were unwelcoming and generally unfriendly, especially on arrival.
• We witnessed a senior Greek waitress openly shouting at and chastising her younger colleagues in front of all of the guests, which was uncomfortable and unprofessional. This occurred on the outside patio of the main restaurant.
• The main pool offers stunning views but was extremely cold, to the point where it felt more like a plunge pool and we could only stand 10 minutes of swimming at a time.
• Sunbeds were stained and several umbrellas were ripped (I understand it was the end of the season but again, this is not 5 star standard).
• Sea view room balconies lacked privacy between neighbouring rooms - strangely not all balconies had privacy glass.
• Poolside cocktails costing €9-10 were served in small paper coffee cups ?!
• As per previous reviews, the gym was terrible. Equipment was dated, poorly maintained and verging on dangerous. There were missing dumbbells, broken static bikes and a broken workout bench being held up by a large dumbbell!!
• The spa treatment rooms were pleasant, but the whole lower floor felt dated and the indoor pool appeared poorly maintained with dirty yellow tiles.
• On our last breakfast where we sat inside for the only time, we witnessed a bird eating food from the buffet area and another flying around. As other reviews have touched upon, they clearly have issues regarding pest control.

Positive points:

• The resort's location is undoubtedly its greatest draw. The sea views are stunning, and watching the sunrise from our room was a highlight. The hotel is also a short bus ride from the old town.
• The outdoor dining terrace was a lovely setting and we were fortunate to enjoy dinner outside every evening.
• The Asian restaurant, Soya, was very good. The food, service and atmosphere were among the best experiences of our stay.
• Several staff members deserve recognition, particularly Henry in the main restaurant and Joshua at breakfast, who were consistently welcoming, professional and attentive. The pool staff and Mediterranean restaurant staff were also friendly and helpful.

Overall, we had a mostly relaxing holiday, but we would NOT return to this resort.

If you're fortunate enough not to encounter any issues you may well have a pleasant stay. However, if something goes wrong our experience was that communication was poor, responses were incredibly slow, and customer service was nowhere near 5 star standard. Also the absence of any meaningful goodwill gesture for all the problems we encountered left us feeling disappointed and undervalued as guests.

Sadly all of this spoiled what should have been a special holiday for us.