Abora Continental by Lopesan Hotels

Disappointing stay, made worse by poor customer service

Our group has been staying at this hotel for over 12 years, so it’s disappointing to say that this has been our worst experience by far.

The positives first. The location is good, the food is generally good, and we chose to upgrade to the Premium All Inclusive package at check-in (around €14 per person, per night). For us, the upgrade was worthwhile as it included cocktails and boxed water, although it’s worth noting that energy drinks and ice cream still incur an additional charge. The atmosphere around the hotel, however, felt much flatter than on previous visits.

Unfortunately, the problems started almost immediately. When we entered our room there were discarded clothing tags left on the floor and a dirty cleaning cloth had been left in the bathroom. It wasn’t a huge issue in itself, but it wasn’t a great first impression.

The following day we struggled to find sunbeds, with many seemingly reserved by towels from very early in the morning. While my partner was asleep on a lounger, a member of staff approached and began speaking rapidly in Spanish about the parasol. Having literally just been woken up, she understandably didn’t immediately understand what he was asking, despite speaking some Spanish. He then attempted to remove the parasol, despite her asking him not to, and used what we understood to be a Spanish profanity towards her. It was completely unnecessary and left us shocked.

We also experienced inconsistent and, at times, rude treatment regarding the smoking/vaping policy. The pool area is no smoking, which is perfectly reasonable, but the signage is not particularly clear and doesn’t specifically mention vaping. One member of our group asked a member of staff where vaping was permitted and was directed behind the pool bar. We used that area throughout the day before later being shouted at by the barman, who then informed us there was a designated smoking area on the other side of the snack bar.

We had absolutely no issue with moving to the correct area once this was explained. Our issue was the way it was communicated. Staff could simply have corrected us politely rather than speaking to guests in such an abrupt manner.

After this interaction, service from the same barman noticeably changed. We experienced unnecessary delays while waiting to be served, and although he’d served us boxed water throughout the day, he challenged whether we were “Premium” despite our wristbands being clearly visible. Verifying wristbands is perfectly understandable, but the manner in which it was done felt unnecessarily confrontational.

There were several other interactions that reinforced the feeling that customer service standards have slipped. One member of staff carrying a large bag along a pathway appeared unwilling to make even a slight adjustment to allow both parties to pass comfortably. Despite there being sufficient space, my friend ended up stepping into the planted area to let the staff member through after receiving what she described as a hostile stare.

I raised all of these concerns with Kevin in Guest Relations on Tuesday. I specifically asked for an update by email because I didn’t want to spend more of my holiday standing at reception. Three days later I still hadn’t received any response, so I emailed the hotel myself. At the time of writing this review, that email has also gone unanswered.

Since raising the complaint, further issues have occurred. Housekeeping moved a significant number of our personal belongings around the room, including opening my toiletry bag and hanging it up, and moving my vitamins from the bedside table to the dressing table. While perhaps well-intentioned, I don’t expect housekeeping to open or rearrange my personal belongings.

There was also an evening where chicken served as part of the curry was visibly pink inside. We chose not to eat it.

Finally, if you’re booking because the hotel advertises a gym, manage your expectations. Calling it a gym is generous. It consists of a lat pulldown machine, a treadmill with multiple faults (speed, incline and buttons not functioning), a couple of adjustable benches and a small selection of dumbbells. Anyone hoping to maintain a normal training routine will likely be disappointed.

Problems can happen at any hotel. What matters is how they’re handled. Sadly, that’s where this hotel has failed us. The complete lack of follow-up from Guest Relations, despite being promised one, has been the most disappointing aspect of the entire stay.

Based on this experience, we won’t be returning, which is particularly disappointing given our group’s long history of staying here.

I was a little apprehensive when I booked this hotel through Tui, as they had rated it 4* but it is in fact a 3* hotel. The reviews on here were Marmite also. As we pulled in, the first thing I saw was all the construction work going on outside, I was like please no!! The check in was slow as they only had one person behind the desk. After this initial experience, the desk always seemed to be manned adequately. When we arrived at the room and opened the door, I realised we had lucked out. We were the other end of the hotel to the construction workers and had a sea view!! This hotel could do with an upgrade aesthetically, it needs a lick of paint in places and tidying up. The showers were disappointing as they would fluctuate between hot and cold, which isn’t ideal. But the rest of our experience was pleasant and hassle free. Food was as good as all inclusive gets. Immaculately clean throughout, the staff work tirelessly keeping the place spotless. I used to watch them early in the morning cleaning all the nooks and crannies. Polite and friendly staff. There’s a lovely relaxed vibe around the place. Beautifully situated from the beach and nightlife. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and appreciate the hospitality. Thank you.