Gran Melia Palacio de Isora

Sadly, I have to agree with many of the recent negative reviews. I’m not someone who normally complains, but our experience was so disappointing that I feel compelled to share it. We were five ladies enjoying a much-needed three-night break. First impressions were excellent: the public areas are beautiful and well maintained. Unfortunately, things went rapidly downhill from there.

Rooms and a broken promise Before booking, we specifically emailed the hotel to confirm that a proper extra single bed could be provided in one of our rooms for the fifth person, rather than a sofa bed. We were assured it could, and reiterated this request when booking. As we were all paying equally, having a proper bed for everyone was important and a deciding factor in choosing this hotel. After a lengthy check-in, during which we were encouraged to upgrade to all-inclusive (thankfully, on reading other reviews here, we declined), we eventually received our rooms. One was fine, but the other, room 4055, smelled strongly of damp the moment we opened the door. The wooden panelling around the shower was visibly water-damaged and so swollen that the sliding bathroom door was extremely difficult to open and close. I suspect a longstanding leak behind the shower wall. It was clearly not a new issue, and I find it impossible to believe it hadn’t previously been noticed. One cupboard also bizarrely smelled strongly of urine. To add to our disappointment, the promised single bed was simply a chaise longue with bedding on it. We reported the damp the following morning, initially to concierge, who promised reception would contact us. Nobody did. When we returned, reception knew nothing about it, so we had to explain everything again. Their response was astonishingly dismissive. We were repeatedly told the hotel was full, nothing could be done, and we should return the following day. I explained that one of our party has quite severe asthma, making a damp room particularly concerning, but this made absolutely no difference. No apology, no empathy and no attempt to find a solution. We were made to feel as though we were being difficult simply for raising the issue. I’m sceptical the hotel was genuinely full, given the number of empty sunbeds around the pool, although obviously I cannot know for certain. Regardless, we had little choice but to spend another night in the room.

On our final morning, we were eventually offered another room after again chasing reception, but initially told it wouldn’t be available until after 4:30 p.m. We eventually received a call (the first time anyone had actually called us) shortly after 3 p.m. and packed up to move rooms for our final night. The replacement room was perfectly fine and of the same type, although the third bed hadn’t been made up and we had to request this. Imagine our frustration when housekeeping promptly arrived with a proper, full-sized single bed on wheels, complete with a comfortable, full-depth mattress, which fitted into the room perfectly! So the hotel had been perfectly capable of providing exactly what we’d requested all along. Had we not been forced to change rooms, we’d never have known. This really summed up our experience.

Service consistently below standard Unfortunately, the poor service extended throughout the hotel. Many staff appeared abrupt, disinterested or inconvenienced by even the simplest request. Communication was often difficult due to limited English, and it became something of a running joke within our group that every interaction seemed to be met with irritation. For example, we asked one of three lifeguards standing nearby chatting to each other if someone could help us move a particularly heavy pool umbrella. We were told no, but they would radio for assistance, but nobody ever came, so we eventually moved elsehwere.

Similarly, the poolside service buttons illuminated when pressed, but nobody ever responded. Getting a drink meant trying to flag down one of the few attendants, who generally seemed inconvenienced by being approached. There simply weren’t enough staff for a hotel of this size. We also overheard several other guests complaining about the hotel's service, and it certainly felt as though Spanish-speaking guests received more attentive service.

There were some exceptions, which I’ll come to, but overall the attitude towards guests was far below what I’d expect from a five-star hotel.

Restaurants and food Restaurant reservations were unnecessarily complicated. Despite trying to book immediately upon arrival, every restaurant was apparently fully booked for our first two evenings. We could only secure a reservation for our final night. Both reception and concierge insisted bookings had to be made through the hotel app and refused to assist. The app was temperamental, frequently displayed only in Spanish and would only allow reservations for the number of guests registered to each room. As five people across two rooms, we had to make separate bookings and then arrange for concierge to combine them. What should have been a simple task became a lengthy and frustrating ordeal. On our first evening, we paid €48 per person for the buffet. There was plenty of choice and the food was OK, although I’ve experienced better elsewhere. Service was again disorganised, with several staff seemingly responsible for drinks but nobody actually attending to us without being chased. On our second evening, we ate outside the hotel at B on the Rocks, which I would highly recommend. Absolutely delicious food and excellent service — a refreshing contrast! Our final evening was at the hotel’s Italian restaurant, Olio. The food was pleasant enough, but the experience was underwhelming. After our first night, we’d received an email asking for feedback, to which we responded honestly about the poor service. On our final evening, reception called to ask if there was anything they could do to improve our experience. By then, of course, it was rather late. They knew we had a reservation at Olio, so we hoped they might make some small gesture, perhaps a complimentary bottle of wine or something similar. Sadly, nothing. It was also one of our party’s birthdays, and we’d contacted the restaurant beforehand to ask if they could do something special. This amounted to a single pink candle placed in a dessert we’d ordered, accompanied by “Happy Birthday”. A nice enough gesture in isolation, but given everything that had happened and the hotel’s specific offer to improve our experience, we’d hoped for a little more thought.

Breakfast was generally good, with plenty of choice and some lovely staff on the cooking stations. However, the pastries tasted like frozen, bake-off products rather than freshly made, and the machine coffee was dreadful. Getting tea or coffee served at the table was another challenge. On one occasion, when we eventually tracked down the waiter responsible for our area, he told us he was too busy. When he finally appeared, he slammed the jugs onto the table. Tea consisted of hot water and a single teabag.

Pool areas and general maintenance The pool areas look beautiful in photographs, but the reality is rather different. There aren’t enough umbrellas for the number of sunbeds, and many loungers sit on grass that becomes muddy from the sprinklers, meaning you’re constantly walking around with muddy feet. The water jets in the jacuzzi-style section of the saltwater infinity pool weren’t working, with broken controls that appeared to have been that way for some time. Tiles are deteriorating, and there is considerable wear and tear throughout the property. This hotel may well have been five-star when it was built, but significant refurbishment is now needed.

Other small details also detracted from the experience. There were no bathrobes in our room, which seems a basic omission at this level. At check-in, we were also told that €50 would be charged to our account for the towel cards, refundable upon their return. This seemed an unnecessarily cumbersome arrangement, particularly as the towel service closed at 6 p.m., meaning anyone leaving the pool later had to carry their wet towels back to their room. Drinks were extremely inconsistent. We had some lovely piña coladas and others that were dreadful, with barely any discernible alcohol. Poolside food, however, was very nice and arrived promptly when we managed to place an order.

Credit where it’s due I do want to acknowledge that not all the staff were disappointing. The sports and fitness team running the pool yoga and aqua spin classes were absolutely fantastic — friendly, enthusiastic and a genuine joy. They really stood out, and I’m sorry I can’t remember their names. There was also a lovely lady taking food and drink orders around the pool on our final day, who was warm, helpful and efficient. Sadly, these individuals were the exception rather than the rule.

Overall This is simply not a five-star hotel by any reasonable standard. The grounds and public spaces are attractive, and there are some genuinely lovely members of staff, but the tired rooms, poor maintenance, inconsistent food and drinks, cumbersome booking systems and, above all, indifferent service make it impossible to recommend. I appreciate that experiences can vary, which perhaps explains the mixed reviews. We may simply have been unlucky, but the sheer number of problems across different areas of the hotel suggests something more systemic.

Interestingly, halfway through our stay, one of our party realised having experienced similarly poor service at another Meliá hotel recently. It does make me wonder whether some of these issues reflect wider management standards rather than being isolated to this property.

What disappointed us most wasn’t that things went wrong — that can happen anywhere — but the complete lack of willingness to put them right. At no point did anyone apologise for the condition of our room or make us feel that our concerns were being taken seriously. Instead, we were treated with what felt like disdain, almost as though we were inventing the problem.

To really top it all off, at check out the staff specifically requested that we score the hotel 9 or 10 out of 10 on the feedback forms that would shortly arrive!

I wouldn’t recommend this hotel, and I certainly wouldn’t return. Based on this experience, I’d also be very reluctant to book another Meliá resort.

Red Level

The hotel is huge and you pay a premium to use Red Level amenities. A secluded area with an open air breakfast facility with light snacks during the day. Between 4.30 pm and 6 pm spirits and mixers are provided with tapas. However the drinks are not pre chilled. There is a bucket with beers in but mixers are not chilled before being offered or spirits. It is self service and you have to rely on filling a glass with ice and hoping to cool your drink sufficiently. The spirits are premium brands but with warm mixers the magic is lost.