Hotel Vila Palma

The staff and hotel services were a real plus. Housekeeping cleaned our room daily, and though the products sometimes smelled strong and the bedding wasn't changed every day, it was always clean. The bartenders made our drinks just how we wanted them. The pool and beach were great, and with few annoying vendors around, the beach felt peaceful. Food was the main disappointment. For a 5* hotel, the kitchen didn't measure up. Compared with a 5* hotel in Poland at the same price, it was night and day. The selection repeated, with dry chicken, poor quality ham and sausages, and a taste around 4/10. Some days reached maybe 7-8/10 at best. The sausages from the first day seemed to still be there on the last, and sometimes food was dried out, as if it had been sitting for a few days. The hotel made a good first impression after we arrived for our all-inclusive week: modern surroundings, a beautiful pool, and friendly staff. But flaws showed up at the first dinner. Some details felt sloppy, like the very soft mattress and, in our room, a broken toilet brush handle. They may be small things, but they matter at a 5* hotel. There was also construction at the neighboring hotel or building, so it was noisy during the week, and the hotel has no gym. One odd all-inclusive limitation was the lack of an available hotel bar. At least they could mix the same drinks as outside there. During the day, drinks were only available from the beach bar, while the lovely indoor bar with its seats couldn't be used with the package. The beach bar closed at 10pm, after which even water cost extra. That felt an hour too early, since entertainment often continued until 11pm. Only mojitos were included among cocktails, though local beer and spirits were covered. The hotel left a good impression, but has plenty to improve and is far from the standard of 5* hotels in Central Europe. I'd probably recommend it to friends, with a clear warning about the food. After a week and once my emotions had settled, I'd give it 3.5/5 for the price, though I'm rounding up to 4 on Google.

It was my first time in Albania, and a really pleasant surprise. The sandy beach, tasty food, and properly chilled drinks were all great. The hotel is nicely designed, and unusually, it looks just like the photos. The staff were super friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend! 😉

The restaurant was the biggest letdown. During our five days, we never once had a hot meal, and lunch and dinner were very repetitive. The pool outside also drags the place down, with only ten sunbeds. There is a lovely bar inside, but for some reason you can't use it if you're all inclusive. Very strange. The hotel interior is beautiful, but late-flight guests have nowhere to shower. We were told to use the outdoor shower on the beach. Hard to see how that's normal for a supposedly 5 star hotel.

Our suite was fantastic, with a lovely sea view and a jacuzzi bath. It was cleaned well each morning, and sheets and towels were replaced daily. The hotel itself is modern and clean, and the staff were fantastic, especially the receptionist, bar staff, waiters, and cleaners. We enjoyed the food throughout our week. It was tasty, always hot, replenished quickly, and the menu changed regularly. The buffet is fairly small, though, and could use more options or live cooking, like omelettes at breakfast and carving at dinner. We also ate at the a la carte restaurant once, where the meal and service were really nice and not expensive. Eating outside was a nice change. Based on other all-inclusive stays we've had in Europe, a few changes would have made things better. At every meal, you had to queue at the bar for tea, coffee, or alcohol, since drinks weren't brought to the table. During the day, drinks were only available at the beach bar, while the beautiful indoor bar and its comfortable seats went unused because all-inclusive guests couldn't get drinks there. The beach bar shut at 10pm, and then even water cost extra. We felt an hour later would make sense, since entertainment often continued until 11pm. Only mojito was included as a cocktail, though local beer and spirits were included too. We understand some of this may be cultural differences. There weren't many poolside beds, mostly because of the layout, and most were reserved by 8.30am. They could easily put 10 more at the far end of the pool, which isn't used. The pool could also use a scrub, as green algae lined the whole edge. Daytime activities were sparse: there was one good pool Zumba class during our week, but a morning yoga session or hotel-organized beach volleyball would have been nice. There's no gym or spa at the hotel. We were told we could use those services at the sister hotel, but it's a half-hour cab ride away. We really enjoyed our time in Albania and at Royal G Deluxe Hotel.