Carpe Diem Apartaments & Hotel

Breakfast was the one really good part. For the price, though, we expected much better accommodation and service. We booked for 5 adults but were given beds for only 4, with part of the sofa turned into an extremely uncomfortable extra bed. Pigeons also made constant noise at night, so sleeping was difficult. The bathroom was cramped too, and even getting into the shower was awkward.

We liked the breakfast, and the location was nice. Unfortunately, parking was not easy to access. The booking was for 5 adults but there were only 4 beds, while the bathroom was far too small. The air conditioners were blocked at 26 degrees celsius or higher, so we couldn't set them lower.

I spent 4 nights in one of the apartments in July 2024, booked through the website. The location is good, and the employees were really great, including reception, the parking attendant, and the beach staff. The cleaning ladies also did their work well, and those staff members deserve tips. Sadly, the management and service culture created many problems, especially involving the manager. The air conditioners were unreliable. They were locked at certain temperatures or took time to work properly. When I asked an employee to fix the airflow, he climbed onto the couch where I was going to sleep with his shoes on. The same employee took one AC remote to replace its batteries, but never returned it, leaving us with one remote for two ACs. The toilet smelled because sewage odors came back through the system. Air fresheners would at least be a minimal solution, along with better ventilation. The elevator was tiny and could barely hold 3 people, so luggage made it practically unusable. At breakfast, the food was not labeled, meaning guests could not tell whether meat was pork, chicken, or something else, or whether items were vegan or vegetarian. When I mentioned this, the manager said guests could ask the employees, although simply adding labels would be an easy fix. Breakfast was delayed one morning because the hotel had scheduled a photo shooting for its social media. Guests were not informed beforehand or asked for permission before the photos were taken. When I said I knew the law very well and would sue if my photos were used, the manager replied that she knew the law too and had 4 degrees. That felt like an attempt to one up a customer rather than address the concern. The manager's behavior was the biggest issue. On our first day, she was shouting in the lobby while arguing with a customer who had mistreated a cleaning lady. Defending employees is right, but disturbing everyone by shouting showed poor service culture. When I raised various complaints, she argued instead of simply apologizing and saying the matter would be handled. When I complained about the late breakfast, she said it was late for only 5 minutes, although it was actually longer and many customers were waiting for the photo-shooting to finish. Before checkout, she deliberately asked to meet me, saying she did not want us to leave unsatisfied. I discussed several problems with her, but she was confrontational again, and I did not feel the discussion was an honest effort. The restaurant staff should also smile more and say Hi, Bye, and Thank you. I love Albania and want its tourism and businesses to do well. I had originally considered recommending this place for work events and bringing guests, but after this experience I am hesitant. There was also a 2% extra charge for paying by card, which should not have been pushed onto the customer in 2024. That was a shame.

The private beach is only a minute from the hotel, and chairs and a Sun Umbrella are included in the stay. The restaurant food was tasty, with very cheap prices compared with other European destinations. The hotel was comfortable, the service was helpful with every question, and there was FREE WIFI! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻