Odessa Beach Hotel

We had a fantastic week, everything was just right. A big thank you to David for the lovely flowers and birthday cake for my birthday, and it was lovely seeing Jimmy again. We’d recommend staying here and can’t wait to come back next year. Helen and Dave x

The location is fantastic and the food was good, but most of the rest of our stay was disappointing. The problems started at check-in, when no one explained that our booking included half board or that drinks cost extra. There was no menu at the restaurant, and staff didn't clarify drink choices or prices. We only found out later that extra charges had been added to our bill. The hotel wanted deposits for nearly everything, even beach towels. We could exchange towels only at 10 a.m. sharp, and no one had told us about that rule. At checkout we were charged €19 for drinks we hadn't realized weren't included. When we asked about it, staff seemed confused and couldn't explain clearly. The room and shared areas also felt neglected. Our sheets had holes, and the bed was made from several mattresses stacked awkwardly. The corridor carpets were filthy, housekeeping areas were often left open with a mess visible, and the old lifts creaked. During one odd moment, I got a note asking me to contact reception. The manager wanted to ask how my stay was, but it felt intrusive rather than caring. With the poor communication, cleanliness, and disorganized service, it was a deeply disappointing visit, even with the good location and acceptable food.

The hotel felt dated and didn’t meet my expectations for a four-star place. I stayed here 20 years ago, and apart from a coat of paint and a couple of changes, most of it seemed the same, even the room paintings. It feels more like a three-star hotel. Smoking was allowed in rooms and outside, which made it unpleasant for non-smokers. Our balcony glass was damaged and looked unsafe, and the wall sockets were coming out. The balcony door let in all the noise from the strip, with music going until 1 a.m., so earplugs are a good idea. Cleaning was hit or miss, and the sheets looked dirty when I checked the bed. The all-inclusive drinks were pretty basic, and the ice cream was a small chocolate and banana lolly that was awful. Breakfast and lunch were okay, repetitive but about what you'd expect. The evening meals were very disappointing. You can book different places to eat out: Georgias tavern had 1.6 stars on TripAdvisor at the time, so we didn't try it. The Chinese food was tasteless and unlike what you'd order at a Chinese restaurant. The Mexican was nice, though it was six courses and a lot of food. At sofa sofa, we were the only guests, and the waiter came out of a dark room with no lights on. A very odd experience. Even though we were all-inclusive, we ended up eating out every night and spent around £400. The free Wi-Fi was patchy and slow, and getting one of the free sunbeds meant being up at 6 a.m. We gave up and went to the beach and other hotels. We had a good holiday in Cyprus, which has plenty to offer, but this hotel wasn't for us and we wouldn't return. We did speak to a few people who said they'd been back several times over the past few years.

The food was poor, with little variety from day to day, and the desserts were terrible except for a really good chocolate cake on one day. There wasn't much to do beyond drinking and using the pool, and I don't think this hotel deserves four stars. The photos on Booking.com showed the best bits, like reception and the rooms, but the rest of the place was very old and didn't match what we found. On arrival, they wouldn't let us check in early and made us wait until exactly 3 p.m. We wouldn't have minded checking out early instead, as we actually did. Cleaning was another problem. The cleaners made the bed but didn't change the sheets. Our cups were dirty from the start, and a spider stayed in one of them throughout our visit. For two days in a row, we had to go to reception because our towels had been taken away without clean ones being left. One day they also took away the dirty mugs from the sink without washing them, as shown in the pictures.