Roca Nivaria Gran Hotel

The hotel itself is lovely, with a spacious, clean room and an excellent upper sea view. It had separate bathroom and shower areas, a tub and two sinks. The pools look nice, but they were crowded with children playing with balls, toys and inflatables, and jumping or diving despite signs saying not to. This continued during lifeguard hours. One lifeguard did tell a mother that her child couldn't kick a ball around, which seemed fair with people trying to relax nearby. Many guests were families with two or three children or newborns, so there was a lot of noise and crying. Even the hot tub style pool had young children playing and diving. I wouldn't choose this hotel for a quiet couples' trip or a relaxing holiday as a retiree. The gym was decent, though it smelled strongly of plastic and had no ventilation. Food was a major disappointment, the worst of our all-inclusive experiences so far. We were surprised that half board, which covers breakfast and dinner, didn't even include water at dinner. Breakfast was underwhelming, with tasteless scrambled eggs. The pancakes were OK, but the maple syrup wasn't beside them and was hard to find. There was no fresh orange juice, and the juice seemed watered down and pasteurized. The tiny "vegan corner" offered only a small plate of an option, more like an appetizer than a meal, plus a glass of some unpleasant pureed mixture each day. Vegetarian choices were scattered around instead of together. We also saw a mother return cheese to the serving tray after her toddler had picked it up with bare hands. Parents shouldn't let toddlers serve themselves like that. A separate family area, or printed menus with only children above a certain age serving themselves, would help. Fresh fruit selection was adequate, and desserts were usually delicious with a nice variety. The surrounding area is pleasant, with a nice walkway along the water, a few restaurants and a supermarket right in front of the hotel, and a small shopping mall about 15 minutes away. The beach is a tiny, public, black-sand rocky stretch without chairs, and probably not somewhere you'd want to sit. I wish we'd been told about the free shuttle to the other hotel near the busier beach, with its many shops and places to eat. We only found out near the end when asking what there was to see locally. The hotel is lovely, but I absolutely wouldn't recommend it to couples. You may want to skip all-inclusive and eat elsewhere, since the food isn't very good. Perhaps the other Adrian hotels are a better option, as they seem to have an adults-only one, and maybe the food is better there. If you do visit as a couple, bring noise-cancelling headphones for the pool.

The dinner grill was the one part that felt poorly organized. On our first evening, just one chef was cooking fresh fish, and the long queue left many guests giving up. We waited around 15-20 minutes for grilled fish. For a large five-star hotel, that could be handled more efficiently. The rest of our two-night stay was wonderful. Our premium room had a beautiful ocean view, and waking up to it made the visit feel special. The enormous heated saltwater pool was a highlight, with a cozy, carefully designed area, palm trees and a bar right by the water. It's a beautiful five-star hotel with stunning sea views.

The setting is beautiful and the staff are still attentive, but I hope management restores the balance that made this a five-star experience for us. I've visited The Rocca Navaria more than eight times over many years, always treating it as my go-to place for a quiet, relaxing and romantic holiday. The rooms, food and staff used to be consistently excellent. In recent years, the focus has shifted toward families. That may work for some guests, but the atmosphere has changed noticeably. Dinner used to feel refined and peaceful; now it can feel like a busy fast-food restaurant. Family areas are designated, but not well enforced, which takes away from the experience for couples and anyone seeking peace and elegance.

Our room was spacious and had a lovely sea view from the balcony on the 6th floor. There were two sun loungers and a table and chairs out there, and it caught the sun really well. The hotel is beautifully designed, very clean and easy to get around, with plenty of lifts. There's a walkway around this hotel and the one next door. Staff were friendly and helpful whenever there was a problem. The food had lots of variety, with a different theme each night. I also loved the walk-in wardrobe. Buses to different parts of the island run regularly, and the stop is near the hotel.