Hotel Playa Azul

The setting is beautiful, which makes it a shame that the hotel fell so far short of what its holiday booking photos suggest. We wouldn’t stay again. The online pictures didn’t match what we found, even though the hotel was clean. The grounds were poorly kept, with bird droppings left around, and there was no WiFi despite it being advertised. The reception staff were unfriendly and didn’t apologize when problems came up. We arrived on May 2, the day after the hotel reopened following refurbishment. There weren’t many guests, yet we waited at least 35 minutes behind one other couple just to check in. Then our room wasn’t ready, even though we were only staying two nights. When we finally got into the bungalow, neither bedroom had curtains or blinds. Reception said they’d sort it out, but a couple of hours passed with nothing done, so we asked to move and they did arrange another room. The all-inclusive food was awful, with very little choice and no labels to say what anything was. There was nothing for children, flies landed on the food, and the dining room hadn’t been refurbished, so we ate on brown plastic garden chairs. Dinner was almost the same as lunch, except the pork was replaced with chicken. We only ate breakfast at the hotel and went elsewhere for the rest of our stay, as did many other guests we spoke to. The all-inclusive package wasn’t worth paying for. There were no daytime snacks as advertised, and there were only a few drinks at the bar, no cocktails. You also have to leave a €1 deposit for each cup, though you get it back. There’s no tea or coffee in the room unless you bring your own kettle or hire one from the hotel. We were disappointed by how long check-in took, the room problems, and the food. I wouldn’t recommend this hotel or book it again.

The holiday turned into a stressful waste of time for us. Bluesea Playa Azul and On the Beach both left us badly disappointed. The hotel didn’t seem ready for the season, and the photos on the On The Beach website bore no resemblance to what we saw. The reception, both rooms we stayed in, the main hall and the restaurant all looked completely different from the online offer. We had booked an economy room that was supposed to have a terrace or balcony. It was tiny and only had patio doors in the wall, with no balcony or terrace space. We paid another €105 for a room with a balcony and a promised sea view, but got a view of the children’s playground and air conditioning. The room still didn’t look like the listing, though it did have a balcony. We told reception, but got no response. The pool loungers were dirty, mouldy and sagging, and there was no music because we were told the sound system was broken. Meals were another major problem. The only vegetables served were basic chopped cucumber, tomato, pepper and onion, plus grated beetroot from a jar and iceberg lettuce. Breakfast was ordinary, and the tiny sausages were inedible. Lunch was mostly fries and the same salad vegetables as breakfast. Dinners were cold, with other dishes from tins and jars, and the same vegetables and desserts as at earlier meals. When I complained about the cold food, I was told to heat it in the microwave. Desserts were the same cheap cake for three or four days, with no local specialties. I couldn’t believe there were no olives, for example. If you’re coming with kids, good luck. I raised my concerns with the manager three times. She missed our first meeting, then I reported more problems two days later and heard nothing. Two more days on, we asked for a refund and got no response. We were also told entertainment was available on Tuesdays and Fridays. The problems were extensive enough that we tried to get help from the company we booked through. Between May 8 and May 11 I contacted On the Beach repeatedly without success. Their suggested chat was just AI, and reaching them by phone was nearly impossible. After four days I finally spoke to a person, resubmitted my comments and sent photos over WhatsApp. Five days later, the written reply told us to sort out whatever we didn’t like with the hotel. That felt irresponsible. They didn’t even call the hotel to check what was happening, let alone contact me. By comparison, Jet2holidays customers got professional help on the day they arrived or the next day. A Jet2 representative was there daily and arranged things for their customers, including hotel changes, transfers and refunds when relocation wasn’t approved. I learned this from speaking with a Jet2 representative and hotel guests. I have everything documented in photos, and could say much more, but I’ll leave this alongside the other customer reviews.

We had a brilliant 10-day holiday and would happily come back another time. The location is fantastic, and although some parts of the hotel could use an update, everything was very clean. The food was excellent, with plenty to choose from, and we didn’t have one bad meal. Our first room had a problem, but Ana at reception sorted it out the next day and moved us to a lovely room for the rest of our stay. The staff were all friendly and helpful. Thanks, Ana.

We stayed in August and really liked the spacious rooms. They were always clean, and the receptionist was very nice. The mattresses were old and hard, but you can ask for a topper. The food was good and the staff were okay. We did wish the terrace had been open for breakfast and dinner, since the noisy dining room didn’t feel much like a restaurant. Everything else was perfect. Thank you.