The Grand Gloria Hotel

The main street location makes getting around convenient, though the constant car horns make it hard to sleep. My room had one tiny window, about 50 cm, and it felt like a prison cell. Inside, there was hardly anything provided, not even water or a coffee sachet, and the bathroom smelled bad. Its door wouldn't close properly either. The rooms are so cramped there isn't even room to open a suitcase, and some lobby attendants were unpleasant. I wouldn't call this a real five-star hotel, maybe a weak four-star at best. Still, it beats many of the other so-called five-star places nearby, which says something about them. It's not all bad, but don't expect a proper five-star stay.

The breakfast is a real bright spot: the food was outstanding, and the breakfast crew gave excellent service. Reception were okay too. But the gym has been a big letdown. We pick hotels with decent fitness facilities, and this one fell well short. A lot of the equipment is cheap, old, and in places broken enough to seem unsafe. We were also told to leave at 8:30 in the morning because the gym doesn't open until 10. That's very unusual for travelers who want an early workout, since hotel gyms are often open around the clock. We're only two nights into a week-long stay, but this already feels like a serious mismatch between the hotel's image and its fitness facilities. The gym needs proper investment. As it stands, it's not acceptable for a hotel of this standard.

We paid extra for two rooms so my wife and I could stay separately from our children, expecting a comfortable visit. Instead, throughout our stay, the hotel fell far short on management, cleanliness, and facilities, and I left deeply dissatisfied. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a safe, clean, enjoyable stay. The pool was closed for cleaning from the day we arrived until the day we checked out. The gym was also closed, and the billiard table had been removed. We had to pay for beach amenities as an alternative. Our rooms had ants, and a candy wrapper from a previous guest stayed by the bed the whole time, despite several cleaning requests. Housekeeping only came after repeated calls. The towels were old and worn, far below what a reputable hotel should provide. Breakfast was overcrowded, so we had to wait for a table. When I asked for an omelet, a staff member translated for the chef, who shouted angrily in their native language in front of guests. The way he acted made me fear for the food's hygiene and safety. From the unavailable facilities to the unhygienic rooms and unprofessional behavior, this was a complete failure of hospitality.

Being close to the mall was the one thing we liked. The rest was a big disappointment, and after a few days I was already missing home. We came for five days, but getting into the room took three hours, and it was very dirty. The sheets were dirty too. We asked for coffee and spoons, called several times, and still didn't get them. When we arrived, staff hung up on us. They were rude, and their English wasn't good enough for Google Translate to work. The elevators didn't work, and the whole hotel seemed to be relying on one elevator. The heated pool never worked, even though every day they said it would. The gym was small and more like a three-star facility. The room windows were always open, but we couldn't open them ourselves. There was loud noise that made it hard to sleep, and on the first day there was a foul sewage smell. There were also insects, flies and a few butterflies. We asked to change rooms, but were told the hotel was full and it wasn't possible. When someone came to bring a pillowcase, I was changing and asked him to stay out of the bedroom, but he didn't listen. This felt like a three-star hotel. I wouldn't recommend it.