Nalu Resort & Spa

The staff were wonderful, polite, attentive, and quick to help. When we noticed a small problem with the pipe under the sink, they fixed it in ten minutes. Service in the restaurant was spot on, with no delays or mix-ups. The dinners were so good, with enough variety and quality that we didn’t eat out once during our ten days, even though we usually go to tavernas in Greece. It reminded us of Turkey, if you know what I mean. The hotel feels new, fresh, and luxurious, and there’s a private beach right below it. They even bring cold water to your sunbed. We loved that touch. We’d seen some negative reviews before arriving and worried a little, but after the first day those concerns faded. Maybe we’re not especially demanding. The neighboring room doors do shut loudly, though I wouldn’t say they kept us from sleeping. One part of the property seemed wasted: the beautiful, atmospheric space between the bar and the beach. We never saw anyone using it during our ten-day stay. It could be a lovely spot for events, parties, or even an evening DJ. Hopefully they’ll make use of it as the new hotel develops.

The pool area is pleasant, the beach is great, and the snacks and lunch choices are top notch. The food was decent and service from most of the staff was good. But our experience at reception with Nikolas (or Nikos, or something like that) was awful. He was rude, unhelpful, and disrespectful to my girlfriend and me on several occasions, giving us nasty looks and almost laughing at us. We asked politely if there might be another room, since ours was right next to the dining area and looked nothing like the online photos in its layout. He seemed reluctant even to check, and told us we should be grateful for our room, saying the photos differed for “commercial” purposes. A younger woman colleague was much more helpful. She arranged for the manager to move us for free to a “better” room that matched the layout and interior shown online. We thanked them both and enjoyed the rest of our stay, aside from having to pass Nikolas. He looked at us like spoiled kids and once stopped us to say, “you better be happy now, the room is great.” It made us uncomfortable enough that we tried not to go by reception. The rest of the workers and servers were very good, and there really wasn’t much else to complain about in the hotel or its standards. My bad review is mainly to point out how poorly Nikolas treats guests. The air conditioning also kept switching off about an hour after we fell asleep, so I woke up several times feeling too hot in nights around 30 degrees Celsius. It may sound minor, but losing several hours of sleep on a supposedly relaxing holiday isn’t relaxing. I’d book again at the same price if I knew he was gone and the air conditioning worked. The five stars for service are for everyone except Nikolas. He deserves minus five.

We enjoyed the pool, the convenient location, the excellent breakfast, and a large, very comfortable bed. We didn’t have the air conditioning problems or see the preferential treatment for influencers mentioned by other guests. Still, at this price, the problems we ran into were more than I’d normally put up with. I’m not keen on leaving bad reviews and asked if we could give private feedback, but that option wasn’t offered. We paid for a “sea view” room, but there was no sea view from inside. You could see the sea only from the balcony, and the view was much like the “side sea view” rooms, just a little closer to the water. It felt misleading. The complimentary wine waiting for us was already open and half empty. Contractors also knocked twice during our two-day stay to fix something in the room, despite the “Do Not Disturb” sign. That was inconvenient and unprofessional. Finally, the shower area was visually open to the rest of the room and had no blackout curtains, so light filled the room every morning and made it hard to rest. I wish I could give the place a higher rating, but these shortcomings were more than I could accept at this price.

Veronica, the spa manager, welcomed us warmly, showed us around, and made sure everything was just right for our visit. My best friend and I had a wonderful time enjoying the sauna, pool, cold showers, and especially the massages. Natalia adjusted the pressure to suit me perfectly, and it was one of the best massages I’ve ever had. The whole experience was so relaxing. A big thank you to both of them. I highly recommend this hotel and spa!