Annabelle Beach Resort - All Inclusive

Staff were great throughout, friendly and helpful, and there were plenty of things to do on a cloudy day, like tennis, pool, and boules. The setting is beautiful, with lovely beaches and hotels around, and the local shop is a short walk away. A cab to the main town costs €10. The food was good quality with a decent choice each night, though it could use more variety, especially for fussy eaters. One thing to know is that guests pay a €15 per room per night tax. We only found out a couple of weeks before our visit, and it seemed much higher than elsewhere. All in all, we had a great all-inclusive holiday.

The hotel is right by the sea, and the food was delicious with plenty to choose from. The staff were friendly, and thanks to bartender Giorgos (Zac Efron) for the tasty cocktails. I did miss having music by the pool during the day. What bothered me most was that there were no separate smoking and non-smoking areas. People smoked everywhere, by the sea, at the pool, even in the water, and smoking was allowed in reception too.

We ended up eating salad and chips most days, until we found some lovely restaurants outside the resort. The food was poor in quality and choice, with very little for vegetarians. At the A la carte restaurant, they served me meat even after I'd asked for vegetarian food. When I asked whether the aubergine dish contained meat, I was lied to. The staff didn't seem to care that I didn't want to eat meat, and I left feeling nauseated. Reception called it an unintentional mistake, but the reception manager didn't have the capacity to deal with my complaint. For an all-inclusive stay, there were no fresh fruit juices, only concentrate, no dairy-free milk for breakfast or hot drinks, and no branded soft drinks, just cheap alternatives. The resort is on the beach, though it isn't fine sand. There is a lovely sandy beach if you explore the coastline. The resort is described as five-star luxury, but it didn't meet international five-star standards. Our bedroom was spacious, but the bedding wasn't changed daily. The soft furnishings were sad and old, and the bathroom was drab but practical. We definitely wouldn't visit again.

The only good part of our stay was the food. The hotel itself was old, dirty, and badly maintained; by European standards, I'd put it at about 1.5 stars. I even saw a cockroach in the room. When we arrived, we wondered why there were so few people. It seemed pleasant at first, but we later learned the hotel was nearly empty because of water contamination. Guests and some staff had reportedly been hospitalized and moved to neighboring hotels. This vacation was completely ruined. Definitely choose somewhere else.