Enorme Maya Beach

This was awful, and I could go on forever. Stray cats were all over the place, including around the pool, sunbeds and dining area. I’m allergic, and one cat even jumped on a woman’s back and scratched her before putting its face in her plate and nearly licking her food. I ended up itching and had to leave dinner before my throat closed up. I missed dinner with my friends three separate nights. The first night I went hungry; the next two, they brought my food upstairs, so I ate alone and missed the evening downstairs with everyone. The staff were often unfriendly or unhelpful. One older man on the night shift wouldn’t give us water, even though other staff had served it before. He said it wasn’t free, so we went thirsty that night and only got an answer from someone else the next day. When we checked out, he also refused to help with our luggage because of a “bad knee.” The woman who first greeted us was kind initially, but later had an attitude and wasn’t helpful when we raised concerns. There was no concierge or 24-hour service. Even opening the room door required doing it in a particular way. The curtains were torn and didn’t block out the light. The photos are really misleading, the hotel is smaller than it looks. Our first room was cramped and dingy, and the second had no AC, so we asked for an upgrade. The bathroom was small, and the shower enclosure didn’t keep the water in, so it splashed everywhere. There were dead flies in the pool, and only one small outdoor dining area. They charged us for drinks, including water, with the supposedly inclusive meals. Breakfast and dinner may be included, but drinks should be too. The website also claimed there was a shisha bar, yoga, a sushi bar, entertainment every day, and a late continental breakfast. None of those things were there. Dinner usually ended at 9:30, but one night they suddenly told us it had ended at 9.

For a short adults-only stay, I’d recommend it, especially if you’re after somewhere quiet. The atmosphere was good, and the location worked well for us. Staff, service and reception were all a 10/10, and the rooms were an 8/10. Food, breakfast and dinner, was a 6/10.

The hotel is pleasant and the staff are lovely, though the place feels a little tired. Our sea-view room was clean and had a fridge and safe, but it was small with hardly any storage. The neighboring hotel’s volleyball court was right outside and distracting. We were given extra hangers and a clothes dryer when we asked. The hairdryer was very old and discolored, and the bathroom towels were thin and small enough that they really need replacing. The pool is nice, but the area around it is small. People had claimed sunbeds by about 7am with towels, then didn’t show up until mid-morning or even lunchtime. There was a sign at reception, but the hotel didn’t manage this. Food and drink service at the pool was good. The buffet was nice, but often slow to be replenished, and on some evenings the desserts had completely run out by 8:45. The restaurant seemed short-staffed at breakfast and dinner: plates often weren’t cleared, and guests carried them to empty tables. The bar staff, on the other hand, were friendly and efficient. We enjoyed the twice-weekly entertainment in the bar. The à la carte meal was good, though we could only have it once during our two-week holiday. We couldn’t get a late checkout, and there wasn’t another room available for us on our last day. There’s a shower by reception, but whether it’s free is pot luck, and there are no changing facilities or hairdryer there.

The rooms were modern, spotless and clean, and there’s a large pool with lovely restaurants and bars. We had amazing food, a great location and super-friendly staff. Everything about our stay was outstanding, and we’ll definitely come back.