Kiotari Garden Hotel

The pools and direct beach access were definite perks, and we generally liked the food, especially the Italian à la carte restaurant. But the room felt very old and run-down, and the hotel as a whole badly needs renovation. The restaurant couldn't seat everyone, so we often waited at breakfast and dinner. Only one coffee machine worked properly during our week, which meant missing out on cappuccino or latte macchiato, or waiting. Also, the airport transfer took about 90 minutes.

There was plenty to do around the resort, and getting to the gorgeous beach was easy. The sunsets there were especially lovely. Our room was spacious and tidy, and some rooms even have their own small pool. The staff were super nice and always glad to help :)

The restaurant team and our waitress were warm and looked after us well, and the food was usually good with lots of choice. Still, we wouldn't return, mainly because of the noise and the beach. Music from the pool and bars carried into our room even with the windows shut, making it hard to rest and fall asleep. The beach was crowded, with loud music from its bar, and we avoided swimming there because of a sewage smell near a pipe in the swimming area. One evening, a strange urine-smelling liquid poured along the resort walkway toward the beach. Two days into the holiday, the same kind of smell started coming from our air conditioning. We told reception, but it lasted all week, so we had to switch the A/C off.

The beach was awful if you're stuck smelling toilet waste all day, and I hope someone fixes that. The food felt like a gamble: some of it might be raw or undercooked, and it seemed they reused the same food, which gave lots of people diarrhea. The all-inclusive setup is a badly written joke if you want mineral water or other refreshments in your room, you have to buy them. The rooms may be clean, but the doors stick, so getting into one can be a matter of luck. For the price, the quality just doesn't match.