Avalon Resort & SPA

Hospitality doesn’t seem to be the priority here, money does. It’s a hotel with extra land, not a resort, and everything costs extra. The food was average, and that’s generous. There was a 15% service charge for no service. I don’t know how it got five stars, perhaps because of the conference room and 24-hour room service. I can’t imagine who reviewed the restaurant for the guide, unless they were paid off. Maybe they didn’t care because I speak English, but my Hungarian partner also found the staff rude and unhelpful. Questions got shrugs and no interest. We paid for the private pool behind the hotel and weren’t told it closed at 7, so paying for it was pointless. Nothing happens after that, and the place feels dead, which isn’t what you expect from a resort. Reception made us feel like an inconvenience, staff at the club restaurant had no hospitality skills, and housekeeping shouted in the corridors from 8am. It’s overpriced and overrated, barely a four-star hotel in my view. The managers apparently don’t exist, and we were told we might risk getting beaten up if we complained. Give it a miss. There are hundreds of hotels in Hungary with better service for half the price.

The staff stood out most, friendly and attentive, even better than we expected. The whole family loved the go-kart track, which added an unexpected bit of fun. Both on-site restaurants served excellent food with lots of variety. There are three heated pools, two outdoors and one indoors, so they worked in any weather. The indoor pool area, with its sauna and relaxation zone, was a real treat. We had an amazing stay and would highly recommend it to families looking for a fun, relaxing getaway.

There’s a lot of potential here. The hotel is beautiful and surrounded by nature, with plenty to do. The saunas were among the best I’ve tried, and there’s also a heated pool and jacuzzi. Kinga helped with all our problems and was very welcoming. The hotel manager was kind, listened to everything, and had a constructive conversation with us. The restaurant manager was also very nice, and we appreciated his understanding. But most of the other staff were terrible. We twice asked a waiter to bring food without pork, and it arrived with pork. His attitude was completely inappropriate for a five-star hotel. Nobody explained how half board works, and it was confusing, especially since not everyone in the restaurant speaks English. On the first night, we found hair on the sheet and pillow. We changed rooms, but found hair there too. The receptionist brought us ten sheets, and every one had hair on it when unrolled in her presence. We also received cold food at the restaurant. We discussed everything with the hotel manager and appreciated that he listened and spoke constructively with us. We’re confident the problems are being corrected, and hope to return to a changed environment.

I’m updating the review I left here 2-3 years ago because we’re coming back this year. Hopefully I won’t have to get ready for a fight, like some reviews say... just joking 😀 Mr Iain, you seem like you’re probably the most loved guest at all those five-star hotels you say you’ve visited.