Azul Beach Resort Montenegro

The staff made the stay feel easy, from reception to the restaurants, bars, and beach. Everyone was kind, friendly, and helpful. I spent four days here on my own in the last week of September 25, and the resort itself was beautiful. My room was spacious, clean, and tidy, with a lovely sandy beach and lush sea nearby. There were several pools, restaurants, and bars to choose from. I'd happily recommend it and will definitely come back.

The people really made our holiday. The receptionists, bartenders, barmen, and waiters were all friendly and nice. The hotel covers a large area with lovely greenery, direct beach access, and lots of pools. There was live music every night and plenty going on to make the stay even better. We also had delicious food every day, with lots of choice. We had a perfect stay and hope to return next year.

We were really looking forward to this trip, so I was disappointed by how the booking turned out. We had reserved the hotel eight months ahead for an August trip, initially for two adults, and later asked to change it to three. We knew there would be extra charges, but were told the change would cost around $7,000 on top of the $2,700 already paid, which wouldn't be refunded. The hotel said that was the best they could offer. In my opinion, that was greedy and bizarrely expensive. I cancelled and found a better resort for less, with flights included for three people and more offers.

The relaxed atmosphere was a plus, and the beach setup was great, with changing areas, showers, and everything else covered. The infinity pools by the beach looked like a dream. Our room had a separate kids' room and lots of storage. The tennis courts were nice, rackets and balls were provided, and the service staff there were pleasant. About 95% of the staff were great and spoke enough English for us to communicate. At the buffet, the staff made special orders for me each time because I'm allergic to sunflower oil. They sometimes seemed annoyed, but I tipped a few of them 10 euros as thanks. They were grateful and initially refused, though I insisted. There were a lot of upkeep problems. The bathroom smelled like pipes, we think, and although staff came to fix it, the smell returned after a day. The toilet was permanently stained and made noise for no reason about four times an hour. Towels were stained seven times out of ten and seemed old, while bed sheets had marks about two-thirds of the time. The same cheap or diluted soap was provided for hands, hair, and body, so it was hard to feel clean. There was no useful gym: the outdoor machines were dirty and ineffective. Around 80% of the buffet chairs were stained and dirty. Food was just okay at best, sometimes bad or not fresh. The buffet seemed to repeat the same dishes for a second or third day, and the ham, cheese, and cold cuts area could smell a bit off. The burrata at the Italian restaurant tasted bad and seemed to have been frozen before, and the buffet fries were often soggy. At reception, about 20% of the time the staff seemed irritated by requests or rushed. One person didn't speak good English, which made asking questions difficult. I think everyone at reception should have good English, like some of the restaurant hostesses.