Hotel Byzance

Cleanliness was the biggest issue for me. The hotel didn't feel very clean, and there are definitely cleaner places nearby. For what we paid, I expected somewhere better maintained. The room also had a strong sewage smell when we arrived. We changed rooms three times, but even the third one still smelled. And the hotel looked quite different from the pictures on the booking site, so I wouldn't rely on those photos.

We spent a week here and would consider coming back next year. The food was good and we enjoyed the meals; drinks were okay, though nothing memorable. The pool was a good spot and we spent most of our time there. We didn't see it being cleaned, but it still looked fine. The beach takes about 3-4 minutes to reach, despite the hotel being described as on the beach, and it wasn't clean. Guests get loungers and an umbrella there for free, but drinks at the beach bar aren't part of all-inclusive. The sea smelled strange and was cold when we visited in June. For me, this hotel isn't really suited to families with children. The staff, though, were excellent.

Bayzance was shocking. The online photos bear no resemblance to the hotel, and the rooms felt like something from a horror film. The bathroom and shower were disgusting, and the food was so bad I wouldn't feed it to a dog. Drinks were watered down, unless you paid extra for something decent. I even got an electric shock from the air-conditioner plug hanging out of the wall. The repair guy set fire to some plastic and melted it onto the wall to hold it in place. And the food at Blue Lagoon comes from the same kitchen as the buffet, where they serve that stuff to guests.

The staff are really nice, and the hotel is close to the beach. It's a good place, though a bit dated. The WiFi never connected during my stay, so don't count on this place if you need internet for work. Smoking is allowed, and the smell spreads through the hotel. It wasn't very strong, but as a non-smoker I could still notice it.