Orcas Imperial Palace

The beach is lovely, though it has lots of stones. I didn’t find the food tasty.

A good place for a holiday.

Parking was a problem, too, and this place needs an immediate inspection. Our group of about 175 people was left waiting for hours at reception on October 5, 2024, and we were assigned rooms unfairly. There was a sewage stench throughout the hotel. Our room had no ventilation, so I repeatedly asked the responsible staff member to move us. They kept putting it off while giving room changes to other people, and around 11 PM they plainly told us to leave and have the group disperse. We were told seawater was used in the bathrooms and sinks. The hotel also employed foreign workers, including Uzbeks, without insurance, which is a complete fiasco. We’ve never seen this level of customer dissatisfaction at any hotel we’ve stayed in. It doesn’t deserve even 3 stars. Anyone thinking of staying should think twice. There were also double standards in room assignments: when they say no rooms are available, they treat other customers like royalty to avoid losing them. And so on.

The sea was wonderful in September, and the location is excellent. The beach is only a minute from the room. It’s pebbly, so bring slippers for getting into the water. There are umbrellas and sun loungers, but often not enough for everyone. People claim them before breakfast, so the first one up gets one. Many loungers are worn out and unusable, yet still left out. The rooms were neat. On our first night we were put on the ground floor, looking at the dumpster and hotel parking lot. The next morning, Maria quickly sorted it out and moved us to a third-floor room with a mountain view. Those rooms clearly cost different amounts; after driving several thousand kilometers, staring at a parking lot wasn’t ideal. I hadn’t asked to upgrade, but it seemed they were hoping to earn some gratitude from the receptionist. The room had weak water pressure, and the water was cold in the evening. The shower tray leaked. Food was modest: mostly chicken and leftovers, already cooked and not particularly appetizing. We always found something, but it could be much better. The eggplant was good, and there were always appetizers and fruit. Beer was okay, wine was poor, and I didn’t try any strong wine. Overall, the meals were a big minus. We were happy with the vacation in the end. If you aren’t fussy about fairly plain food, it’s good value for the money. Still, the first-floor room would have made the whole trip disappointing if we’d stayed there.