Qualia Resort Phu Quoc

The breakfast was hard to tolerate: the plates and cutlery looked dirty, flies were all around and landing on the food, so eating was uncomfortable. Our room was cramped, the shower was broken at check-in, and although other rooms were empty, staff wouldn't move us or offer a real fix. There was no warm water either. When we raised it, they said to wait an hour because the heating system had just been switched on. The pool had debris floating in it and looked so unhygienic that nobody seemed willing to use it. The whole hotel felt old, worn down, and as if it hadn't been properly cleaned or updated in years. Bad location and careless service added to an unacceptable stay. One of the worst hotel experiences I've had, and I wouldn't recommend it.

The pool water was visibly cloudy, and the restaurant hygiene was awful. Flies covered the food at breakfast, and it felt like I was competing with them to eat. At night our bathroom had no hot water. I went downstairs to the front desk, and a technician came up reluctantly, checked it, then told me to go back to my room. No one followed up or let us know if it was fixed. I checked again later and still had no hot water. The rooms were fairly clean, but there was no in-room phone. I assume this is a family-run guesthouse managed by a couple with a cute young son. The place may originally have been called AHAVEDA, judging by the lettering at the bottom of the pool, before the couple took it over and renamed it Qualia. Compared with chain hotels, the service felt unstructured and unprofessional. The whole stay disappointed me, and I wouldn't recommend it.

Breakfast felt unpleasant and unsafe, with poorly washed dishes and flies everywhere, including on the food. Our room was tiny and uncomfortable, and its shower head was broken when we arrived. Staff couldn't repair it and wouldn't move us despite many empty rooms. There was no warm water either. When I complained, they said I'd have to wait an hour because they'd just turned on the heating system. The pool was filthy, with gross things floating in the water, and nobody used it because it looked unhygienic. The hotel is dirty, dated and neglected, and it clearly doesn't care about its guests. The location is terrible, and the facilities and service make the place not worth the money, time or stress. Stay somewhere else.

The location is handy, right at the start of a busy stretch of restaurants, bars and shops, but tucked down an alley so there's some privacy. It's an okay budget hotel, though run down and badly in need of renovation. Staff barely speak English and often used Google Translate with guests. Breakfast coffee was terrible. Would I book again? No, there are better options for the price.