Dear Sir or Madam,
We have known your hotel for more than 20 years and have stayed there on several occasions in the past. We have always greatly appreciated both its location and the property itself. However, our previous stay was eight years ago, as at that time we were dissatisfied with the quality of service and several operational aspects of the hotel.
After learning that the hotel had been taken over by Mövenpick/Accor and that extensive renovation and expansion work had been carried out, we decided to return after many years. We expected that, in addition to the improvements to the property itself, there would also have been a corresponding improvement in the overall standard of service.
During our stay from 7 September to 12 September, we found this to be the case in some areas, but unfortunately not in others.
Positive Impressions
We would first like to emphasize that the renovation and expansion of the hotel have been very successful. The rooms, as well as the lobby and reception areas, are attractively designed and create a high-quality overall impression.
We would particularly like to highlight the breakfast buffet. Both the quality and the selection of food were very good and met our expectations for a hotel of this category.
We would also like to mention that the majority of the staff were friendly, courteous and willing to assist guests, which we appreciated.
Alongside these positive experiences, however, we noticed several areas where we believe there is room for improvement.
Payment by American Express
The hotel website lists American Express as an accepted method of payment. During our telephone reservation, we specifically asked about this and were also informed that payment by American Express was possible.
At check-in, however, it was not possible to pay directly with American Express. Instead, a payment link had to be sent to us, through which we were then able to make the payment.
As this payment method was both advertised online and confirmed to us by telephone prior to our arrival, we would have expected it to be available directly at check-in without the need for an additional procedure.
Laundry Service
The hotel website lists a laundry service among the services available to guests. However, there were no laundry bags, laundry lists, price lists or instructions in our room explaining how to use this service.
It was therefore not clear to us how the advertised laundry service could be accessed.
For a hotel of this category, we would expect an advertised service to be clearly communicated, properly organized and easily accessible to guests.
Housekeeping and Bed Linen
During our stay from 7 September to 12 September, our bed linen was not changed.
For a five-night stay, and considering the category and price level of the hotel, we would have expected the bed linen to be changed during our stay.
We therefore believe that this aspect of the housekeeping service should be reviewed in relation to the standards expected of a five-star hotel.
Adults-Only Pool
The hotel has a family pool as well as a pool specifically designated as adults-only. We very much appreciate this concept.
During our stay, however, we repeatedly observed young children using the adults-only pool. Based on our observations, action was only taken after guests brought the matter to the attention of the staff.
If an area is specifically designated as adults-only, we would expect this policy to be monitored and consistently enforced by the hotel without guests having to request staff intervention.
Cleanliness of the Pool and Beach Areas
We see considerable room for improvement regarding the cleanliness and morning preparation of the pool and beach areas.
Some of the mattresses and cushions on the sun loungers around the pools and on the beach were noticeably dirty. In addition, items and waste from the previous day were still present the following morning.
At approximately 10:00 a.m., we still observed used beach towels, bottles and glasses from the previous day, as well as cigarette butts and other litter. In some cases, items that had been left behind the previous day were still in the same place the following morning.
For a resort of this category, we would expect the pool and beach areas to be fully cleaned and prepared before guests begin using these facilities each morning. We therefore believe that the cleaning procedures and their supervision should be reviewed.
Staff and Service Standards
As mentioned above, the majority of the staff were friendly and made a genuine effort to assist guests. We would like to acknowledge this positively.
At the same time, in a number of situations we had the impression that the level of professionalism and consistency in service procedures did not always meet the standards we would expect from a five-star hotel in this price category.
We do not see this primarily as a criticism of individual employees. Rather, we consider it a matter of management, training and organization. Clear procedures, consistent service standards, appropriate staff training and effective supervision are essential if employees are to deliver the level of service expected from a hotel of this category.
The friendly and positive attitude demonstrated by many members of staff provides a good foundation on which to build.
Overall Impression
After eight years, we made a conscious decision to return to the hotel because we expected the change in ownership, the new management and the extensive renovation to have resulted in a positive development of the property.
From a physical and design perspective, this has certainly been achieved. The location remains excellent, the renovation and expansion have been very successful, the rooms and public areas are attractively designed, and the breakfast buffet offers very good quality and variety. We also appreciated the friendliness of many members of staff.
With regard to day-to-day operations and service, however, our experience was less consistent. The points outlined above concerning housekeeping, cleanliness, advertised services, enforcement of pool policies and general service procedures indicate areas where we believe further improvement is required.
Given the hotel’s five-star positioning and high price level, we expect the standard of day-to-day service to be consistent with the quality of the renovated property.
As guests who have known the hotel for more than 20 years, it was important to us to provide you with this detailed feedback. Our intention is not to criticize individual members of staff, but to draw attention to specific areas where, from the perspective of long-standing guests, we see opportunities for improvement.
In our view, the hotel has excellent foundations: an exceptional location, a high-quality renovated property, attractive rooms, a very good breakfast and predominantly friendly staff. The key is to ensure that the operational procedures and service standards consistently reflect the same level of quality.
We would appreciate it if you could review the points raised, particularly with regard to housekeeping, cleanliness, staff training, service organization and quality control.
We would also appreciate a response from the management regarding the issues outlined above.
Yours sincerely,
Ioannis Karaspyros