When things get tough, these people truly step up.
Two and a half hours before our flight, our hire car refused to start — completely dead battery. Panic set in, but within minutes Luis and Isabelle at the front door and valet were on the case. They immediately reassured us and called for help, and soon the hotel electrician arrived with the buggy and jump leads. Five minutes later, the car was powered up and we were on our way to the airport. Absolute heroes — thank you to Luis, Isabelle, and the Ritz-Carlton team for saving our day.
As Bonvoy Gold members, we didn’t receive an upgrade, which was disappointing, and no alternative gesture was offered. Parking was free and plentiful once past the hotel barriers, with access via key card, and valet parking was also available.
The foyer was large but felt quite generic in design and not especially luxurious, with views more toward the bar than the sea.
We stayed in Room 605 on the ground level, conveniently located near the car park, concierge, spa, and gym, with a separate exit route that made coming and going easy. The room was a good size, with the bathroom on the left featuring separate shower and toilet rooms, two sinks, and a bathtub, all of which could be closed off with mirrored doors. There was a master switch for easy shut-off when leaving. The closet opposite offered generous hanging and drawer space, and next to it were the fridge and a drawer-style safe.
The king-size bed had USB ports on both sides, with a seat opposite and an L-shaped lounger by the glass doors. A glass dining table overlooked a large terrace with two chairs and a table, offering distant views of the golf course and sea, though sunrise and sunset were unfortunately blocked by surrounding buildings. A bottle of wine and chocolate-covered nuts were provided as a welcome gift. The coffee machine was the standard Nespresso type, with only two caffeinated and two decaf capsules per day.
Noise was an issue, particularly from the spa fountains starting around 6am, people talking on their phones while walking to the gym early in the morning, and traffic from the nearby road.
Breakfast was busy and noisy. The omelette station was good, but the cakes were terrible, cold meats were good, bread was poor, and the orange juicer was nice. The booster drinks were awful, hot food was average, and the coffee was genuinely bad — even adding an extra espresso to a cappuccino didn’t improve it. Outdoor seating was cramped, with tables very close together and too small to comfortably manage plates waiting to be cleared.
The gym was large, had three treadmills, two tiers, over ten bikes (about six outside), cross trainers, free weights, and a stretching area.
The adult pool was small, while the children’s pool was larger and faced the sea, with views of the villa rooftops, palm trees, and the island across. The water was too cold in January and not heated, and the pool was shallow due to children, with constant background noise from water features.
The funicular to the beach wasn’t working, so it was a long walk down the steps or a wait for transport that didn’t come often. The beach loungers were cramped, though towels were provided. The water was too cold in January, and weather warnings meant swimming was restricted. There were many locals playing football on the beach, which made it feel noisy and not very relaxing. There was a hotel beach bar nearby and towels were available.
We didn’t use the spa as there was an additional charge of €25 per person.
Wi-Fi was generally okay, though it dropped out on the terrace and wasn’t available on the beach.
Checkout was at 12pm, and we were offered a changing room on the first floor to shower, overlooking the foyer — a great idea, and it’s surprising more hotels don’t offer this.
Overall, while there were several shortcomings, the staff truly shone when we needed them most. Luis, Isabelle, and the electrician came through as genuine heroes at a critical moment, and that level of service made all the difference.
