Melia Durres

The hotel itself is genuinely lovely. The grounds are beautiful, the facilities look great and, on the surface, it feels like exactly the sort of high-end all-inclusive resort you would expect to have a relaxing week at. Unfortunately, the actual experience has been very different. We paid around £1,300 per person for a week in October, specifically for an all-inclusive package. On arrival, we were offered the opportunity to upgrade to the actual all-inclusive package for an additional €600 per person. That immediately made us question what we had actually paid for, because what is described as “all inclusive” is extremely restricted. For example: * There are only nine cocktails included in the standard package, including Aperol Spritz, Campari Spritz and rum and Coke. The only wine included is house wine. * The spa isn’t included, meaning we cannot use the sauna or other spa facilities. * We are only allowed one à la carte meal per week, and even that is restricted to specific items on the menu. * When my friend asked for an additional starter alongside her fish at the à la carte restaurant, she was told she was only entitled to one starter and had already had it. * The buffet food, which we are therefore expected to eat for most meals, has repeatedly been cold. * On multiple occasions there have been no tables available in the buffet, despite the à la carte restaurants being almost completely empty. * Even matcha isn’t included, despite unlimited coffee being available. * We were under the impression that the shuttle to Tirana/Durrës was included, only to discover that it actually costs €20. The constant restrictions wouldn’t be quite so frustrating if the communication were clear, but unfortunately it isn’t. There is conflicting information everywhere. Start times for things don’t consistently match the information provided, and we have repeatedly had to ask staff to clarify what is actually included. We also have to sign a receipt for every drink and meal, including water. Staff have on several occasions quite abruptly stopped us with “WAIT, you need to sign” while serving us. It creates a strange atmosphere for an all-inclusive holiday where you’re supposed to be able to relax rather than feel like every glass of water is being itemised. Some staff interactions have also been uncomfortable. On several occasions staff have spoken in Albanian and laughed while serving us, leaving us unsure whether we were being laughed at. There is also a general impression that asking for a drink or anything slightly outside the standard package is an inconvenience. The evening entertainment is extremely limited. There is some live music, but it feels more like background music than actual evening entertainment, and there isn’t really anything to do in the evening other than sit in what is essentially a hallway and drink. The communication surrounding our à la carte booking has been particularly frustrating. We have an outdoor dinner booked for tomorrow, but thunderstorms have been forecast for the next three days. We are still waiting for the hotel to confirm whether the dinner will actually go ahead. More importantly, nobody has been able to tell us whether, if it is cancelled, we will be given another à la carte booking or whether we are simply expected to lose one of the very limited meals included in our package. This is particularly frustrating because the hotel itself is beautiful and clearly has the potential to be a fantastic resort. The problem is that the service, communication and restrictions make it very difficult to actually enjoy it as an all-inclusive guest. At £1,300 per person for seven nights, we expected an all-inclusive holiday where we could relax without constantly checking whether a drink, food item, facility or activity was actually included. Instead, we have spent a significant amount of the holiday trying to understand what we are and aren’t entitled to. The hotel looks and feels luxurious. The all-inclusive package doesn’t. I would strongly recommend anyone considering booking to read the inclusions and exclusions very carefully and, if possible, get clarification in writing about exactly what “all inclusive” means before booking. Because based on our experience, it means something considerably more restrictive than we expected.

Staff amazing. Food excellent in the Med restaurant. Breakfast amazing. Pizza very good. BBQ only ok. Sunsets to die for! All the activities staff were fantastic. Loved the Yoga and morning sessions by the beach. Denis in the main bar was so good. Adnon always had a smile. Yuri was so helpful with yoga and Florian looked after us by the pool. We didnt upgrade to Level and we charged everything to our room. Unless you are there at peak times and want the peace and privacy that the level offers, i cant see a reason to pay the extra. We went B&B and ate and drank where and when we liked. No restrictions on what we could and couldn't have. Never saw a cloud the whole time we were there. If you are used to 5star in Europe you might be a little disappointed- call it a good 4star- but all in all we loved the place, staff, food and drink.

Huge, excellent and luxurious hotel ❤️ Loved yoga and pilates classes, pretty wide clean beach, delicious food, great pastries. Rooftop pools are incredible, bars are great too. Really big room, gorgeous bathroom. Definitely recommend.

Amazing staff. Especially Agron Klajdi who helped me out!

Immagine being waken up at night by alarms, be told by prerecorded voice that an emergency is going on and to evacuate the building. People running scared, children crying and not a single person from the staff showing up to give explation. This is Melia Durres