Gaia Royal

The first thing on my review of this hotel is that id say it is most definitely NOT A 4 STAR hotel, I’ve stayed at many 4 stars all around the world and this doesn’t even come close. I’ll Break this review down into different categories to make for easier reading. I’ll talk about the rooms, pool area, food, drink, general upkeep of the hotel and the ‘all inclusive’. Just to warn you, we booked a 6 night stay and upon arrival we were met with a 60 euro bill (10 euros per day) for hotel tax, we arrived just before midnight and still had to pay the whole day but it is what it is I suppose, I’ve never had this anywhere around the world so please just bear this in mind when booking, not the best first impression to the hotel but oh well. What was nice the hotel is about 15 mins away from the airport however the hotel itself is in a pretty barren area with not a lot around, so if you want to do anything on the island you will have to travel, I wish we looked into this more when booking but oh well. First things first I must talk about the ‘all inclusive’ I don’t say this lightly, but I genuinely think this ‘all inclusive’ was a disgrace! This is because of the ‘ultra all inclusive’ package takes so much stuff away from the normal all inclusive. This is the most bare bones ‘all inclusive’ I have ever seen! To the point where it may as well not even been all inclusive, for the money we paid, we felt scammed big time. The drinks are the most awful bottom of the barrel stuff I have ever seen, and obviously if you want the nice stuff you will have to pay! Things like clean water you had to go and buy from the shop they have on site and the things like juices are just the lowest quality rubbish you could imagine. In the food hall there are coffee machines that have the option for any different type of coffee you would want however the hotel have disabled all the nice options and all you are left with is just bog standard black coffee, which was gross may I add and all the nice stuff like latte, cappuccino etc you have to go to the bar for and will need the ultra all inclusive package or you will have to pay. Next is the beach, now this annoyed me as again for the money I paid for the week I expected much more than what we got, so if you don’t have the ultra all inclusive package you had to pay 10 euros for 2 sunbeds and you don’t get the free drinks at the beach bar, so why even have all-inclusive when you don’t have access to all the facilities? To conclude on this part, they have taken so many things away from the average all inclusive you would come to expect and put it on the ultra-package just so you pay more, such a scam. Next up is the rooms, the rooms were exactly what you’d come to expect with these sorts of hotels, but these rooms were just worse in every way, this was another area that really let us down. There were bugs everywhere, all over the walls and floors, even in the bathroom, this was the first thing that put us off. The room itself was generally quite clean so can’t complain too much there. The beds however were the most uncomfortable beds I have ever had the misfortune of sleeping in, the mattresses were like sleeping on a slab of rock, I have never had a mattress so uncomfortable in any hotel I’ve ever stayed in. The pillows were also horrible, they gave you just one pillow on the bed and again these were the most uncomfortable pillows I’ve ever slept in, they were like manky old pillows where all the cotton inside was all clumped together, the next day we had to ask for more to just save our heads and luckily this helped a bit but that first next at the hotel may have been the worst sleep I’ve ever had. The bathroom was pretty dingy but it was ok, shower was ok cant complain too much….. however, all over the big mirror in the bathroom were loads of little black dots that I can only assume were mould, this was pretty gross and felt very un-tidy, just not good upkeep from the hotel. Finally the fridge believe it or not was a player to why I slept so bad, during the night it sounded like a full on generator with a loud noise that would buzz on and off constantly, like I’ve said before throughout this review, in any other hotel I’ve stayed in around the world I’ve never had this issue before, overall the rooms were ok at best but still a huge let down. The pool area was not bad at all, rather nice actually, however there are still some things to talk about. There are 3 pools on site: the main pool, a kid pool (the one with castles) and the more adult/quieter pool, we stayed at the quieter pool. The general area felt quite nice and clean with pleasing view of the trees and the surrounding hotel. What was odd, for our whole stay we didn’t see a single lifeguard or anyone round the pool, I thought this was strange but it’s not the end of the world. I’m not sure what the sun lounger situation was like for the other pools but for the one we were at, it was really bad. If you didn’t wake up early to reserve a sunbed you had no chance of getting one, by 9am id say they were all gone, there just wasn’t enough provided sunbeds which is a shame. The sunbeds them selves were nice and comfortable with lots of provided shade. If you do not have your own towels (like we didn’t) you have to go to reception and pay a 10-euro deposit per towel (which had to be cash) I thought this again was rather poor from the hotel as anywhere else I’ve stayed at, they provide them for free so be warned…. Also, if you want to change your towel you had to pay another euro, again just really poor from the hotel and not what you’d expect from what you are paying to stay there. To conclude on the pools, id say they were pretty decent and well kept with a few minor issues. The food was an one odd for us, the dining hall was pretty good and nothing to really complain about, lots of space and didn’t feel crowded at all. The actual quality of the food was good and all staff in this area were top class. Some issues however, there just wasn’t enough selection of food, the hotel does themed nights so if they do something you don’t like there’s not much you can do about that, for example they done a fish night for dinner and me and girlfriend don’t really eat fish, I understand this isn’t really the hotels fault, but like I said there wasn’t much else for us to have as there really wasn’t much selection at all, sadly this led to me a little bit dreading eating everyday as I knew there was a good chance all there would be was chips and pasta, and this gets old very fast. Because of this we ate out a few times which was nice however still a slight shame as we were already paying good money for what the hotel was providing. At least 3 or 4 times we found hair in our food which was a little off putting, it was a little struggle to find clean plates, multiple times when we would pick up the plates, they just weren’t clean at all, again this was pretty off putting but it’s not the end of the world. Breakfast was standard and lunch was decent Aswell but like I said before, just not enough selection leading us to eat nearly the same things every day, at any all inclusive I’ve stayed at, this was easily the smallest selection of food along with the general cleanliness being low ish/disappointing. The general upkeep of the hotel was not bad at all. It felt clean and welcoming so not too much to say there, there were however loads of bugs all over the place but I’m not too sure what the hotel could have done about this. The layout was a bit confusing with it sort of feeling like a maze, but you learn where you are going fairly quickly. The cleaning staff were good and also done a decent job. Overall, I’d say do not book this hotel, for the money we paid we easily could have stayed at a nicer place that offered more. Don’t get me wrong this is a decent hotel so long as you really know what you are walking into, it’s just that it really let us down as they were so many aspects of disappointment. Our holiday wasn’t a bad one by any means at all, it was just such a shame knowing how little we really received, I have never spent so much money whilst being on an all inclusive holiday as this one as like I’ve said, this is the most bare bones all inclusive I’ve ever stayed at. You will read other reviews of people saying ignore the bad reviews but I felt I had to write this review as I owe it to people who want a really nice holiday and I genuinely think hotel will struggle to provide this for you. When reading the reviews of people saying this is an amazing hotel that had zero faults, please bear in mind what you have read in this review as this is the most honest possible review I could have written.

Beautiful hotel consisting multiple maisonettes in well-maintained garden-like environment. It is very clean, rooms are cozy, large beds, simple but enough, our housekeeper was great, surprised us a lot with her ideas and attitude, warm feelings towards children, it was above standard service. Kitchen offered diversified and tasty food, everyone could find something for oneself. Above you could eat and drink. And it was delicious. Restaurant service running all day, manager was very kind, careful and tireless, so was the staff. Only major issue for me was smoking allowed outdoors without restrictions. :/ Hotel also was taking care of free time activities, so thank to international group of young vibrant animators you could take part in pool excersises, dancing or numerous other activities, also designed for kids. Hotel is placed next to beach, so sea fun was at hand, and water here was much warmer than in other areas around the island. Distance to the town areas is long, so you'll need to rent a car (available at hotel) or take a bus. I suggest car - prices are affordable, and you're free to manage your time. I highly recommend this place. No weird smell issues that we were afraid of either. ;)

We stayed here for 10 nights and completely fell for the marketed top reviews and lovely online photos. My biggest advice is please read the more negative reviews as they are exactly as we have experienced. For June when the season is picking up, we were very disappointed with this hotel and would not rate this 4*, its a 3* at best. Firstly, I want to highlight that if you've booked through a package holiday, you won't get a full all inclusive. The basic all inclusive is soft drinks (that have little taste), basic mixers (vodka, rum, etc ), house beer, and house wine, some juices (that are watery), and basic tea and coffee if you're interested. Anything above that. You need "ultra all inclusive" that gets you more premium alcohol and cocktails. This costs €25/pp/per day. The basic all inclusive also doesn't include drinks at the bar at the HOTEL BEACH BAR. Food - there were a couple of occasions where there might have been a few items that were very nice. The salad and cold food selection is lovely. The 'hot' food selection, not so much. I have been in 3* with a wider selection and better food. The food is kept warm, so by the time you're actually back at your table and eating, its cold. The choice is very limited for both hot food and desserts too. The snack bar was very disappointing. Everything was cold, undercooked and there was only ever plain hotdogs and onion rings available, nothing more. The cake was nice though. Rooms - not much to complain about rooms. ours was clean and had what we needed. Though be prepared for ants, but I dont see that as the hotels fault. Pools - you've got 3 to choose from. All pretty and good. Some sunbeds around the kids pool had canopies. The later into our week we got, we noticed more sunbed were being reserved in the morning - even though the hotel has signs stating not to do this. Entertainment - for coming into the high season, I expected much more. Most nights there wasn't anything, just music from the speakers. The Greek night was okay. We gave up by the beach party day and didnt go as we know we'd have to be buying drinks or making treks back to the hotel. It also labelled it as an extra on the info sheet you get from the hotel - the same section that list your paid extras. Beach - beach is nice, some pebbles as you go into the water. You'll need the ultra all inclusive to sit on a bed otherwise its €10-€15 for each day you want to go. As mentioned, the hotel's beach bar is not included in the basic all inclusive. You have to be ultra for that. Location - it is a bit remote. Don't believe them about the 'supermarket' up the road, it has no more than the hotel minimarket unless you're after flaoties, clothes or some souvenirs. There is a nice bar just up the road from the hotel to the right - La Sirenas - good drinks, nice food (that's hot), and staff are lovely. Bars - bog standard really. The staff were nice at the reception bar, a good laugh. Again, basic drinks unless you're ultra all inclusive. We also found that a lot of drinks such as slushies were never available, someone always made an excuse as to why we couldn't have them, even though we could see them behind the bar. Staff - mostly were nice and helpful. They were happy to change our room from ground floor to balcony when we arrived. Check in was fine and no issues. Overall, I would not be booking this hotel again; nor would I have booked it in the first place if I'd have known about the 2 all inclusive levels. The place is clean and tidy, and most of the staff are friendly. But I would not be coming back here again.

We booked our early summer holiday here and what can I say! It was perfect from minute 1 until the last second. Our room was fantastic! 5 seconds and we were at the pool, quality sunbeds; cushions rather than the usual plastic. Food was brilliant, none of the usual beige stuff! But what made it so great? All the staff, that’s what. My partner lost her walking stick at the airport, next day Dimitri supplied a crutch! The bar staff; brilliant the restaurant staff really looked after us; the restaurant manager always stopped for a chat, shake of hand and helped checked everything was ok. One day we had a few ants, mentioned it to Dimitri in minutes sorted. The room was cleaned every single day, clean towels every day you’d think we had just arrived everyday. Dimitri always stopped and checked on my partner went above and beyond for anything she needed or wanted to know; just a really really nice professional. The hotel manager even made great gestures, that they didn’t have to, just to make our stay so much easier. Any question that couldn’t be answered straight away Dimitri would get the answer or a solution. Even NETFLIX! My partner likes to take a break and watch Flix when her pain gets to much, we could t get it to work but Dimitri persevered until it did; he wasn’t going to be defeated. The whole hotel is kept spotless every waking minute by the staff who all seem to be completely dedicated. Organising taxi to Kos, they sorted it! Every evening was different and real effort was put in; Greek night was a highlight, moving the restaurant outside and supplying entertainment; music & dancing ( sadly no plate smashing 🤣). One main pool but smaller pools set near rooms if you didn’t fancy the buzz of the big pool. Little shop on site and an absolutely fantastic beach bar with sunbeds right at the shore on a lovely clean beach. Just cannot say how brilliant our experience was this week. I think the atmosphere a dedication of everyone is driven by the lovely hotel manager and Dimitri. Let’s put it this way; we never been back to the same hotel twice, but the Gaia Palace is one we shall definitely be going back to soon! Cannot thank Dimitri and everyone enough. PERFECT ABSOLUTELY PERFECT

We stayed for 3 weeks, we had an amazing relaxing holiday, i would say Spiros the restuarant manager was briliant as was all the waiting staff. The rooms we cleaned everyday to a high standard and towels changed daily. The staff at each bar were friendly and helpful, always happy and smiling. Checking in was easy and handled with a smile. Food was plentiful & nice. We experianced Goat for the first time it was tender and lovely. Overall a very good holiday.