Ocean Riviera Paradise

We had such an amazing time and Armando was so great, welcoming and helpful! He was so kind with the whole family and improved our experience massively! What an awesome holiday we had!

Eight Nights of Disappointment – Is This Really a Five-Star Hotel? We arrived on a Thursday, looking forward to eight relaxing nights with our family and friends. Today, another Thursday, we are leaving. Eight nights later, we are going home with one overwhelming impression: there has hardly been a single day without something to complain about. There some more stuff but i got here the most important for us. What was supposed to be a relaxing holiday has turned into a daily exercise in reporting problems, chasing staff, reminding people of promises and dealing with yet another disappointment. We have travelled extensively and stayed in hotels all over the world, but rarely have we experienced such a persistent gap between what a hotel promises and what it actually delivers. And the most frustrating part? We genuinely tried to give this hotel every opportunity to get things right. It started with the room. Upon arrival, our room had a strong smell of mould and dampness. Our friends were initially assigned the wrong room category, and after two days, they were finally able to move. Unfortunately, the replacement room was not clean either. We accepted the situation initially, even leaving a generous tip for housekeeping in the hope that things would improve. After raising our concerns, we were explicitly promised a deep cleaning. It never happened. The photographs documenting the condition of the room were already known to the hotel team. Then came an incident that went far beyond inconvenience: stone and plaster fell from the balcony ceiling right next to our children while they were playing outside. Thankfully, they were not injured, but this was a genuine safety concern. Although the damage was subsequently repaired, the debris and dirt were not properly cleaned up. At this point, we were no longer talking about minor imperfections. We were talking about basic cleanliness, maintenance and the safety of our children. Then came the dining experiences. We paid extra for à la carte restaurant reservations, including wine, expecting something special. Our evening at the steakhouse was instead one of the most disappointing restaurant experiences we have had in a long time. Our table was not ready when we arrived, and we waited more than 20 minutes just to be seated. The wine had not been prepared, bread was forgotten, and service was practically nonexistent. Nobody proactively asked whether we wanted additional drinks for the four children at our table. We had to organise things ourselves, including ordering wine and eventually approaching the waiter to order dessert. The steaks were tough and dry, and all of them arrived well done despite our explicit requests for medium and medium rare. When we raised our concerns, the hostess essentially acknowledged that other tables were having similar problems and that this was simply how the evening had gone. That response said a great deal. Recognising that something has gone wrong is one thing. Taking responsibility and making a genuine effort to put it right is quite another. The offer to cover the wine afterwards was noted, but it hardly addressed the overall failure of the evening. Unfortunately, the problems did not stop at the steakhouse. Even in the Privilege area, the food is, at best, average. Dishes are repeatedly served without the ingredients listed on the menu. For example, the Privilege breakfast bagel arrived without the salad, avocado and tomato that should have accompanied it. Breakfast orders regularly take at least 20 minutes, and the food that eventually arrives does not always match what was ordered. Service in the Privilege area is frequently disorganised. Staff regularly struggle to locate our reservations, and on several occasions, our tables were neither ready nor available when they should have been. Even basic details seem to be overlooked. Tables are not consistently wiped down, cushions are left untidy, and various areas of the hotel look dated, worn and somewhat grubby. We understand that a busy hotel has operational challenges. But there is a difference between a hotel being busy and a hotel consistently failing to deliver the basics. Even special family occasions became another source of frustration. We pre-ordered two birthday cakes for two separate days. Both arrived more than 45 minutes late, and both times we had to chase the staff repeatedly before they were finally served. These were arrangements made in advance for special occasions. We should have been enjoying those moments with our family, not repeatedly asking where the cakes were. When the same thing happens twice, it is difficult to dismiss it as a one-off mistake. It feels like a pattern of poor coordination and a lack of attention to details that should matter to guests. And this brings us to the biggest problem of all: the complete lack of effective complaint management. Throughout our eight-night stay, we repeatedly visited Guest Experience to report issues and seek solutions. Promises were made, but too often nothing happened. Other problems were addressed only partially, leaving us having to follow up yet again. Every time we hoped things would finally improve, another issue appeared. The hotel did make an effort by upgrading us from standard status to Privilege. We acknowledge that gesture and appreciate the intention behind it. However, the upgrade did not resolve the fundamental problems. Better status cannot compensate for poor maintenance, inconsistent food quality, slow service, disorganised reservations and a lack of follow-through. Privilege should mean a noticeably higher standard of hospitality. Unfortunately, many of the same problems remained. Why does this matter so much to us? I have worked in the restaurant and hospitality industry for more than 15 years. I own a restaurant with 220 seats and, together with my parents, am also involved in a five-star guesthouse. I know this industry from both sides. I understand the pressure on staff, the challenges of daily operations and the fact that mistakes happen. I do not expect perfection, nor do I complain about every minor inconvenience. But I do expect problems to be taken seriously, promises to be kept, food to arrive as described, rooms to be clean and guests to feel that somebody is genuinely taking responsibility. Those are not extravagant demands. They are the fundamentals of hospitality. After eight nights, we can honestly say that this has been one of the worst hotel experiences we have had in years. We struggle to understand how the standards we encountered can justify a five-star classification. This is not about one bad meal or one disappointing room. It is about the cumulative effect of daily failures across almost every aspect of the guest experience. Our final verdict We came here to relax with our family and friends. Instead, we spent a considerable part of our holiday reporting problems, chasing unfulfilled promises and trying to obtain the level of service we had already paid for. We gave the hotel numerous opportunities to make things right. We raised our concerns politely, allowed time for solutions and even accepted the Privilege upgrade as an attempt to improve our stay. Yet, on our final Thursday, after eight nights, we are leaving with essentially the same disappointment we experienced at the beginning. A five-star hotel should not merely offer premium room categories or a Privilege label. It should deliver consistent quality, cleanliness, safety, organisation and attentive service throughout the property. Sadly, that was not our experience. Eight nights, daily complaints, repeated promises and far too few tangible results. We came expecting a five-star holiday. We leave wondering where those five stars were supposed to be. We would not return based on this experience, and we would strongly encourage management to look beyond individual complaints and address the underlying service and operational problems. Guests should be spending their holidays making memories, not managing the hotel on the hotel’s behalf.

Sorely and LizBeht have been amazing servers at the Privilege pool! They are always kind, friendly, and always seem to be there when we would like a drink or food. My friends and I are excited to come to the pool to see them everyday and we will be sad to leave at the end of this week.

Lizzbeth and Sorely provided excellent service at the privileged pool and Lily our butler is always amazing! It's always a pleasure to see her again

Sorelie and Elibeht were the most outstanding pool servers. They were so efficient and gave us the most amazing service. We were never without a beverage. They make us want to come back next year!!