Eftalia Sol

Good hotel for families with children, massive resort with lots of entertainment and facilities but be warned… Loads of hidden extra costs. Upon arrival you are not given the room as advertised and have to pay to upgrade (you will want to upgrade) you are expected and pressured to tip. Tip boxes everywhere even in your room, the service you receive is dependant on tips. Everything at this hotel is a money grab trying to get you to spend more, this is not ideal when you have already spent ample amount on the holiday and booked all inclusive. Went to see a live band one night and was approached four times within ten minutes by staff trying to sell us cocktails. Staff seem very cold even rude at times. You are treated like a number not like a customer or how a holiday maker should in fact if you ask staff anything they seem rather bothered by it. Experienced the spa which was really nice although expensive, the biggest let down was as soon as the experience was finished and we were suppose to be winding down with a tea one of the workers would not leave us alone and went on for at least 30 minutes trying to sell us another package! We could not get away for him. Food is horrendous and made me ill. Asked for a smoothie one morning from one of the pool bars as I couldn’t stomach the buffet restaurant after getting ill, bartender seemed like he didn’t want to make my drink like he couldn’t be bothered even tho I was paying for it but what shocked me the most is that I seen another bartender carrying ice from one bar to another which I knew was for my smoothie, he was carrying the ice in a yellow bin bag! Safe to say I didn’t drink it even after paying, it is no wonder I got ill by these standards. This is not worth the money we payed and is rather disappointing. Poor service. Not a true all inclusive experience and absolutely nothing luxurious about this hotel.

We booked Eftalia Aqua expecting a 5-star hotel, but unfortunately, it did not feel like a 5-star experience at all. The hotel is very dated, with old carpets and many areas looking tired and worn. The room itself was okay, but overall the hotel felt like it was in need of renovation. We were three families, and we paid €70 per family to upgrade from Aqua to Eftalia Sol. To be fair, Sol was much nicer — it is a newer building and felt much more modern and pleasant. However, our experience at reception was extremely disappointing. We were offered an upgrade to a private pool room by the manager, Boris. What followed honestly felt like being in a bazaar, bargaining over the price of our holiday room. He asked us what we were willing to offer, so we offered €100 per couple. He refused and wanted €250 per couple. We later found out that other couples were paying the €100 price we had offered, which made us feel that we had been treated completely unfairly. Even worse was Boris’s attitude afterwards. Once we didn’t agree to his price, he completely blanked us and wouldn’t even look at us when we passed reception. For a manager, this was incredibly rude and unprofessional. Because the pool-room upgrade didn’t go through, we then had to pay another €50 per family for a family room. By the end, we felt like we were constantly being asked to pay extra. Another very disappointing experience was with someone from the spa and relaxation department. Throughout almost our entire stay, we were repeatedly approached and followed around by him every day, constantly trying to convince us to book a massage. Eventually, after being approached so many times, we simply gave in and agreed to have one because we couldn’t take the constant pressure anymore. We were clearly told the price was €60 for one adult and one child. However, when it came time to pay, we were charged €70 and were then told that the €60 price was actually in pounds. At no point had pounds been mentioned to us — we were repeatedly told the price in euros. It is not about the €10 difference; it is about the principle and the lack of transparency. After already feeling pressured into booking the treatment, this left us with an even worse impression. We also had a serious issue with ants in one of the rooms. There wasn’t just one or two — there was what felt like a whole colony of ants. We complained about it continuously, but it took around two days before someone was finally sent to deal with the problem. For a hotel claiming to be 5-star, this was simply not acceptable. We also wanted to experience something different and asked the hotel for a recommendation for a good Turkish restaurant nearby. We were recommended Blue Beach Restaurant and trusted the recommendation, thinking we were being directed to a proper local Turkish restaurant. Only afterwards did we realise that the restaurant actually belongs to the same hotel/resort group. We therefore felt that we had simply been directed to one of their own restaurants rather than being given a genuine recommendation for a Turkish restaurant in the area. We ended up paying over €300 for what was essentially buffet-quality food. Again, it was not about spending the money — we were happy to pay for a good experience — but the quality absolutely did not justify the price and left us feeling completely ripped off. The food from the main all-inclusive buffet was also disappointing, particularly during the first two or three days. There were enormous numbers of trays filled with salads and plain boiled vegetables, but very few meat options and not much variety overall. Towards the end of our stay, the food did improve, with more variety and even a sushi buffet, but overall it still felt like cheap-quality food. The cocktails were also extremely watery. The staff were generally pleasant, but unfortunately it often felt as though the level of attention depended on whether you were tipping. When you tipped, people were friendly; when you didn’t, some staff barely acknowledged you. This really affected our overall impression. However, Ishak, the barman, was very nice and attentive. He was friendly, welcoming and always made us feel comfortable and well looked after during our time there. The one big positive was the children. They had a fantastic time with the pools and water activities, and there was plenty to keep them entertained. Overall, we genuinely felt ripped off at different points throughout the holiday. The resort may advertise itself as 5-star, but in our experience, it simply does not live up to that standard. The children enjoyed themselves, but as adults we found the experience frustrating and disappointing. Unfortunately, we would not recommend this resort. I’m sorry if this review offends anyone, as that is not my intention. This is simply our genuine opinion and an honest account of what happened to us during our stay.

Currently staying at the resort with my 3 young children.The slides and pools are more than enough for them to keep them well entertained.Rooms are cleaned daily and mini fridges in rooms restocked daily food is ok and plenty too chose from. The entertainment is enjoyable a good laugh and Rita from the entertainment team is a lovely friendly girl who has a lot of time for not only the children but the adults aswell.

Location- is far out but worth it for the Island and Alayna. Went to a restaurant in the mountains which was fabulous. Atmosphere was great. Everyone was enjoying the slides and Island. Just be careful because we went to the Island and when we came back our goggles, water guns were gone. Accommodation - we arrived after 11 o clock at night. Wanted to get to the room then sit and relax with a glass of wine after all day travelling. All our bags were taken on a trolley and we followed but didn't stay in the hotel but the rooms outside it in the rooms in the grounds. The man stopped outside a door which lead to the basement. 16 steps down with no handles to hold onto and a bar you had to push to open from inside to open the door to get outside. The room had one window but had wire over it so didn't open. Was called a 2 bedroom room but only had a little wall to divide the rooms. It was dark and never saw or heard any one only the cleaners and workmen. Disgusting. Went to reception because my sister is disabled and has to use a stick so could not be safe going down the stairs but couldn't do anything until the morning after. They said no rooms but every day / night the reception staff were asking the arrivals if they wanted an upgrade to a 2 bedroom in the hotel or another hotel. They did ask us to upgrade for £250 pounds but we had 3 family's to so wasn't possible, plus we looked at each hotel and decided this was the best one for all the kids and we had already paid £8,00. We just wanted what we paid for, nearly £8,000 for 5 adults and 3 kids. Eventually we got a member of the reception staff to help and on the 3rd night we ended in a lovely 2 bedroom room near the pools. Food - not good. Breakfast was warm and not a lot to choice from but that's because I don't want salad for breakfast and fruit. Night time has better but no flavour. Snack bar was a life saver, the pizzas were lovely and the kids got free waffles and ice lollies from 1 till 4. Staff - the pool man worked so hard. I got up every morning at 7 o clock and he was sorting the beds, cleaning everything. He never stopped, someone said he was rude but he sorted everyone out in turn so they were inpatient . All the cleaners, snack bar staff and bar staff were so lovely and worked so hard. Island - brilliant. Hotel at night - they have the kids with the electric bikes / cars a round the entertainment and arcades. I saw one nearly go in to the big pool and knock someone over - and a few young kids falling off them. Even though we had a bad experience with the room. I think it's because we booked with cheaper holiday adviser and they have the cheapest rooms in the hotels. Which should be illegal and will be looking in to that. My 3 grand kids and 2 nephews loved every minute in the pools and slides and will be coming back to an other hotel with good food.

Rita is amazing and most of the staff very friendly had a great time