Atlantica Aeneas Resort

We’ve had an amazing time, the hotel was clean and had everything we needed for us as a family of 3. Location was perfect, 2 min walk from the hotel to the beautiful, sandy beach which was perfect for our 7 year old son. There are Shops just outside the hotel. The staff is so friendly and kind. Evening shows were great. Rooms were very clean. Food was fantastic. Fantastic atmosphere and overall an amazing experience . We would highly recommend it for families and we can’t wait to be back. Thank you so much Atlantica Aeneas.

I don’t usually write reviews, but I felt strongly that I needed to manage people’s expectations here, as this hotel is definitely not the luxury 5-star resort it is advertised as.

The hotel itself is clean, but it feels tired and lacks any real sense of luxury. The lobby has mismatched furniture and the corridors genuinely resemble those of an overnight ferry. The rooms are clean but very basic. There are none of the little touches, facilities or overall feel that I would associate with a 5-star hotel. The pillows were also extremely hard and lumpy, which made getting a comfortable night's sleep difficult. Again, not something I would expect when paying for a 5-star luxury resort.

The pool is definitely the highlight. It is huge, with an interesting layout, fountains and plenty going on. However, getting a sunbed is a daily struggle. By around 8am, there is very little left, so you need to be up early to secure one — which hardly creates the relaxed holiday atmosphere you would expect.

We chose to sit at the quieter end of the pool to escape the large family groups, noisy conversations and vaping around the busier areas. However, no hotel or TUI staff come down to that end to announce the activities, meaning it is very easy to miss things such as aqua aerobics, volleyball and water polo unless you actually set an alarm to remind yourself! There is also no poolside waiter service — you have to queue at the bar for drinks. Again, this simply isn't what I would expect from a 5-star resort.

The drinks are another disappointment. The spirits are all local brands, and the cocktails are very hit and miss. The wine is possibly the worst wine I have ever tasted and comes from a tap. The bar staff were generally miserable and the coffee was also terrible. None of this feels particularly premium.

The restaurant has a good selection of food and I genuinely have no complaints about the food itself. However, at lunchtime it smells very strongly of bleach, presumably because the restaurant hasn't had enough time to air after breakfast service. I didn't notice the smell at other times of the day, but it is very off-putting. And, unfortunately, the wine doesn't improve at dinner!

The evening entertainment is disappointing. I appreciate that the TUI staff work hard to put on a show every night, but it essentially consists of the same people appearing in different costumes and singing different songs. After a few nights it becomes incredibly repetitive and boring. For a resort advertised as 5-star, I would expect TUI to spend some money bringing in proper outside acts occasionally. The entertainment simply isn't 5-star standard.

The lobby area also becomes extremely overcrowded in the evenings as it is one of the only places with any real seating. A lot of the seating is taken up by large family groups and weddings — there seems to be a wedding almost every day — which makes it difficult to find somewhere to sit.

The gym has a good range of equipment, but the free-weight area is downstairs and isn't air-conditioned. It is absolutely stifling in the heat. There is also no water or towels available in the gym. Again, for a 5-star resort, I would expect these basics to be provided.

My son used the kids' club several times and seemed to have fun, so I can't fault the staff there. However, it is very basic. My biggest issue is that there is no drinking water available for the children. I was told that he needed to bring his own water bottle. In 35°C heat, I find it ridiculous that a 5-star resort doesn't provide drinking water for children in its kids' club.

Sadly, we found the hotel very disappointing considering the amount of money we paid and, more importantly, the expectation created by the 5-star luxury advertising.

For me, this is 3-star, or 4-star at best, rather than a genuine 5-star luxury resort.

We've previously stayed at the Lopesan and Mitsis chains and, having experienced both, I can honestly say we could have booked one of those again for the same money. I really wish we had, as they are both far superior in terms of service, facilities and overall quality.

If you're booking this hotel expecting a true luxury 5-star experience, I would strongly recommend managing your expectations.

I cannot recommend this hotel enough! We had an amazing stay here. The hotel complex is modern, large and the facilities are superb. Pools are large and despite being peak season, you can always get a free sunbed no matter what time of day. I'm out opinion it was the staff that set the hotel apart from others we have been too. They are all so friendly no matter whether reception, the brilliant bar staff or cleaners. We were really looked after and would recommend to anyone. Thank you to everyone at the hotel and hopefully we will be back!