Domes Aulus Elounda

SERIOUSLY, DON’T BOTHER

A deeply disappointing stay: definitely not five-star

I really wanted to write a good review. We arrived with high hopes and desperately needed a chance to relax. Instead, much of our holiday was spent frustrated by poor cleanliness, room problems, disappointing food, long waits and the feeling that guests weren’t being properly looked after.

We travelled during an awful time for our family, following a family tragedy just a few days before we were due to leave. We very nearly cancelled. We were hoping the holiday might give us a little breathing space. The weather was dreadful, but that wasn’t the hotel’s fault. What made the stay so disappointing was how little else lived up to what we’d been led to expect.

I have photos of the issues described below.

Arrival and first impressions

We arrived at about 2 a.m., tired and desperate for a drink of water. There were empty glasses lying around the foyer, the welcome drinks hadn’t been replenished, and more discarded glasses had been left in various spots on the way to our room. Nothing seemed to have been cleared away. It was a poor first impression for a hotel presented as five-star.

Our room

The room was small but practical, and the bed was comfortable. The shower was very small and intermittently cold. The screen also failed to keep the water in the shower, so it went all over the bathroom. We had to put towels on the floor to stop the whole room becoming saturated. Staff did try to find us another room, but the alternatives didn’t feel like a suitable replacement, so we reluctantly stayed where we were.

The room was “tidied” each day, but it didn’t feel properly cleaned. The dust on the side was so thick that it was clearly not something that had built up over a day or two. It looked as though it hadn’t been cleaned for a number of weeks. I could have written my name in it, and it was still there from day one to day seven.

The towels had been washed but had visible yellow stains. The bathrobes were old, grey and fraying, with hardened material that felt rough against the skin. I expected clean, soft white robes; these were nowhere near that standard.

Sun loungers and towels

We had a three-day storm, and the sun-lounger cushions weren’t brought in. Afterwards, they remained soaking wet and struggled to dry out. The towels became saturated too, making the loungers uncomfortable and difficult to use.

The sunbeds themselves were incredibly dirty and yellowing. When the weather finally improved, the condition of the loungers made it much harder to enjoy the pool area. The beach ones were even worse and put us off using them at all.

Food and restaurants

The buffet food was lukewarm under the heat lamps, dry and predictable. Breakfast was only just okay. My omelette was lukewarm, and I later ended up with an upset stomach.

The Blu Bar was particularly disappointing. The food was dreadful. My vegetarian burger was a small pan-fried mushroom, cut in half, on a blob of cream cheese between two enormous brioche buns. It was nothing like the burger I expected. In fact, it wasn’t a burger at all. My husband’s beef burger was just as bad, you could visibly see the fat dripping out of it.

The Meze restaurant had to be booked, and guests could only visit once during their stay. The menu was limited, and around half of the items listed were unavailable. The portions were enormous, but that didn’t make the meal enjoyable, and the food wasn’t as described. One waitress with blonde hair was rude to us on two separate days. We left feeling disappointed.

Despite the stay being all-inclusive, staff presented us with a “bill” after each meal. It was for tips. We would normally tip, but on this occasion we had served ourselves and were then presented with a bill by staff who had been rude to us. It felt as though they were pushing their luck. We did tip at the amphitheatre, where the service and experience were genuinely lovely.

There was one real exception: dinner in the amphitheatre, with a band playing. The food was exquisite, the atmosphere was wonderful, and the man we believed to be the manager was lovely. We really enjoyed that evening. It showed how good the hotel ‘could be’ - which made the rest of the experience all the more frustrating.

Bars and service

The reception and drinks area became exceptionally busy in the evenings, yet there was only one person behind the bar. A waitress took orders but seemed to lose track of who had ordered what. We waited between 10 and 30 minutes for drinks. It would have been quicker to queue at the bar ourselves. (And this was out of peak season!)

There was entertainment, but nobody told us where it was. We were left thinking there wasn’t any until the penultimate day, when we discovered it was in the amphitheatre. There was no poolside service, and staff often seemed inattentive. Too often, asking for something felt like an inconvenience.

The “Cool Living” area also needs a clear warning for guests who are elderly, less mobile or have a disability. It involves a very steep walk, and the shuttle buses were few and far between. We were staying in the lower rooms and were told we couldn’t use the restaurant at the top of the hill, so I can’t comment on that part of the hotel.

If you’re considering paying an extra €800 for a private or swim-up pool with your room, I’d save your money. They’re roughly 6½ feet by 6½ feet — more like a hot tub than a pool — and, in my opinion, not worth the extra cost. I never saw anyone in one.

Pools, toilets and wasps

The small pool was dirty and out of order. We were told it had apparently been in that state for months. The larger pool looked dated and in need of repair. I’m also unsure whether the filters were working, as there was a clear film of dirt on the surface of the water and leaves clogging both pools. We didn’t see anyone using the larger pool.

The only public toilets were in the basement, which was very inconvenient. There were just two toilets for each gender to serve the bar, pool and restaurants. They were dirty, too.

There was also a serious wasp problem, both indoors and outside. I understand wasps aren’t directly the hotel’s fault, but the hotel should investigate where they’re coming from, check for nests and make an effort to manage the problem.

One unexpected highlight was the hotel cat: a friendly tortoiseshell moggy who came over for daily cuddles on the sun lounger. She would jump up and snuggle right in. She was a lovely distraction and one of the few things that made me smile. Warning: don’t touch the white cat!

The beach

What beach? It was a narrow strip of pebble and coarse sand that appeared to be man-made, lined with empty sunbeds. It bears little resemblance to what most people would picture when booking a beach holiday. The way it was presented by Jet2 felt deeply misleading.

Staff

We found the front-of-house service rude, which added to the feeling that guests weren’t being properly looked after. Staff seemed run off their feet and visibly exhausted. When we asked one concierge for help with restaurant bookings, we were simply told to download the app and look for ourselves. I would have appreciated some human help.

A special mention to the buggy driver, who seemed as exasperated by the situation as we were. He was friendly and kind when showing us the alternative rooms.

Spa and gym

I paid £106 for a massage that didn’t feel worth the money. The back massage was good, but the Indian head massage felt more like a toddler playing with my hair than a professional treatment. The spa itself is dated and needs updating. Used towels had been left on the relaxation beds, so I couldn’t sit down.

The gym is functional, with an adequate range of machines and weights and a good water supply. It’s fine for a holiday workout, but nothing special and certainly not five-star.

Overall

I wouldn’t recommend this hotel, and I wouldn’t return. Dinner in the amphitheatre was genuinely lovely, and the hotel cat was a delight, but those moments were exceptions in a stay that fell far short of what we expected.

For a hotel sold as five-star, the cleanliness, food, facilities and service were a huge disappointment. To us, the overall experience felt closer to three-star, if that.

We both found ourselves wishing we could go home. We’ve never asked for money back after a holiday before, but this experience felt so far removed from how it was presented that I’ll be writing to Jet2 with honest feedback and asking for a refund. We had hoped for a little rest during an awful time for our family. Instead, the holiday added frustration to a week that was already incredibly hard and painful.

We had an amazing time in this place! First of all we loved our room which was just a simple sea view but excellent located somewhere in the 400 transportation,was not necessary and we could always walk but if we need it, the staff was very helpful! The food was great and special thanks to the guest relationship team for being always supportive and smiley!! We would certainly come back! Thanks for everything!