The Domes Lake Resort

In July, we spent two wonderful weeks at this hotel and enjoyed every minute of our stay. We travelled as a family of five, with two adults and three children aged 16, 14, and 11. All three of our children had a fantastic time.

The staff throughout the resort were consistently friendly, welcoming, and helpful. Everyone, from the pool attendants to housekeeping team to the reception staff, greeted us with a smile and a warm hello wherever we went.

We had adjoining rooms. Our rooms were spacious, clean, and well maintained, with a slightly smaller balcony than we had expected. There was plenty of wardrobe and storage space, and the bed was enormous and extremely comfortable. The room was cleaned daily to a high standard, ensuring it remained fresh and spotless throughout our stay.

We stayed on a half-board basis, so we ate in the buffet restaurant every morning and most evenings. The food was consistently delicious, with plenty of choice, and tables were cleared promptly. The only slight irritation was having to purchase bottled water with dinner every evening. It just feels a little mean-spirited to charge for something as basic as water.

We also dined at Antonini one evening, where both the food and the service were excellent. We tried Acosta, the beachfront restaurant affiliated with the hotel, which had been recommended by Guest Relations. Although the setting is beautiful, we felt the food was overpriced for what was offered.

The pool areas were immaculate, and the sunbeds were very comfortable. Guests began reserving sunbeds from around 7:30 a.m. onwards. Towels are provided, and many people leave towels strews on beds when they leave the pool making it difficult to tell which sunbeds are actually available.

There are three swimming pools, all of which are spacious and well maintained. Inflatable toys and floaties are permitted, but because the pools are so large, they don’t interfere with other guests enjoying the water. The hotel also provides a communal selection of inflatables for guests to use, which is a thoughtful touch. This helps reduce unnecessary plastic waste.

The gym is well equipped with a good range of machines and free weights. During July it became particularly busy, and the free weights area felt quite cramped. We also noticed children using the gym on several occasions, despite this being against hotel policy. Unfortunately, this rule did not appear to be enforced by staff, which raises safety concerns.

My only real disappointment was the evening entertainment, or rather the lack of it. There was live music on the terrace on some evenings, but not consistently. The bar has a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere, but it would benefit from more regular entertainment to encourage guests to spend time there in the evenings.

The hotel is just a five-minute walk from a beautiful beach, while the marina is around ten minutes away in the opposite direction. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, and ice cream parlours nearby, making it a lovely area for families to stroll around in the evening. After around 9 p.m., however, many of the bars become much louder and attract a lively party crowd, making that part of the resort less suitable for families with young children.

The hotel and buildings are beautifully set around a lake, creating such a peaceful and scenic setting. Paddle boarding and canoeing are available on the shallow lake, making it ideal for families with young children. There is an additional charge to use the canoes and paddle boards.

We were so sad to finish our stay at this amazing resort. It was such a beautiful and relaxing experience, and we’re already wishing we could go back

I stayed here with my wife and our 13-year-old daughter.

The first thing to say is that this hotel is set in an absolutely beautiful location. The grounds are stunning, immaculately maintained, and the setting around the lake is genuinely special. The location is also excellent, with both the marina and the beach just a short walk away.

Although we had a pleasant holiday and I have given the hotel four stars, that rating is largely due to the location and surroundings. Unfortunately, the rest of the experience did not quite live up to the setting and ultimately prevented this from being a five-star stay.

The pool areas were often very crowded, with lots of younger children playing with floats and balls and frequently jumping in and out of the water. This made it difficult to fully relax at times. On one occasion, an unattended small child had to be lifted from the pool by a lifeguard. There is an adults-only pool, but my daughter was not old enough for us to use it as a family (more on that later). I have no issue with families and younger children being present during the summer holidays, but I don't think the hotel has quite got the balance right. One suggestion would be to designate one of the three main pools, perhaps the colder pool nearest the hotel, as a quieter area better suited to guests looking for a more relaxing environment.

The poolside service was average compared to other five-star hotels we have stayed in. The snack menu could also be improved, as most options felt more like full meals than light bites. We regularly had orders that never arrived, and empty plates and glasses were often left on tables for long periods unless we removed them ourselves. It was noticeable that some staff were experienced and confident, while others appeared to be seasonal employees who may not have received adequate training.

Breakfast was excellent, with a wide variety of high-quality options. However, service was inconsistent and I often found myself having to get up and find someone in order to get a coffee.

We ate at Gustatio, the hotel's buffet restaurant. The food was perfectly acceptable but nothing particularly memorable. At €45 per person, with my daughter being charged the adult rate, we didn't feel it represented good value and generally preferred dining at the marina instead. We also ate at António's, which has a lovely setting and very good service, but again the food itself was not especially remarkable.

One area that I believe the hotel should review is its definition of an adult. It felt inconsistent and somewhat confusing. My daughter was considered an adult for everything we had to pay for, including accommodation and the buffet restaurant, yet she was not considered an adult when it came to facilities such as the adults-only pool or the spa.

Our room was on the ground floor and felt quite dark and somewhat dated. The air conditioning sounded as though it had seen better days, the television was old with poor picture quality, and some of the power sockets did not work. Our room was also located near a route that many guests used as a shortcut across the grass to access the spa, which affected privacy. That said, the housekeeping team were excellent. The room was cleaned daily, plenty of water was provided, and when we had the "Do Not Disturb" sign displayed for a day because my daughter was unwell, they even called to check that everything was okay and ask whether we needed anything.

The reception staff were consistently friendly and helpful throughout our stay. There are also some good leisure facilities, including a table tennis table, pool table, and a small sports court. We took a kayak out on the lake as well, which was great fun and very reasonably priced.

Overall, we loved the location and the beautiful setting, which are undoubtedly the hotel's greatest strengths. However, it feels as though the hotel may be relying a little too heavily on those advantages while allowing other aspects of the guest experience to fall short of what you would expect from a five-star property.