Melia Salinas

Disappointing for a hotel positioned as a high-end five-star resort We stayed at Paradisus Salinas for seven nights and, considering the price and the way this hotel is presented as a high-end five-star resort, we expected a considerably higher overall standard. There are certainly positives. The architecture is impressive, the location is attractive, and after we complained about our first room, the hotel did eventually move us to a quieter room closer to our children’s room. We appreciated that effort. Unfortunately, however, there were too many problems throughout the week for us to consider this a genuine luxury five-star experience. Our first Premium Sea View room was located close to the Ginger Bar. From around 10 pm until approximately midnight, the evening entertainment was extremely loud inside our room. The sound insulation was clearly inadequate. We had specifically chosen a hotel of this category expecting peace and comfort in our room. The air conditioning was another major issue. It appeared old, was extremely noisy when cooling properly, and had visible dark dirt/deposits around and behind the ventilation grille. After approximately two days, we stopped using it altogether. Before our arrival, we had specifically requested that our two rooms be located next to each other or at least close together. The hotel had confirmed that this request had been noted. Nevertheless, on arrival the rooms were on different floors and on completely different sides of the hotel. After complaining, the hotel did relocate us closer together, which we appreciated. The organisation of the à la carte restaurants was particularly frustrating. Reservations have to be made through a QR-code system and can only be booked two days in advance. For four people, availability was almost always shown as full. Three times we eventually obtained reservations through the concierge after asking for help, and one of those reservations was incorrectly made for two people instead of four. What made this difficult to understand was that, once inside the restaurants, we repeatedly saw numerous empty tables. The apparent lack of availability in the reservation system simply did not seem to correspond with the actual occupancy of the restaurants. There was also very little explanation about the individual restaurant concepts. At Samira, for example, there was a small buffet near the entrance with attractive snacks and sweets. We saw other guests using it but nobody explained to us what it was or that it was part of the experience. We only properly noticed what was available when leaving the restaurant. This lack of proactive information was a recurring theme throughout our stay. The buffet restaurant was another disappointment. We found the overall quality of the food poor and clearly below what we expected from a hotel marketed as a high-end five-star all-inclusive resort. For us, the buffet did not reflect the price or positioning of the hotel. The breakfast area also showed a lack of attention to cleanliness and maintenance. The coffee machine was repeatedly visibly dirty, with dried coffee and liquid residue around it, and it frequently did not work properly. Dirt and debris underneath and around some breakfast tables also appeared to remain there from one day to the next rather than being properly cleaned. Service in general often felt poorly organised and lacking clear supervision. In the restaurants, it was not always clear who was responsible for which tables or tasks. Staff seemed to be clearing tables, serving drinks and wine and working across different sections simultaneously. On several occasions we had to ask two or three different waiters before something as simple as a glass of water actually arrived, because previous requests had apparently been forgotten. English was also very limited among some members of staff, which regularly made communication unnecessarily difficult for an international five-star resort. We also experienced an uncomfortable situation in the buffet restaurant where staff members stood at our table speaking Spanish among themselves and it was clear from the context that they were discussing our daughter. We could not understand the complete conversation, but we found it inappropriate and unprofessional to discuss a guest in this way while standing at the family’s table. There were also several additional charges that we felt were not communicated transparently enough. Room service carries a fixed €20 service fee per order, even for something small. We also discovered that part of the gym/fitness offering involved an additional charge, which had not been clearly explained to us beforehand. The situation around the swimming pool was another major disappointment. From around 7 am, many guests would reserve sunbeds with towels and then leave them unused for hours. Although pool staff were present, we saw little effective intervention. On several days we could not find a free sunbed until around 4:30 pm, despite seeing numerous loungers sitting unused with towels on them for long periods. For a hotel positioning itself at this level, we would expect a proper policy to prevent this. Cleanliness and maintenance were also below what we would expect from a high-end five-star property. During our stay we observed and photographed: dirty outdoor shower areas; some outdoor showers that were not working; stained or dirty floors; a coffee machine at breakfast that was visibly dirty and frequently did not work properly; stained bed linen; worn and dirty window frames and fittings; damaged or deteriorating finishes; dirt and debris underneath and around breakfast tables. In particular, dirt underneath some breakfast tables appeared to remain there from one day to the next rather than being properly cleaned. Individual staff experiences were mixed as well. Theo, in particular, appeared to spend a considerable amount of time socialising with guests, but when practical issues or questions arose, we did not find him particularly helpful or solution-oriented. On one occasion he approached guests in a very informal way and suggested having a drink together while discussing their stay and reviews, which we found rather unusual. By contrast, Kevin at the Ginger Bar deserves a special mention. He was friendly, attentive, professional and consistently went beyond what was expected. He was one of the staff members who genuinely made us feel welcome. A big compliment to Kevin. The fundamental problem for us was therefore not one isolated incident. It was the accumulation of poor organisation, inconsistent service, insufficient communication, inadequate maintenance and lack of attention to detail throughout the week. Paradisus Salinas has attractive architecture and a beautiful setting, and there are certainly individual staff members who work very hard. But considering the price and the way this property is marketed, the overall service, organisation, cleanliness, food quality and maintenance did not feel like a genuine high-end five-star experience to us.

We recently stayed at Paradisus Salinas for our honeymoon, and it exceeded every expectation. From the moment we arrived, the hotel was impeccably clean, beautifully presented, and stunningly designed. To make our trip extra special, we were offered an upgrade to a private villa, which we accepted without hesitation—and we are so glad we did! The villa was absolutely breathtaking, offering the perfect blend of luxury, privacy, and comfort for our celebration. What truly set this resort apart, however, was the exceptional service. The staff were consistently polite, friendly, and incredibly attentive, constantly going above and beyond to ensure we had everything we needed. They truly made our honeymoon unforgettable, and we are already planning to return to celebrate our anniversary!

Having experienced other Paradisus hotels this had some areas that needed improving. We had an issue on arrival which was sorted quickly which was appreciated, however the hotel is in need of some TLC. We were on the 4th floor and there were broken floor tiles in the general areas which need sorting. We were Reserve guests and I’m not sure about value for money. The à la carte breakfast area was a shambles. Understaffed, waiting staff with limited understanding of English and very hot and miss service. We had days where we waited ages for someone to take our order, but served other people that had arrived after us, or half a breakfast order arrived. On our final day the coffee machine was not working but it felt like all service had stopped. We waited 40 minutes for food. Also the separate pool was lovely but if you didn’t get your sunbed first thing no chance and it seemed that Circle guests were able to reserve them.

That is another bone of contention. There is a big push for Circle membership and being “ambushed “ about it is not good at all.

Restaurant bookings are extremely difficult to make. I am not sure how anyone manages to book them without concierge help. They are booked as soon as released. We were lucky enough to eat in the Italian and that was lovely. By limiting numbers I think it ensures quality of the food .

Whilst we have seen some negative comments about the buffet restaurant, we actually liked it. Loads of choice and mostly the hot food was hot. Salad at lunch was lovely. Drinks hm getting a glass of wine was a challenge any more we struggled. Likewise service in Ginger was painfully slow.

I am not sure if they have sufficient staff to cope with the number of guests. We were waiting some days and evenings 20 mins or so.

Mixology was great fun.

Saying that we had a lovely relaxing holiday but not the standard we were expecting compared to the other Paradisus hotels we have stayed at.