We returned to this hotel after two years, and unfortunately, the level of service has changed noticeably — and not for the better.

Guest Safety and Care

Near the rooms beginning with 95**, the stairs leading down to the bungalows have neither handrails nor any other safety barrier. I slipped on these stairs and suffered a displaced wrist fracture. The result: a trip to the hospital and surgery.

No one from the hotel accompanied me to the hospital or offered any assistance with the insurance company. By comparison, at the hospital we met another injured tourist who had representatives from both his hotel and his diving club with him, helping and supporting him.

Apparently, no one even noticed that I was away from the hotel all night. After I returned, neither a manager nor the hotel doctor checked on my condition. However, a complimentary fruit plate was sent to my room: one banana, two apples, two pears and two plums. Apparently, that completed the hotel’s rehabilitation program.

For the rest of my stay, no one from the management approached me or expressed any concern about what had happened. Needless to say, no handrails appeared on the stairs either.

The only person who showed genuine human concern was Mohammed at reception. A special thank you to him.

Accidents can happen anywhere. But the true level of a hotel is often revealed by what happens afterwards. In our case — practically nothing.

Cleanliness: A Tragedy of Its Own

Every time we requested housekeeping, we left a tip of $2–5. The tips were always accepted enthusiastically. The cleaning itself was a little more complicated.

Because of my surgery, I spent most of the holiday in my room and had the unusual opportunity to observe the housekeeping process in detail. The floors were cleaned only if specifically requested — provided you managed to explain this to a member of staff who spoke almost no English.

On one occasion, during a “change” of bed linen, the sheet and duvet were simply turned over to the other side. The pillowcases were not changed at all. After several calls to reception and repeated promises of “right away,” I eventually had to go outside, find a housekeeper myself and bring him back to the room.

The grand finale came when I saw him pick pillows up from the floor, dust them off and put them straight back onto the bed. The pillowcases still remained unchanged. As I later discovered, the towels had not been replaced either.

Dirt in the corners, dead mosquito marks on the mirror, toothpaste and water stains in the bathroom — all seemed to be part of the décor. And judging by its appearance, the glass railing on the balcony had probably not been cleaned since the hotel first opened.

Two years ago, we were willing to overlook some of this hotel’s shortcomings because of its atmosphere and location. Unfortunately, the problems now concern the very basics: cleanliness, safety and care for guests.