Fodele Beach & Water Park Holiday Resort

We verbleven zeven nachten in het Fodele Beach Resort. Over het algemeen hebben we een fijne vakantie gehad, maar ik vind niet dat dit het luxe resort is dat het in de reclame wordt voorgesteld, zeker niet voor die prijs. Het personeel was altijd vriendelijk en behulpzaam, en het waterpark was geweldig – onze kinderen vonden het fantastisch. Een van de leukste extraatjes was het treintje dat gasten door het resort rijdt, aangezien het op een heuvel is gebouwd. Het strand is zanderig, maar zodra je de zee in gaat, is het behoorlijk rotsachtig, dus waterschoenen zijn een goed idee. De kamers zijn nogal verouderd en kunnen wel een opknapbeurt gebruiken. Het eten was eenvoudig en eentonig, met minder variatie dan we hadden verwacht, vooral wat vers fruit betreft. We hadden ook een reservering gemaakt bij het Italiaanse restaurant Ambrosia, maar helaas was dat niets bijzonders en viel het tegen. Het avondprogramma was ook een teleurstelling. Van de zeven avonden vonden we slechts twee shows leuk. Het viel ons ook op dat er in het hotel heel weinig informatie beschikbaar was over lokale bezienswaardigheden of dagtochten. Het zou handig zijn als er brochures of informatie in de lobby zouden liggen, zodat gasten gemakkelijk kunnen zien wat er te doen is. Wat ook nog vermeld moet worden, is dat in de beschrijving van Jet2 duiken en snorkelen worden genoemd, maar wij hebben gemerkt dat dit niet beschikbaar was zoals geadverteerd. Ook kleine details zorgden ervoor dat het hotel minder luxueus aanvoelde, zoals het erg harde toiletpapier. Deze dingen lijken misschien onbelangrijk, maar samen beïnvloeden ze de algehele ervaring. De eerste nacht zaten er ook mieren op het bed van mijn jongste zoon; het hotel heeft dit de volgende dag opgelost. Uiteindelijk hebben we genoten van onze vakantie dankzij het vriendelijke personeel en het waterpark, maar we vertrokken met het gevoel dat het resort te duur is voor wat het te bieden heeft. Naar mijn mening voelt het meer aan als een viersterrenhotel dan als een echt luxe vijfsterrenresort.

First of all, in my opinion, this is by no means a five-star hotel. The best thing about Fodele Beach is undoubtedly its location. The main area by the pool and bar overlooks a beautiful bay with a stunning view. Those were honestly the only moments when I truly felt like I was at a luxury resort. Unfortunately, our room was a completely different story. We were given a very old and dated room with a strong musty, damp smell. Our balcony overlooked the back of the main restaurant, directly facing air-conditioning units and the service area. On top of that, the smell of fish and meat being cooked came straight into our room. We immediately asked to change rooms. After hours of delays and excuses, we met with the manager the following day. I cannot know whether there genuinely wasn’t another suitable room available in such a huge resort, but the way the situation was handled was extremely disappointing. One of the solutions offered was for my husband to sleep alone in a separate room far away, while I stayed in the original room with our children. Another solution was to move us to a smaller room that doesn't fit a family of 4. Is this really how a family vacation at a five-star resort is supposed to look? The main restaurant was another major disappointment. There is no adequate air-conditioning, making meals extremely hot and uncomfortable. The food itself was simply not good. There was plenty of it, but quantity does not equal quality. The ingredients seemed low-quality, the vegetables often didn’t taste fresh, and the selection of salads, fish and cheeses was surprisingly limited. Even our children struggled to find food they enjoyed. However, dinner at the Greek restaurant and the Grill restaurant was on a completely different level. Both the food and atmosphere were significantly better, and we really enjoyed our meals there. The pool was great, although there aren’t enough sunbeds for the number of guests, and many are “reserved” with towels for hours without actually being used. Entertainment for children was surprisingly limited. The kids’ club by the beach offered almost no real activities. During our stay, the main activity seemed to be coloring Pokémon printouts, which was disappointing for a family resort. The beach is beautiful, but bring water shoes because of the stones. The water sports are fun, but everything costs extra. We paid €100 for a jet-ski ride with two children, and the other activities weren’t cheap either. There is also a game room where every game costs around €2–3. It basically feels like a mini casino for children. The kids obviously enjoy it, but parents can easily find themselves spending another €200 during a week. The spa was okay and the massages were fine, but because it is located very close to the main pool, you can hear children shouting and playing during the treatment, which doesn’t exactly create a relaxing spa atmosphere. One final note: whoever manages the resort’s social media deserves a raise, because they are doing an incredible job. The hotel’s online presence creates a very luxurious, stylish and aspirational image that was a major part of what attracted us to the resort in the first place. What we discovered once we arrived, however, was that many of those beautiful images seem to focus heavily on the resort’s one exceptional private suite!!! And yes, that suite looks absolutely stunning, but it is in no way representative of the standard rooms or of the room we received. There is an enormous gap between the experience being sold on social media and the reality we encountered. When you book a five-star resort based partly on those images and then walk into an old, dated room smelling of damp, overlooking air-conditioning units and the back of a restaurant, it is hard not to feel misled. Great marketing, absolutely. But unfortunately, in our experience, the reality did not live up to the image being sold. We stayed at Fodele Beach as a group of six families, and unfortunately, the concerns raised in this review were shared by all of us.

We had a fantastic time at Hotel Fodele Beach. We stayed in a family room with our family, including two children aged 9 and 10. The hotel excels in service and the friendliness of the staff. Extensive breakfast, lunch, and dinner in lovely dining rooms or outside on the balcony or terrace. Excellent coffee, beer, and cocktails. A great water park and right on the sea with a nice beach. We have visited many all-inclusive hotels over the past few years, but this hotel is our absolute number one. We would like to thank all the staff for the wonderful time.

the hotel is fantastic. The food is brilliant, with a large variety of different cuisines. The staff are exceptionally helpful and friendly. The only minor grumble I had was that this was my first time taking my family on a 5 star holiday and the room was a bit dated and not what I expected from a 5 star hotel. I would definitely speak with your travel company before going about the location of your room as well. This is because the resort is built into a hillside and many of the rooms are located high up, and a fair distance from the main facilities. The hotel provides transport up and down the hill but I do not know how frequent this is. I wasnt advised about this by my travel company either, and only by chance were we placed near to the main facilities.

I would like to thank the entire hotel team for making our stay so special. Everything was absolutely perfect – the service, the staff, the food, the atmosphere, and the incredible attention to every detail. What touched me the most was my birthday. Nobody told the hotel it was my birthday, yet they surprised me with a beautiful birthday cake. During the evening show, they even invited me on stage and sang Happy Birthday to me. It was such a thoughtful and unforgettable surprise that made me feel truly special. The views are absolutely breathtaking from every corner of the hotel, and the level of hospitality is outstanding. Thank you again for everything. This is truly a 10/10 hotel, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an unforgettable vacation. We will definitely be back!