pickalbatros.com

A ruined holiday !!

I would like to share my recent experience at Albatros Makadi Resort, which, unfortunately, turned into a disappointing ordeal.At first glance, the hotel appears to have great potential. The layout, the impressive 16 pools, and the luxurious entrance hall create a promising first impression. However, I regret to say that this is not a 5-star resort by any standard.We arrived at the hotel after 4 a.m.—well past our expected midnight arrival. There was no warm welcome; instead, we were immediately asked for our passports. When I politely requested some water or juice, the receptionist directed me to the bar downstairs. At that hour, after a long journey, it was incredibly disappointing not to be offered even a simple refreshment during check-in.Staff shortages were evident throughout our stay. Whether at the reception, during breakfast, at the beach lunch area, or at the lounge bar, we constantly had to wait for service.Our room was spacious, but comfort and amenities fell far short of expectations. The mattress and pillows were uncomfortably firm. The bathroom featured a plastic soap dispenser reminiscent of a budget hotel. The light above the makeup mirror didn’t work, toilet paper wasn’t refilled, and the tile work was subpar—with missing mortar in several areas. The toilet brush and bin were corroded and unhygienic. The tissue box was a basic supermarket pack instead of a fitting design. Moreover, there were no toiletries such as toothbrush, cotton pads, or cotton buds just soap and shampoos.The sunbeds were basic, and many pools were too shallow or too cold for swimming. The quadricycles were a great idea in theory, but poorly executed—several were damaged, and we spent significant time trying to locate them due to staff misinformation.The beach was another letdown. It was littered with jellyfish, debris, and rubbish. It is the hotel’s responsibility to keep the beach clean, as is done in destinations like the Maldives or Seychelles. Furthermore, beach staff were only occasionally available to take orders—far from the attentive service expected at a 5-star resort.Regarding the food: I understand tastes vary, but the quality was simply not up to par. Vegetables were over-grilled, and the Thai/Indian chicken was deep-fried and overly salty. The desserts across the board were flavorless, and on multiple occasions, I noticed half-eaten pastries in the buffet—an alarming hygiene issue that should be monitored by the F&B manager.The spa experience was another major disappointment. I booked a two-hour treatment, but no one informed me the spa was under construction. I was allowed only 10 minutes each in the sauna and hammam. While the soap massage was excellent, the overall environment was chaotic, with construction noise and workers milling about. This completely ruined the relaxing atmosphere one expects in a spa.The most distressing part of our stay occurred on the first day. After returning from the pool, I found our room locked with a letter instructing me to report to reception immediately. Still wet and wearing a sarong, I tried calling reception, but no one answered. I had to walk across the resort with my child in swimwear—a deeply uncomfortable and humiliating situation.The issue turned out to be an administrative discrepancy: the hotel considered my child an adult due to a one-month difference in age, while most hotels would have classified them as a child. As a result, the hotel demanded over 90% more than the amount I had paid for the week. The handling of this situation was completely unacceptable—lacking transparency, sensitivity, and flexibility. Discussing such a matter in front of a child was both unprofessional and distressing.To make matters worse, I was asked to return to reception every day—10 minutes away by bike—to follow up on the issue. This was extremely disruptive.Despite losing two days due to flight schedules and using very few of the resort’s facilities, the hotel manager repeatedly pressured me for additional payment. On departure, I was even asked about missing beach towels—which in fact, were in our room, but pool staff could not give us any towel cards cause there were any left. The suggestion that I would try to steal plain towels, without any hotel logo, to fit into my 8kg cabin luggage was simply absurd and offensive.Overall, the experience fell dramatically short of expectations. The lack of basic service, comfort, communication, and courtesy was shocking. I expected a 5-star resort experience and was instead met with disorganization, poor maintenance, and a lack of hospitality.

Date of experience: Apr 12, 2025