Gaia Royal Hotel

“Lovely hotel - unexpected All Inclusive packages”

Get ready for a detailed review. Having read the mixed reviews before we arrived I was anxious and was ready to be looking for the negatives. We booked the package holiday because we were just wanting a quiet week with some entertainment for the kids and my elderly mother could be involved in holi… more

Get ready for a detailed review. Having read the mixed reviews before we arrived I was anxious and was ready to be looking for the negatives. We booked the package holiday because we were just wanting a quiet week with some entertainment for the kids and my elderly mother could be involved in holiday life but with the room close by for her to rest. I was really pleasantly surprised. Arrival: Slick and organised as TUI always is. Friendly staff on check in and despite our room not being far from reception, we had a golf buggy transport us and our luggage which was a lovely bonus after our travelling. Room: As per the pictures, the hotel is a complex of apartments. Lovely spacious 2 bedroom apartment. Everything was clean, stocked tea/coffee making facilities. Plenty of storage for all of us. Lovely big balcony with clothes maiden. We had a 2 year old with us and they had made up a sofa bed instead of a cot but once reported they quickly brought a travel cot. Hotel: Very well equipped with lots to see and do. Despite it being late October and quite quiet we had lovely weather so were by the pool most days. My 10 year old made a friends and they used the various facilities on offer such as Tennis courts, mini golf etc. These required a deposit for the equipment as you would expect but no other costs. The onsite mini-zoo is small but still a lovely bonus for us to go and have a walk round every now and again. My 2 year old enjoyed that. There are numerous parks on site and smaller swimming pools for the younger ones. We mostly stayed at a quiet pool on the mini-zoo side of the complex as it was close to our room but the bigger ‘main pool’ was cleverly designed in an unusual shape so seating around it was in smaller clusters, again good for family group. We didn’t struggle for sun loungers but I expect in peak times this may be a challenge. The Main Pool had the daytime snack bar, a shop, arcade and played music during the day. The pool was spent most of our time at had some lighter snacks, cake and a bar but didn’t play music but very calming. A few days into the holiday we did have a problem with the drainage in our shower. On our way to dinner one evening we told reception and within 10 minutes someone was in our room fixing it. Food: Delicious, this is our 5th All Inclusive with the kids and probably the best we’ve had. It’s not the biggest selection we’ve had but more than good enough and plenty of variety to suit everyone. Breakfast was a full English with a pancakes, cereal, fruit sections. Lunch generally had a similar selection to Dinner. Dinner was themed each evening but always had a salad, fruit and bread bar, Generally there would be meat of fish from the grill then a variety of other mains and sides to chose. The kids bar generally had your normal beige food of pasta, chips etc. And their desert bar was well stocked and the freezer had a basic selection of ice cream. The restaurant itself had a relaxed feel, it never felt overcrowded or cramped. You can get soft & hot drinks and beer and wine to help yourself. Entertainment: At the Main Pool there was some entertainment during the day with activities for both kids and adults. Notices said there would be some things going on at the smaller pool where we were but they didn’t really happen but may be because it was so quiet. There was a kids club available but we never used it. In the evening, in the Main Bar near reception, there was a mini disco which our 2 year old enjoyed. The ladies running that seemed friendly and clearly knew some of the children through kids club. They played songs from each country so all the kids could enjoy it. Leo the Lion visited every night which my son loved! In the same area there was a small arcade with 2 pool tables so my 10 year old could also be entertained. After the mini disco the was some other form of entertainment. 1 night there was a quiz, another night was Greek music and dancing, Karaoke etc. Overall the entertainment wasn’t the best but fit for purpose. Other All Inclusive holidays we’ve been to have had big shows but this was fitting to where we were. A relatively small bar area so the entertainment staff only had a corner. I did see a theatre that’s probably open during high season so they probably do offer better shows then. Location: The hotel is right on the beach. 5 minute walk from reception and you’re there. Lovely soft sand and a lovely temperature and clean for swimming. Outside the hotel is pretty sparce. We walked one evening to the local supermarket which took about 15 minutes. There were a few bars close to the supermarket. Didn’t seem to be much going on but again this could be due to the time of year. We passed a few other big hotels but didn’t venture inside. It cost us £30 to get to Kos which is stunning!!! Absolutely lovely to walk around and well worth the day out. We followed a recommended route so that we got a bit of culture (ruins of an old market etc.) between shops and bars. There were boat trips from the harbour and a pebble beach. If we were to go back to Kos then I’d look for somewhere in the town centre. Lovely little clean shops and restaurants. Negatives: My biggest bug bare – and it was a big one – the All Inclusive package… Don’t get me wrong we got by and if you’re not a big drinker then this might not bother you at all. The hotel offers 2 types of All Inclusive – the standard and the ‘Ultra All Inclusive’. Firstly disappointing that this was not made clear when booked. We heard about it through reviews. The standard package was basic. Beers, wines, local spirits, soft drinks and coffee and tea. Hot drinks were basic coffee with or without milk (e.g. not cappuccino or latte etc.) or tea (if you wanted milk either you had powdered hot milk or you had to go to the main hotel bar and ask for a glass of milk, which we did and kept it in the fridge in our room until we just bought a bottle from the supermarket). Soft drinks were cheap fizzy pop (lemonade, coke and orange) and then some juices, again a bit watery. Spirits were local but they did taste watery. I was the bar man open a fresh and sealed bottle so I know they’re not actually watered down but they are weak and tasteless. No cocktails – I love a cocktail on holiday and most ingredients were there so I have no idea why they can’t include a cocktail menu. The bar at the main pool and the bar in reception did have cocktail menus but these are extra!!! It’s quite reasonably priced but after what we’re paying on the holiday already, I expect this to be included! To upgrade to the ‘Ultra’ would give you this menu for free but not all of it. The main bar had things like Baileys which were not included on any package and you had to pay. The Ultra package also gave you a beach towel and permission to lie on a sun lounger by the beach as well. Again I think this should be included, or at least given away during quieter times of the year as when we went down to the beach there was hardly anyone on them and are they really saving that much on washing not some extra towels. The standard package doesn’t give you access to the beach bar either so you have to walk back to reception. Again, no idea why this was, not that it’s far but the beach bar was empty. My partner and I enquired about an upgrade. It was £25 per day per person but it had to be for the remainder of your holiday. So you couldn’t upgrade for one day and then go back, if you upgraded you would have to pay for each day for the remainder of your holiday. Basically they were swapping you wrist band to a gold one. Not worth it for us. We just bought a few cocktails in the evening if we want to which worked out less than £25 each anyway. It felt like this difference in packages just gave everyone a bad taint on the place but for no real benefit to the hotel. Anyway I don’t want to end on a bad note because the hotel was overall lovely. Very pretty, calm but had plenty going on. Perfect for what we wanted. I would recommend to others just a shame about the drinks.

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