Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora

“Ignore the negative reviews. Some people just like to moan!”

We stayed at Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora and overall had a very good experience. I think it’s worth saying that a lot of the one star reviews don’t really reflect what we found during our stay. First, the sunbed situation is not an issue if you approach it sensibly. If you’re down early, you’ll ge… more

We stayed at Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora and overall had a very good experience. I think it’s worth saying that a lot of the one star reviews don’t really reflect what we found during our stay. First, the sunbed situation is not an issue if you approach it sensibly. If you’re down early, you’ll get what you want, and even later in the day beds do free up as people come and go. It never felt chaotic or unmanageable. The staff across the hotel were consistently attentive and helpful. We had an issue with noise from the room above us and were moved immediately without any fuss, which set the tone for how problems are handled. Carolina in particular was excellent in helping resolve this. Zaher (lady with the tattoos) who worked daily around the pirate pool and served us drinks all day, was also exceptional, she was friendly, proactive, and made a real effort. Rooms were good, and we ended up mid stay paying for a sea view upgrade which was absolutely worth it. Food overall was strong, with a good variety of restaurants. The Asian restaurant and Duo stood out as very good. The Italian was nice, although dinner service there was noticeably slower than elsewhere. Booking dinner reservations can be a bit of a pain. We actually raised this before arriving, and had to refer back to that complaint to make sure we could get reasonable times. That said, if you speak to guest services and make it clear you’re not happy, they do try to sort it out. The “cold pool” that gets criticised is a saltwater pool, so it’s meant to feel that way. We found it refreshing and actually preferred it in the heat. The main negative was drink pricing. €8 for a beer that’s marketed as large but clearly isn’t feels steep, especially given the overall positioning of the hotel. Overall, while I’m not entirely convinced it justifies the premium price point, we had a genuinely very good stay and would return.

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“Staff around hotel /food 5 ⭐️ — who are doing their best — but the lack of response, poor systems, miss selling its 3 ⭐️”

⭐ ⭐ ⭐☆☆ Disappointing systems and access – not a true 5★ experience We’ve just returned from a 9-night stay and unfortunately, while there are some real positives, the overall experience did not live up to what was sold. The positives first: The hotel itself is beautiful, very clean, and the staf… more

⭐ ⭐ ⭐☆☆ Disappointing systems and access – not a true 5★ experience We’ve just returned from a 9-night stay and unfortunately, while there are some real positives, the overall experience did not live up to what was sold. The positives first: The hotel itself is beautiful, very clean, and the staff on the ground are genuinely excellent. Food quality is also very strong — a special mention to Beatriz G and Moises at the Mexican restaurant who were outstanding. However, the issues around systems, access, and transparency significantly impacted our stay. The biggest problem is that the all-inclusive offering is oversold. Despite multiple restaurants being advertised, we were only able to access one à la carte restaurant during our entire stay. We were told that “Red Level” guests book everything in advance — and in reality, this leaves little to no availability for standard guests. We couldn’t get in steak restraunt once in 9 days. We chose the hotel because of choice. In practice, this means you are not getting what is advertised. Other issues we experienced: * 30–35 minute waits for drinks at dinner * Restaurant availability unclear and inconsistent * The app does not work properly for bookings * Long queues at guest services just to try and reserve anything * No response to 8 separate emails regarding a paid upgrade and trying to resolve booking. The systems here are simply not at a 5★ level, even though many of the staff are. There are also some practical frustrations: * Sunbeds are “reserved” early and often left unused * Very little for teenagers to do (no pool tables, table tennis, cinema, etc.) * Most activities are across the road at the sports centre and again limited unless you pay extra or are red level. * If you have a 15-year-old, they are charged as an adult but cannot access key facilities like the spa or even some pools The “Melia Circle” is also misleading — it’s not part of the hotel experience but a timeshare-style upsell, and we were approached multiple times a day about it. Location-wise, the hotel is quite isolated, although there is a lovely coastal walk which is a highlight in the mornings. ⸻ Overall This is a physically beautiful hotel with great staff, but the experience is let down by: * Poor booking systems * Lack of availability for core facilities * Misalignment between what is sold and what is actually accessible At this price point (£7k), that gap is hard to overlook. My rating reflects not the staff — who are doing their best — but the lack of response, poor systems, and overall experience not matching a 5★ standard. ⸻

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