Zeus Eleva Ajul

Where do we start.....Well if you are expecting a five star holiday, you are going to be very disappointed . On arrival, the hotel looks great, the grounds are lovely and the rooms are ok; If you have booked one of the bungalows you will be happy. That unfortunately is where the good stuff ends. The management of this hotel need to make some sweeping changes and quickly, as this was the worst five star experience I have ever encountered. The promotional video that comes on when you switch on the TV in your room will tell you what you can expect, the reality is you get none of it. Main buffet restaurant: No drinks service offered during our stay, the video shows fully laid tables and mentions a wine list, with wine glasses etc...you dont get that. The food is repetitive and only ever luke warm, because it is kept in warming cabinets behind the main servery, with very limited choice. They have probably half the staff they need for a restaurant of this size, so you will encounter dirty tables with previous guests plates and cutlery, as they just cant clear them quick enough. I feel sorry for the staff that are there, as they are doing there best. Pool Bar: one person on their own all day, quality of drinks is again poor. Senses Bar: everyone goes here in the evenings and again one person working, expect to queue, again quality of the drink offering is poor. Mojito's were not what you would expect. Pool Side Snack Bar: This is the biggest joke of all, this snack bar has Pizza ovens, ice cream cabinets, in fact a fully fitted kitchen, but they just dump stuff in here, and what you will get is a glass cabinet, with a few sandwiches wrapped in cling film and slices of cake and desserts taken from the restaurant after breakfast. This is an absolute disgrace, this is not a cheap hotel, but it seems they dont want you to have anything for your money. We complained to Jet2 and they admitted that they have been having issues with customers complaining for a few months now. this is simply not what you expect from a 5 star all inclusive holiday, and I feel sorry for anyone who is going there this summer, when it will be even busier. My message to the management is this: You need to sort this out and sort it out quickly, because every other English family that was there during our stay, are going to their travel companies for compensation, as are we. stop ripping us off and give us what we paid for. I have attached a few pictures of some of the items I mentioned for review.

The property itself is beautiful, the rooms are stylish, spacious, and comfortable, and the overall design of the resort is good. I would also like to compliment your reception team, who have been professional, polite, and helpful throughout our stay.

Unfortunately, the service and attention to detail have not reflected the standards we expected from a 5-star luxury resort. For the price guests pay, the experience should consistently reflect a true 5-star standard.

During our stay we experienced several issues:

• Pool towels were frequently unavailable, even well after the advertised collection time, they were available only after 12:30pm during the peak heat when most families actually leave the pool area and go inside until 16:00.

• The food quality in the main restaurant was average and below what we expected from a 5-star resort. The food was repetitive.

• The Greek à la carte restaurant offered very little authentic Greek cuisine, mainly burgers, sandwiches and pizzas. The à la carte experience was also disappointing. We were unable to reserve dinner and instead booked lunch at the Greek restaurant. Apart from the Greek salad, the menu offered very little that could be described as Greek cuisine, and while the presentation was ok, the food quality itself was far below what we expected from a luxury resort.

• The minibar was stocked with only four small bottles of water per day for four people, 2 adults 2 children, despite temperatures of around 30°C.

• Coffee stations in the room were regularly out of stock you would have to go to the hotel reception which is far from the rooms to get coffee capsules.

• Shared bathrooms near the pools, especially around the children’s splash area and the pool bar, required much more frequent cleaning due to unpleasant odors and poor hygiene. The unpleasant smell around the children’s splash area, which is next to the public toilets, was particularly disappointing.

• Our room was not always supplied with enough towels, which was resolved later after contacting the reception.

One of the most disappointing experiences happened during breakfast. I asked for eight mini pancakes for my family of four, including my two young children (aged 5 and 3). The pancakes are very small, and they are the only breakfast food my children eat. The chef refused my request, saying that eight pancakes were too many. I explained that they were for four people and that my children could not stand in line themselves while their grandmother stayed with them, but there was still no flexibility. This was never about the pancakes themselves. It was about the attitude and the willingness to accommodate a simple request from a family with young children. The cost of a few extra mini pancakes is insignificant, but the impression it leaves on guests is significant.

When we booked this hotel it was advertised as a luxury 5*. Sadly, despite truly beautiful surroundings the actual experience is barely scraping that of a 3*. The few staff the hotel actually has work incredibly hard but, are overstretched. Allegedly, the original owners went bust earlier in the season & the new owners seem clueless about 5* standard. The staff are paid poorly & not surprisingly the hotel are struggling to retain them.

The food is lacking in quality & the usual Mediterranean freshness we have come to expect from this area of the world. The all inclusive package is not worth it. Lunch at the pools consists of curling cheese sandwiches, a poultry selection of fruit (if you get lucky) & the occasional slice of cake left over from the uninspiring buffet breakfast. There is no maitre de at dinner time, no drinks service for the tables (it’s a free for all) & you are lucky to find cutlery on your table.

The rooms are large & clean (we had a large villa) but under catered, meaning we had to request enough towels & bottled water for all of us every day.

The two “à la carte” restaurants on site were also nothing special. They are mostly empty (despite the app stating they are fully booked). The Greek restaurant serves nothing Greek for lunch except a single Greek salad & the Italian option was ok, if only the plates weren’t being cleared whilst you were still eating & the staff couldn’t be bothered to offer desserts.

The location is stunning & the hotel would be a fabulous get away if it was run properly. It is remote though so with the poor catering you feel trapped. We would recommend booking a taxi to the beautiful local villages for a true taste of the Mediterranean!