King Evelthon Beach Hotel and Resort

I had the massage with Istvan and it was amazing. I felt the treatment very relaxed and it released the tension I had in my body. Additionally, I felt amazing when finished, specially considering that I had pain in my back. The treatment has helped on it for sure.

We're currently waiting for our coach transfer home after a fantastic week at the King Evelthon. Before travelling, I read a lot of the reviews on TripAdvisor and, if I'm honest, I was a little anxious about what to expect. Thankfully, the hotel exceeded the level of service and expectations we were looking for, and we've had a wonderful family holiday with a group of 6 adults and 5 children.

I'll start with the negatives, as these may be deal-breakers for some people.

Firstly, the hotel advertises itself as a 5-star hotel, although we booked through Jet2 where it's listed as a 4-star. If you're expecting a true luxury 5-star experience, you may be disappointed. The hotel is a little tired in places. While many areas feel modern, there are scuff marks on some walls, the corridor carpets could be cleaner, and there was some mould around parts of the bathroom and even around a few of the room number signs. None of these affected our holiday, but they're worth mentioning.

There also isn't a poolside snack bar. Initially I thought this was a downside, but in reality it keeps the pool area much tidier and encourages everyone to head into the restaurant for lunch, which actually breaks up the day quite nicely. Our tea and coffee station wasn't replenished every day, and our balcony wasn't cleaned on one occasion, but these were only minor issues.

One thing that's also worth mentioning is the beach. The hotel sits right on the coastline, and the pool area has beautiful sea views. However, the beach directly in front of the hotel isn't suitable for swimming as it's extremely rocky. If you're hoping for a sandy beach, you'll need to walk left out of the hotel along the coastal path for around 20 minutes, where you'll find a lovely sandy beach that's well worth the walk. It wasn't an issue for us as we mainly used the pools, but it's something to be aware of if beach access is a priority.

Now onto the positives.

From the moment we arrived, the reception staff were welcoming and friendly. Vladislav checked us in and was extremely helpful, efficient and professional. We had three rooms booked, and one of our rooms was shown to by a bellboy (I believe his name was Dimitrius – apologies if I've spelt that incorrectly). He carried our luggage, explained the hotel facilities and showed us around the room, which was a lovely touch. I'm not sure if this service is always available, but it certainly made us feel welcome.

We stayed in a Superior Room, which was modern, spacious and comfortable. As mentioned, there were a few cosmetic issues in the bathroom, but nothing that spoiled our stay. The shower had excellent water pressure, the balcony was large, and the beds were very comfortable. On arrival we were also pleasantly surprised to find complimentary wine, bottled water, soft drinks and beer in the fridge. These aren't replenished during your stay, but it's still a nice gesture that we don't often see at other hotels.

The main restaurant is probably one of the smaller buffet restaurants I've experienced, but don't let that put you off. The food was genuinely tasty with plenty of variety across breakfast, lunch and dinner. Every evening there was enough choice that everyone in our group found something they enjoyed. The restaurant staff worked incredibly hard, clearing tables quickly and always happy to move tables around for larger groups.

The drinks selection was also good, with self-service soft drinks, beer and wine available. One feature I particularly liked was the iced coffee station, where you could make your own iced coffees. It's a small touch, but something I've never seen at another all-inclusive hotel.

For us, the pool area is the hotel's biggest selling point. It's absolutely huge, with a large main pool, a children's pool, and several long decorative pools around the sunbeds that are perfect for cooling off. There are two pool bars serving beer, cocktails and soft drinks. The drinks were good quality, and if you prefer a stronger cocktail, just ask and they're happy to oblige. The pool staff worked hard throughout the day, and there were plenty of lifeguards on duty, although we did notice some occasionally using their phones.

The hotel also has its own water park just a short walk away. There are plenty of slides for both adults and children, as well as a lazy river. We all had great fun there. My only criticism is that some of the slides felt a little uncomfortable where the sections joined together, but that's only a minor point.

Entertainment is probably the weakest area of the hotel. The animation team work hard and deserve credit, organising activities such as aqua zumba, French bowls and water polo during the day. In the evenings there's usually live singers, bingo and more live music. It was enjoyable enough, but nothing spectacular. We often ended up entertaining ourselves with cards and UNO, which we were perfectly happy doing. I'd also recommend requesting an outside table for dinner, as you'll already have a great seat for the evening entertainment.

Overall, we've had a brilliant holiday. Despite a few minor cosmetic issues, they never affected our enjoyment. The food exceeded our expectations, the drinks were good, the pool area was excellent, and the staff were friendly and hardworking throughout our stay.

Would I return? Absolutely. In fact, the only thing I'd change is staying for 10 days instead of 7.

A couple of tips for future guests:

• If you're planning on using the water park, consider bringing water shoes, especially for younger children, as the ground gets very hot.

• Ask for an outside table at dinner if you want a good view of the evening entertainment without having to search for a seat afterwards.

• If you want a sandy beach, allow around a 20-minute walk along the coastal path to the left of the hotel.

A big thank you to all of the staff for helping make our family holiday such an enjoyable one.

Ive only slept in this hotel one night, some of the stuff were nice for example, Antonia ( life guard in the water park) Antonis ( also a life guard in the water park) they were very very nice and respectful, although the waiters were very rude and disrespectful Thank you Antonia and thank you antonis!