NEMA Design Hotel and Spa

I believe I can offer a fairly comprehensive review of this property, having stayed here during a family holiday with five people and booked two Atrium Rooms and one Poolside Room.

I will start with the Atrium Rooms, because it is only fair to acknowledge what was positive: they are brand-new, very beautiful rooms with an extremely modern home automation system. Unfortunately, when we stayed, we were probably among the first guests to occupy them, and the system still seemed very much to be in its testing phase.

You could set your preferred temperature, but every time you left the room or opened the terrace door, the air conditioning reset itself to 28°C, making it impossible to return to a cool room. Before we initially reported the issue, the system would even reset spontaneously, without anyone leaving the room or opening the terrace door.

On our first evening, we therefore spent hours waiting for technicians and solutions, until well after midnight. At our request, we were offered a move to another Atrium Room, but that room had exactly the same problem and therefore did not actually provide a solution. After a day that had started at dawn, one of the guests, exhausted and frustrated, eventually chose to move to the Poolside Room, effectively accepting a downgrade simply to get a few hours of sleep, while the others remained in the overheated Atrium.

The home automation then became almost tragicomical: the beautiful skylight would open by itself at 7 a.m., while during the second night repeated power outages caused the system to restart, switching on all the lights in the room. This happened at least five times in one night, repeatedly waking us up. The televisions were also effectively useless, as they could not connect to the internet.

The Poolside Room is a completely different story. The price difference compared with the Atrium was only around €117 per night, yet the difference in quality is enormous. It is a much older, cheap-looking, unattractive room with very little natural light and, overall, an almost claustrophobic feel. The so-called private pool also offers very limited privacy: the partitions between the pools are low and, in some rooms, there is not even a hedge to shield guests from people walking past.

The bathroom also had a significant shower leak, leaving water all over the floor. This is not simply an inconvenience: it represents a serious safety risk, as a guest could easily slip and seriously injure themselves. We reported the problem for three consecutive days. After several requests, we eventually obtained a room change, only to find exactly the same problem in the new Poolside Room. It is therefore difficult to consider this an isolated fault. A similar leak also occurred in one of the Atrium Rooms; in that case, at least, it was promptly resolved.

Another, much more serious incident involved a food allergy. We had informed the hotel of the issue in advance and, before eating a particular dish, two members of our group specifically asked a member of staff whether it was safe. We were assured that it was. The information was incorrect, and one of our guests suffered an allergic reaction and had to take an antihistamine.

There was also the issue of the buffet. Despite having repeatedly communicated our dietary requirements, there were only a couple of options at dinner that were actually compatible with both the allergy and a vegetarian diet. The quality of the food certainly did not compensate for the limited choice: both the ingredients and the preparation seemed to us to be of extremely poor quality.

The overall buffet experience was also cheap-looking and poorly presented, far below the image of luxury and exclusivity that the property aims to convey. It reminded us of a cruise ship.

To be fair, the housekeeping staff, maintenance staff and the Nalema pool staff were always extremely kind, helpful and attentive. My criticism is therefore not directed indiscriminately at the entire staff. The problem was mainly with the way things were handled by reception and management.

And this is where my experience became truly shocking. After we reported all these problems, the hotel did not simply provide a different version of events: they denied our account and effectively questioned our good faith as guests.

Regarding the air conditioning, we were told that the problem had been handled promptly and that adequate alternatives had been offered. Regarding the allergy incident, we were told that there was no record of anyone having asked staff about the dish in question. In both cases, our account was called into question simply because the events did not appear in the hotel's internal reports.

It is extremely serious to use the absence of an internal record to question a guest's account and deny that what they reported actually happened. In effect, this position allowed the hotel to accept no responsibility and therefore to offer no compensation whatsoever for the serious inconvenience we experienced.

Problems and technical failures can happen in any hotel, even in a top-level property. The real difference between outstanding hospitality and inadequate hospitality becomes apparent precisely when something goes wrong: in the ability to respond quickly, find a genuine solution, protect the guest and take responsibility for the inconvenience caused.

This is precisely where, in our experience, this property failed. It was not the problems themselves that made our stay so disappointing, but the way they were handled, resolved — or left unresolved — and ultimately the way our complaints were dealt with.

For all these reasons, despite the expectations with which we arrived, this remains the worst hotel experience I have ever had.

what an incredible experience we had at this hotel.

From the moment we arrived until the day we left, every single detail was thoughtfully designed to make our stay as comfortable and memorable as possible. Our room was beautiful, spotless, luxurious, and offered a breathtaking view. Every part of the hotel reflects care, quality, and attention to detail.

We especially loved the outstanding service, the wonderful staff, the unforgettable and highly professional spa, and the unique swimming pool, designed like a natural ecological lagoon with comfortable loungers both inside and around the pool. What impressed us most was the feeling that the people behind this hotel truly care about every guest.

Every request we had was met with genuine kindness, willingness to help, and excellent recommendations and information. We were also pleasantly surprised by the thoughtful touches throughout the day—cold towels by the pool, a farewell gift upon departure, attentive pool service available all day, and exceptional food. These are details we have never experienced anywhere else.

A very special thank you to the bellman, who assisted us with our luggage and was always friendly, professional, and helpful throughout our stay. We would also like to thank Marina, who welcomed us from the very first day with a warm smile, endless patience, and valuable information that made our vacation even more enjoyable. We wholeheartedly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for peace, relaxation, beautiful natural surroundings by the sea, and a truly luxurious experience with exceptional hospitality.

Thank you for making our vacation so special. We will definitely be back!